Saim Korlu, Finance Expert in London, United Kingdom
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Saim Korlu

Verified Expert  in Finance

Finance Expert

Location
London, United Kingdom
Toptal Member Since
May 15, 2018

With 25 years of experience, Saim is a veteran financial and strategic advisor with a strong track record. He has completed 35+ transactions worth $30 billion while working at J.P. Morgan, The Carlyle Group, and PineBridge Investments. An expert in cross-border M&A, valuation, financial analysis, due diligence, contracting, and post-merger integration, Saim is also an experienced corporate board advisor. He enjoys advising clients on fundraising, M&A, valuation, exits, and strategic projects.

Career Highlights

Vice President
J.P. Morgan & Co.
Private Equity Associate
The Carlyle Group

Education Highlights

Bachelor's Degree
Northwestern University

Case Studies

Work Experience

Managing Partner

2016 - 2022
Prospera Capital Partners
  • Advised a $4 billion Japanese multinational corporation on its cross-border acquisition of an FMCG company in a new market.
  • Oversaw the due diligence and led the negotiation of key terms and conditions of the acquisition. With this completed investment, the client established a regional production and marketing and accessed a multi-billion dollar new market.
  • Led the post-acquisition integration of the target business with respect to talent management and HR, IT, reporting, accounting, and tax functions.
  • Oversaw the sale of an enterprise software company focused on AI-driven conversational technologies.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Fundraising, Market Entry, Equity Capital, Post-merger Integration, Investor Presentations, Acquisitions, Business Planning, Portfolio Company Support, Models, Financial Advisory, Investment Memoranda, Minority Investments, Private Equity Valuation, Private Company Valuation, Bank Covenants, Debt Capital Markets, Forecasting, Investment Summaries, Business Services, Financial Management, Investor Agreements, Investor Relations, Capital Structure Analysis, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Cross-border M&A, Merger Benefits, Integration, Growth Equity, Equity Valuation, Credit Modeling, Emerging Growth Companies, Loans, Board Work, Board Development, Shareholder Value, DCF Modeling, Term Sheets, Share Purchase Agreements, Entry Strategy, Growth Strategy, Investment Ideas, Exit Planning, Buyer Lists, Equity, Strategy, Investment Cases, Exit Strategy, Finance, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Terms & Conditions, Legal Contract Drafting, Legal Documentation, Legal Structuring, Financials, Investment Banking, Board Presentations, Term Sheet Advisory, Precedent Transaction Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Strategic Planning & Execution, Transaction Advisory, Investment Capital Raising, Healthcare, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Banking & Finance, M&A (Buy-side), M&A (Sell-side), Credit Risk, Recapitalization, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Comparable Company Analysis, Financial Closing, SME/SMB Financing, RFP Negotiation, Investing, Scenario Analysis, Sell-side, Quality of Earnings, Business Strategy, Emerging Markets, Financial Data, Capital IQ, Company Strategy, Management Consulting, Pitch Deck Consultant, Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Partnerships, Funding Strategy, Middle East, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Limited Partnerships

