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Senior Project Finance - £190,000

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Simon Blau via email sblau@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

00354677

PROFILE:

Senior Project Finance Professional with significant financing and advisory experience working in the international investment and corporate banking sector and operating in a range of business sectors including Power & Renewables and Oil & Gas. Extensive experience of building and managing a substantial portfolio of key clients and deals and with a solid track record of devising, proposing and closing high value, multi-faceted financing solutions that fully meet the needs of clients. In-depth experience covering the entire business cycle from origination to financial close and encompassing client management, deal structuring, due diligence, syndication and negotiation. A very capable individual with the credibility, vision and drive to consistently achieve financial goals and who thrives in a fast-paced, results-oriented and high performing working environment.

SKILLS:

  • Project Finance. Degree qualified senior banker with a comprehensive background in Project Finance and Credit Underwriting. Extensive experience of working at Director/Executive Director level in the UK, Europe and the USA.
  • Financial Advisory. Acts as financial advisory and plays an active role in the structuring of facilities and coordinating the activities of 3rd parties including legal advisors. Experience of managing every aspect of mandates from ‘cradle to grave’.
  • Relationship Management. Excellent experience of developing, enhancing and maintaining relationships with existing and new clients. The ability to communicate confidently and succinctly and with strong presentation and influencing skills.
  • Leadership. A track record of structuring and building specialist project finance teams to deliver best in class services to support operations across a large and complex organisation. Extensive experience of training, coaching and mentoring team members.
  • Strategic Management. Excellent forward planning skills and capable of providing a valuable contribution to senior management strategic decision making in support of the bank’s current operations and the future development and strategic direction.
  • International Experience. Extensive experience of working in international investment banking focused on both developed and emerging markets. Excellent cultural awareness and the proven ability to work effectively with large multi-cultural teams.
  • Banking Expertise. Project Finance, Financial Modelling, Credit Analysis, Credit Underwriting, Credit Portfolio Management, Deal Structuring, Deal Negotiation, Client Management, Syndication, Due Diligence, Documentation, Regulatory Compliance.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 2005: CFA
  • 2022: Sustainability and Climate Risk Certificate by GARP

EDUCATION:

2000: University Institute of Science & Technology

M.Eng. (First Class Honours) Chemical Engineering with German

CAREER HISTORY:

November 2023 – Present

Banking

Head of Project Finance Advisory, EMEA / Director

Lead day to day activities of financial advisory mandates, through modelling, financial structuring and negotiations:

  • Since joining the lead the advisory deal team that closed on US$4bn deal on two projects Taiba and Qassim 2 CCGTs in Saudi Arabia, which were awarded the 2024 Power Deal of the Year by PFI;
  • Overseeing a confidential deal on waste water treatment project with major international and local water utility companies in Saudi Arabia.

Leading sourcing of new deals, pivoted the business focus toward green hydrogen and energy transition:

  • The team was awarded a bankability structuring and review of a major green hydrogen/ammonia project in the Middel East (approx. US$10bn);
  • Re-established business relationship with project finance peers in London and established new ones in the Middle East;

Building out the advisory platform with its own policy, liaising with internal stakeholders, to meet Head Office and regulatory requirements of the industry

Member of AIEN working group for development of the green ammonia / green hydrogen financing term sheet;

Direct reports: 2 and indirect: 1; overseeing development, training, directing their growth.

April 2021 – November 2023

Banking

Executive Director, Project Finance - Renewables

  • Promoted to Executive Director as of January 2023.
  • Lead origination and execution for renewable project finance deals in the US, deepen client relationships and drive cross-sell and revenue growth;
  • Represent the team externally and internally by following lending markets, trends and other industry stakeholders.
  • Manage execution of transactions by supervising the internal credit process by coverage, consultation, analysis, structuring, and communication with senior management, Risk and other stakeholders.
  • Managing deal teams, including mentoring, training and supervising juniors.
  • Management of development of the junior pool with 3 direct reports and 5 indirect.
  • Lead the development of policies, processes and tools (e.g., rating methodologies, discount rates, management limits, product development).
  • Portfolio management of the assigned portfolio (amendments, waivers, restructurings, bank (including agency) and borrower management).

March 2017 – March 2021

Banking

Senior Credit1 Officer, Director Project Finance

  • Lead the credit underwriting for project finance deals in the US. The most notable deal: Western Spirit wind financing for Pattern Energy Group, the largest onshore wind financing to date in the US.
  • Lead due diligence, modelling, drafting of the credit package, liaising with Credit Approval’s Group and other business units for attribution, syndication, loan administration.

1 Underwriting

  • Act as Head of the Project Finance agency function with responsibility for a portfolio of 33 deals (value over US$2.0 billion).
  • Operate across a number of key business sectors including thermal, renewables, transmission, contracted and merchant.
  • Conduct comprehensive research on developments within the US power sector presented bank wide and with reports distributed to bank’s investors

August 2010 – August 2016

Banking

Director Natural Resources Advisory, Structured and Project Finance

  • As Director / VP Natural Resources Advisory took full responsibility for the structured and project finance function.
  • Managed the entire business cycle from origination to financial close including client management.
  • Oversaw the structuring, development and negotiation of all project finance documents including joint venture agreements.
  • Conducted market soundings as part of advisory assignments by developing a syndication strategy for individual transactions with the list of prospective lenders and investors.
  • Coordinated all due diligence activities (including the management of third parties and legal advisors).
  • Directed all aspects of the execution of advisory / structured bank assignments in the EMEA natural resources sector.
  • Identified and originated new deals for advisory / lending in natural resources (including petrochemicals, pipelines, and thermal power) and across the bank’s products including ECA lending / PXF / DCM / Corporate Finance / Equity search.
  • Managed the negotiations with lending groups consisting of both international and local (e.g., Russian, Turkish) banks.
  • Managed the development of business manuals and tools, e.g., an internal audit tool for financial modelling, template advisory contracts to provide ongoing resources for the project finance team.

Selected deals:

  • Led the day-to-day management of the project advisory team on the South Stream Project (a partnership between Gazprom, Eni, BASF/Wintershall and Edf), a EUR10 billion project for an offshore gas pipeline across the Black Sea.
  • Played a leading role in the financing of a project with RusVinyl for a EUR1.5 billion greenfield petrochemical (PVC production) plant in Russia. This was a landmark transaction and the first project finance deal in Russia financed by EBRD, Belgian ECA and international lenders.

March 2007 – August 2010

Banking

Associate Director, EMEA Energy

  • Origination and execution of Project Finance deals across the energy sectors

June 2006 – March 2007

Financial Services

Associate Director EMEA Energy

January 2001 – June 2006

Banking

Associate, Senior Analyst, Analyst

References Available Upon Request

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Simon Blau via email sblau@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

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