Succession Planning for Family Owned Companies in Ontario (2022)

• Clients are HNW and UNHW
• Development of Long Term Investment Strategies for each family.
• Creation of operating structures to guide decisions for family members.
• Identification of Investment Opportunities.

Result: Coordinated decision making and better long term business planning.

M&A Assignment for Freight Forwarder in Toronto (2022)

• Sell side assignment and corporate strategy work.
• Valuation and contract negotiations.

Result: New corporate strategy for firm to grow through internal sales growth and via partnerships.

M&A Assignment -- Manufacturing Firm in Germany (2022)

• Canadian client was interested in buying a manufacturing firm in Germany with worldwide sales and distribution.
• Edgewater did the valuation and spent one week in Germany analyzing the firm.

Result: Edgewater recommended that the client consider other expansion alternatives given various risk issues identified during the due diligence.

Real Estate Acquisitions for UHNW family in Toronto (2022)

• Edgewater did an extensive analysis on behalf of a family to evaluate commercial real estate opportunities
• This included detailed financial analysis on each building for sale, negotiation strategies with sellers, an assessment of optimal capital structure and a negotiation of a debt facility with a large Canadian bank.

Result: Acquisition of select properties as part of portfolio of investments.

Bankruptcy & Restructuring Workout (2021)

• Negotiated a debt restructuring to save client $4 million in long term debt and $8 million in short term financing obligations.
• Worked with external counsel, trustees and banking syndicate to restructure the company in Quebec.

Result: As of 2022 company is now profitable.

Buy side mandate to acquire robotics company in Montreal (2020)

• M&A assignment
• Valuation and negotiation of Share Purchase Agreement

Result: Acquisition of company.

Multi-generational share plan for large family owned manufacturing firm (2022)

• Owner of firm wanted to evaluate his succession planning options
• Edgewater did a valuation of the business and presented different options to the six family members who are shareholders on the best way to run the company for the next five years.
• Development of five year plan to transfer share ownership to next generation using a valuation formula and share purchase agreement.

Result: Long term plan for family accepted by all shareholders.

Corporate advisor in shareholder dispute with partners.

• Two partners wanted to separate from each other but never signed a shareholder's agreement
• Edgewater worked with one partner to provide a buy-out structure for the other partner and a legal framework to make the purchase.
• Edgewater worked with legal team to present ideas to other side for a resolution to the dispute.

Result: Clear options for both parties to consider.

Trailcon Trailer Leasing - Brampton (2017-2022)

• Contract negotiations for implementation of GPS tracking project and project analytics.
• Advisor to owner on key strategic projects ranging from acquisitions to hiring new president.
• Acted as advisor in contract dispute over technology project with third party supplier.
• Analysis of profitability by business segments and service offering.

Result: Higher profitability and faster revenue growth in last five years than in prior decades.

Scotiabank - Senior Advisor to Scotia Wealth Management – Scotiabank in Mexico City, Mexico (2012 to 2017).

• Hired by SVP of Wealth Management to improve profitability in the BNS Mexico Wealth Management division.
• Created broker compensation plan to double commission revenue over five years.
• Designed and launched a new recruitment strategy, adding 5-10 new financial advisors each year and $100 million in client assets.
• Reported to SVP in Toronto on the P&L, including analysis of revenues, costs and profit targets
• Led a team to create new long term data and technology requirements.
• Worked with teams in Mexico to pick best options for new business initiatives.

Result: From 2012 to 2016 Scotiabank Wealth in Mexico grew revenue by over 30% and NIBT by 50%, with fewer head office staff, higher profit margins, better operating leverage and an improved business focus.

HSBC Securities - Toronto (2010)

• Hired by the head of HSBC Securities to build a new recruitment program for investment advisors.
• Working with senior management, evaluated different business growth options.

Result: HSBC was sold to National Bank Financial in late 2010.

Vision Advisors Wealth Management - Chile (2008)

• Retained by Chilean wealth management firm to do a financial analysis of the business opportunities for entering new wealth markets in Latin America.
• M&A activity in England and Colombia.

Result: Senior management was able to evaluate which M&A options were best for the company, and took the recommended course of action.

Advise Wealth Management – Argentina/Uruguay (2009).

• In 2009 Royal Bank exited Argentina. The wealth management business was sold to the management team.
• Edgewater Advisors worked with the management team to set up a new business in Uruguay.

This project resulted in new wealth management firm in Uruguay which continues to this day and has been highly successful in attracting new clients and assets.

Other projects in wealth management, finance, transportation.

• Worked for a Financial Services company in Toronto to analyze credit risk of a portfolio of small business loans (approximately 500 loans from $50,000 to $250,000) to update the original risk measurement methodology.
• Hired by Toronto based Mortgage Corporation to build financial models that were used to value and ultimate acquire a mortgage origination business.
• Business consultant to a medical services company. Wrote the business case and created the financial projections which were then used to establish the medical practice, which continues to operate as of today.

These projects are examples of Edgewater Advisors works with owners and senior managers to help them make more informed and lower risk decisions on projects.

Royal Bank of Canada (1995 to 2008).

• International Brokerage (Latin America 2006 to 2008). Part of team to build new brokerage branches in Panama, Chile and provide operations oversight in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Grew revenue by > 20% per year.
• Mergers and Acquisitions - New York City (2002 to 2006). Worked for RBC in New York for five years on M&A projects, buying and selling region banks, wealth management firms and private banking operations in the USA and England. Participated in over $10 billion of deals in five years. Worked on most of the large M&A transactions: Royal Bank Mortgage based in Texas, UBS Reinsurance (Cayman), Private Trusts (UK) and Asset Management and Wealth Businesses throughout the USA.
• Business Strategy (2000 to 2002). Worked with Corporate Development team to run projects on new projects, business cases and other growth initiatives at RBC. Developed in-depth knowledge of project management inside a bank. Senior manager with RBC’s internal business development team reporting to the head of finance and the CFO. Worked with the private banking and asset management teams at Royal Bank on business strategy, new client acquisitions, new product development and evaluation of business initiatives
• Corporate Banking (1997 to 2000). Built financial models to analyze credit risk and did in-depth credit reports for large corporate credits. Learned how to build complex financial models in excel.

Senior Economist - Finance and Environmental Analysis (Province of Ontario).

• Economist working on cost-benefit analysis for Ministry of Environment
• Financial analyst for Finance Department

Teaching