Group Head, Private Equity – MENA & Turkey

2013 - 2016
PineBridge Investments
  • Built a market map that highlighted the positioning of 10 companies in the specialty chemicals sector.
  • Identified a leading company in the market, developed a relationship with the owners, executive managed the team, and led a $130 million investment.
  • Built the bottoms-up financial forecast and the LBO model.
  • Managed the financial, commercial, operational and legal due diligence.
  • Spearheaded deal negotiations, arranged the acquisition debt financing, and negotiating the term sheet and the credit agreement with the banks.
  • Developed presentation materials for the investment committee and the board of directors.
  • Identified, presented to, and negotiated with co-investors.
  • Originated and executed a $30 million investment in a $135 million renewable energy platform investment.
  • Identified the opportunity through a direct relationship with the CEO and led the term sheet negotiations, due diligence, and the preparation and presentation of detailed materials to the investment committee.
  • Served as a board director and vice chairman of the credit approval committee of a factoring company with $275 million of assets.
  • Realized a partial exit by extracting 20% of the initial investment as dividends.
  • Helped grow the company's market share by 2.5x, assets by 5x, and book value by 6x over two years by arranging new debt financing to underwrite new loans, evaluating and approving add-on acquisitions and monitoring performance, reviewing budgets, analyzing and approving new loan requests.
  • Led and coached PineBridge's private equity team.
Focus areas: Transaction Structuring, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), DCF Valuation, Minority Investments, Value Investing, Investment Summaries, Investment Monitoring, Investment Briefs, Investments, Investment Memoranda, Investment Thesis, Financial Systems, Financial Engineering, Financial Advisory, Equity Financing, Feasibility Studies, Revenue & Expense Projections, Project Evaluation, Projected Cash Flow, Project Finance, Debt Raises, Debt Restructuring, Financial Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Business Planning, Accounting, Dividend Policy, Management Buyout Finance, M&A (Buy-side), Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Revenue Modeling, Transaction Modeling, M&A Modeling, Valuation Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Private Equity, Financial Analysis, Complex Transaction Agreements, Valuation, Term Sheet Negotiations, Cross-border M&A, Integration, Valuation Multiples, Bloomberg, Funding Process, EMEA, Turkey, Financial Options, Equity Raises, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Funds Flow, Value Creation, Microsoft Word, Three-statement Modeling, Fundraising Consultant, Post-merger Integration, Portfolio Management, Investor Presentations, Acquisitions, Portfolio Company Support, Models, Private Equity Valuation, Private Company Valuation, Bank Covenants, Debt Capital Markets, Capital Structure Optimization, Debt Structuring, Forecasting, Business Services, Finance Strategy, Investor Agreements, Investor Relations, Capital Structure Analysis, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Merger Benefits, Market Entry, Growth Equity, Equity Valuation, Credit Modeling, Credit Ratings, Emerging Growth Companies, Loans, Debt Financing, Debt Issuance, Financing, Board Work, BOD, Board Development, Shareholder Value, DCF Modeling, Term Sheets, Share Purchase Agreements, Entry Strategy, Growth Strategy, Investment Committee Advisory, Investment Ideas, Pitch Decks, Exit Planning, Buyer Lists, Equities, Equity, Strategy, Investment Cases, Exit Strategy, Finance, Leveraged Finance, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Terms & Conditions, Legal Contract Drafting, Legal Documentation, Legal Structuring, Financials, Investment Banking, Board Presentations, Term Sheet Advisory, Precedent Transaction Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Strategic Planning & Execution, Transaction Advisory, Investment Capital Raising, Healthcare, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Banking & Finance, M&A (Sell-side), Credit Risk, Credit Reviews, Term Loans, Recapitalization, Comparable Company Analysis, Financial Closing, Project Papers for Proposed Financing, SME/SMB Financing, Equity Investment, RFP Negotiation, Investing, Investment Funds, Pro Forma Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Quality of Earnings, Business Strategy, Emerging Markets, Financial Data, Boards, Debt, Bank Debt Raises, Capital IQ, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Chief Strategy Officer, Company Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Funding Strategy, Investment Analysis, Venture Capital, Middle East, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Limited Partnerships

Director

2010 - 2013
Actera Group
  • Originated and completed—on a proprietary and exclusive basis—a $150 million investment in a logistics and aviation company with an enterprise value of $600 million.
  • Raised $90 million of acquisition debt financing.
  • Sourced and led the execution of investments in the education, healthcare, infrastructure, and agriculture industries.
  • Managed and coached a team of eight junior mid-level and junior staffers.
  • Acted as a director on the boards of four portfolio companies operating in the financial services, media and entertainment, retail, and food services sectors.
Focus areas: Investment Portfolio Management, Private Company Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity, Fundraising, Financial Analysis, Complex Transaction Agreements, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Term Sheet Negotiations, Cross-border M&A, Integration, Investor Relations, Valuation Multiples, Bloomberg, Funding Process, Aviation, EMEA, Turkey, Financial Options, Equity Raises, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Funds Flow, Value Creation, Microsoft Word, Three-statement Modeling, Post-merger Integration, Portfolio Management, Acquisitions, Business Planning, Portfolio Company Support, Models, Financial Advisory, Financial Engineering, Investment Memoranda, Minority Investments, Bank Covenants, Debt Capital Markets, Capital Structure Optimization, Debt Structuring, Forecasting, Investment Summaries, Business Services, Financial Management, Investment Monitoring, Financial Systems, Finance Strategy, Investor Agreements, Capital Structure Analysis, Intangible Asset Valuation, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Merger Benefits, Market Entry, Growth Equity, Equity Offerings, Equity Valuation, Credit Modeling, Credit Ratings, Emerging Growth Companies, Loans, Debt Financing, Debt Issuance, Financing, Board Work, BOD, Board Development, Shareholder Value, DCF Modeling, Term Sheets, Share Purchase Agreements, Entry Strategy, Growth Strategy, Investment Committee Advisory, Investment Ideas, Exit Planning, Buyer Lists, Equities, Equity, Strategy, Investment Cases, Exit Strategy, Finance, Leveraged Finance, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Terms & Conditions, Legal Contract Drafting, Legal Documentation, Legal Structuring, Financials, RFP Negotiation, Board Presentations, Term Sheet Advisory, Precedent Transaction Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Strategic Planning & Execution, Transaction Advisory, Investment Capital Raising, Healthcare, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Banking & Finance, M&A (Buy-side), M&A (Sell-side), Credit Risk, Credit Reviews, Term Loans, Recapitalization, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Comparable Company Analysis, Financial Closing, Project Papers for Proposed Financing, SME/SMB Financing, Equity Investment, Investing, Investment Funds, Pro Forma Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Quality of Earnings, Business Strategy, Emerging Markets, Education, Financial Data, Boards, Debt, Bank Debt Raises, Capital IQ, Chief Strategy Officer, Company Strategy, Management Consulting, Growth Strategy Consultants, Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Funding Strategy, Investment Analysis, Venture Capital, Middle East, Pro Forma Financial Statements, Limited Partnerships

Vice President

2000 - 2008
J.P. Morgan & Co.
  • Led the sell-side M&A and staple financing transaction for North Castle Partners' $720 million exit of its portfolio company, CRC Health, in a dual track initial public offering and sale process.
  • Completed the sale of the company to Bain Capital, resulting in 6x return on capital.
  • Drafted the information memorandum and IPO prospectus; preparing the financial projections, DCF, and LBO-based valuation materials.
  • Coordinated the due diligence, negotiated the SPA, and spearheaded the closing process.
  • Led various sell-side transactions including Alpha Therapeutics' break-up and two-part sale to Baxter and Probitas for $100 million, LabOne’s sale to Quest Diagnostics for $1 billion, Oratec’s sale to Smith & Nephew for $300 million, and Edwards Lifesciences’ sale of its services business to Fresenius for $50 million.
  • Led the buy-side M&A advisory for Guidant Corporation's $2.5 billion acquisition of Cook Group.
  • Built and presented the bottoms-up financial forecast and comparables-based valuation model.
  • Prepared pro forma financial impact analysis including EPS accretion/dilution and EPS growth.
  • Designed and presented transaction structure alternatives and drafted the public announcement materials.
  • Led the buy-side advisory on various M&A transactions including Madison Dearborn Partners’ buy-out of VWR for $4 billion, McKesson’s acquisition of Fisher Scientific for $12 billion, Bristol-Myers Squibb's acquisition of DuPont Pharmaceuticals for $7.8 billion, and EcoLab’s $73 million minority investment in KIK.
  • Led the $779 million public equity raise for King Pharmaceuticals.
  • Drafted the offering prospectus and prepared the valuation materials to establish the offering price.
  • Presented the investment merits and risks to the equities sales force and responded to inquiries from the SEC and investors.
  • Built the equity book and oversaw its completion.
  • Led various equity raise transactions including Universal American Financial's $180 million offering, Endo Pharmaceuticals' $91 million offering, and Thoratec Corporation's $112 million offering.
  • Led the $2 billion acquisition debt financing for Fillmore Capital Partner’s buy-out of Genesis Healthcare and was responsible for various areas including performing the debt capacity analysis.
  • Constructed the credit model and covenant stress test.
  • Drafted and presented ratings advisory presentation; also prepared the credit approval presentation.
  • Wrote and negotiated the financing terms sheet and the credit agreement.
  • Led various debt raise transactions including the $2.6 billion financing for MDP's buyout of VWR, the $350 million financing for Bain Capital’s buyout of CRC Health, the $50 million financing for CRC Health’s acquisition of Aspen Education, the $225 million financing for Patheon, and the $345 million convertible offering for King Pharmaceuticals.
  • Spearheaded and completed various strategic advisory mandates including advising the board of directors of Universal Health Services to defend against a hostile bidder, advising the board of directors of Extendicare on its strategic alternatives, building an international expansion strategy for Henry Schein.
  • Structured and financed McKesson Corporation's $2 billion class-action lawsuit.
Focus areas: Capital Structuring, Finance Structures, Transaction Structuring, Revenue Modeling, Financial Modeling, Transaction Modeling, Valuation Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, M&A Modeling, Growth Equity, Equity Valuation, Equity Capital, Equity Offerings, Credit Risk, Credit Analysis, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Intangible Asset Valuation, Commercial Mortgage-backed Securities (CMBS), Asset-based Finance, Asset Valuation, Asset-based Lending, Acquisitions, Accounting, Bank Debt Raises, Bank Covenants, Convertible Debt, Subordinated Debt, Debt Restructuring, Debt Raises, Debt Capital Markets, Equity Financing, Due Diligence, Comparable Company Analysis, Projected Cash Flow, Project Evaluation, Project Finance, Private Company Valuation, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity, Management Buyout Finance, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Share Buybacks, M&A (Sell-side), M&A (Buy-side), Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), DCF Valuation, Value Investing, Investment Briefs, Investment Monitoring, Investment Memoranda, Investment Thesis, Minority Investments, Investments, Corporate Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Analysis, Complex Transaction Agreements, Valuation, Term Sheet Negotiations, Cross-border M&A, Acquisition Analysis, Valuation Multiples, Bloomberg, Funding Process, ProModel EPS, Asset Securitization, United States, Financial Options, Equity Raises, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Banking & Finance, Microsoft Word, Three-statement Modeling, Fundraising Consultant, Investor Presentations, Business Planning, Models, Financial Advisory, Financial Engineering, Capital Structure Optimization, Debt Structuring, Forecasting, Investment Summaries, Business Services, Financial Management, Financial Systems, Investor Agreements, Investor Relations, Capital Structure Analysis, Merger Benefits, Credit Modeling, Credit Ratings, Emerging Growth Companies, Loans, Debt Financing, Debt Issuance, Financing, Shareholder Value, DCF Modeling, Term Sheets, Share Purchase Agreements, Entry Strategy, Growth Strategy, Investment Ideas, Accretion/Dilution Analysis, Pitch Decks, Exit Planning, Buyer Lists, Equities, Equity, Initial Public Offerings, Strategy, Investment Cases, Exit Strategy, Finance, Leveraged Finance, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Terms & Conditions, Legal Contract Drafting, Legal Documentation, Legal Structuring, Financials, Investment Banking, Board Presentations, Term Sheet Advisory, Precedent Transaction Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Strategic Planning & Execution, Transaction Advisory, Investment Capital Raising, Healthcare, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Credit Reviews, Term Loans, Recapitalization, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Closing, Project Papers for Proposed Financing, RFP Negotiation, Investing, Pro Forma Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Sell-side, Investment Research, Quality of Earnings, Business Strategy, Financial Data, Debt, Capital IQ, Debt Workouts, Company Strategy, Pitch Deck Consultant, Funding Strategy, Pro Forma Financial Statements

Private Equity Associate

2003 - 2005
The Carlyle Group
  • Led the LBO of Talecris Pharmaceuticals and raised $100 million of asset-based acquisition debt financing from J.P. Morgan and was responsible for building a dynamic LBO model with return sensitivities.
  • Spearheaded the due diligence and determined the transaction structure.
  • Solicited acquisition debt offers from banks and negotiated the SPA and credit agreement.
  • Identified and interviewed CEO candidates and prepared the post-closing 100-day and value creation plans.
  • Monetized Carlyle’s investment in Empi, generating shareholder profits of $140 million, ROI of 3.2x, and IRR of 30%.
  • Executed the $75 million dividend recapitalization of Empi, resulting in a full return of the initial investment followed by a $175 million dual-track sale and IPO process, resulting in complete exit from the investment.
  • Maintained responsibility for the solicitation and review of advisory, staple financing, and IPO underwriting proposals from banks.
  • Prepared the buyer list, managed the due diligence and reviewed the management presentation, IPO prospectus, and equity sales force memorandum.
  • Reviewed and negotiated the offer letters from bidders, negotiated the SPA with final bidders, and prepared the closing checklist and the funds flow.
  • Completed InteliStaf’s, a portfolio company, $50 million acquisition of competitor Star-Med and was responsible for designing the share-swap deal structure.
  • Identified and modeled the synergies and resulting value creation for InteliStaf.
  • Prepared and presented the memorandum to the investment committee.
  • Drafted and negotiated the SPA and SHA.
  • Laid out post-close integration and organizational structure and oversaw the closing process.
  • Completed MedPointe Pharmaceutical’s in-licensing transaction for a $200 million revenue product from AstraZeneca.
Focus areas: Asset Valuation, Asset-based Lending, Asset-based Finance, Term Loans, Capital Structure Analysis, Capital Structure Optimization, Capital Structuring, Cost-saving Structure, Finance Structures, Transaction Structuring, Debt Structuring, Forecasting, Cash Flow Forecasting, P&L Forecasting, Sales Expense Forecasting, Capital Budgeting, Expense Reduction, Revenue & Expense Projections, Financial Systems, Corporate Finance, Budgeting, DCF Valuation, Discounted Cash Flow (DCF), Risk Models, Financial Modeling, Valuation Modeling, Revenue Modeling, M&A Modeling, Transaction Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, Due Diligence, Management Buyout Finance, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Private Equity, Financial Analysis, Complex Transaction Agreements, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Term Sheet Negotiations, Cross-border M&A, Acquisition Analysis, Investor Relations, Valuation Multiples, Bloomberg, Fund Governance, Funding Process, United States, Financial Options, Equity Raises, Investment Return Scenario Analysis, Funds Flow, Value Creation, Microsoft Word, Three-statement Modeling, Post-merger Integration, Portfolio Management, Investor Presentations, Acquisitions, Business Planning, Portfolio Company Support, Models, Financial Advisory, Investment Memoranda, Minority Investments, Private Equity Valuation, Private Company Valuation, Bank Covenants, Debt Capital Markets, Investment Summaries, Business Services, Financial Management, Finance Strategy, Investor Agreements, Intangible Asset Valuation, M&A Earn-out Agreements, Merger Benefits, Integration, Growth Equity, Equity Valuation, Credit Modeling, Credit Ratings, Emerging Growth Companies, Loans, Debt Financing, Debt Issuance, Financing, Board Work, BOD, Board Development, Shareholder Value, DCF Modeling, Term Sheets, Share Purchase Agreements, Entry Strategy, Growth Strategy, Investment Committee Advisory, Investment Ideas, Pitch Decks, Exit Planning, Buyer Lists, Equities, Equity, Initial Public Offerings, Strategy, Investment Cases, Exit Strategy, Finance, Leveraged Finance, Contract Negotiation, Negotiation, Price Negotiations, Terms & Conditions, Legal Contract Drafting, Legal Documentation, Legal Structuring, Financials, Board Presentations, Term Sheet Advisory, Precedent Transaction Analysis, Transaction Comparables, Strategic Planning & Execution, Transaction Advisory, Investment Capital Raising, Healthcare, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Banking & Finance, M&A (Buy-side), M&A (Sell-side), Credit Risk, Credit Reviews, Recapitalization, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Comparable Company Analysis, Financial Closing, SME/SMB Financing, Equity Investment, RFP Negotiation, Investing, Investment Funds, Pro Forma Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Investment Research, Quality of Earnings, Business Strategy, Financial Data, Boards, Bank Debt Raises, Capital IQ, Debt Workouts, Company Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Pitch Deck Consultant, Strategic Initiatives, Strategic Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Investment Analysis, Venture Capital, Limited Partnerships
1996 - 2000

Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering and Economics

Northwestern University - Evanston, IL, USA

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