Public bio:
With more than 11 years of professional experience in portfolio management, financial modeling, equity research, investment banking, fundraising, start-up building, incubation, and company valuation, I possess a keen understanding of various aspects of the finance industry.
In addition to my entrepreneurial endeavors, I have a strong passion for stock investing and possess extensive experience in analyzing companies within both Indian and international markets. Having started investing in the Indian markets at the age of 17 and witnessing a complete market cycle, I approach stock prices with a healthy skepticism. Rather than relying on the crowd's opinions, I delve deep into fundamentals. My investment style is a fusion of Peter Lynch's growth-at-a-reasonable-price approach and Warren Buffett's value investing with a margin of safety.
Throughout my previous experiences, I have been involved in various assignments. Of all the roles, my time at Value Research holds a special place in my heart. As a Senior Equity Analyst, I had the opportunity to present my stock ideas to a wide audience through the highly regarded stock market magazine, "Wealth Insight." Simultaneously, I generated stock ideas for our stock recommendation service, "Value Research Stock Advisor."
Furthermore, my experience as a Portfolio Manager provided me with a profound understanding of equity markets and sentiments. Managing a portfolio primarily focused on Indian small and mid-cap companies, taught me the importance of emotional control and wise decision-making.
My current responsibilities encompass cultivating client relationships with investors, HNI's/UHNI's, founders, foundations, start-up consultants, and individuals. Additionally, I engage in marketing campaigns, financial management, investor pitching, team building, and, most importantly, closing deals.
Moreover, I possess expertise in various financial analysis techniques, including DCF (Discounted Cash Flow), comparable company analysis, and transaction analysis. I am proficient in utilizing databases such as Bloomberg, Capital IQ, Reuters, Datastream, Pratstat, and IBIS World to gather valuable insights and information.
I am a graduate in Business Economics, a former CFA Charterholder, and an FRM Level 1 pass.
Public bio:
Bilal El Yazid didn't set out to become a numbers person; he set out to understand how the world actually works. That curiosity led him deep into the mechanics of financial markets, valuation, and risk, where he found that the most powerful skill isn't just building a model, it's knowing what story it's trying to tell.
With a Master's in Financial Risk Management and a background in Accounting and Management, Bilal has spent his career sitting at the intersection of technical rigor and real-world judgment. He's worked across financial markets and valuation advisory, learning early on that volatile environments don't reward panic; they reward preparation, clarity, and a well-structured framework.
What drives him most today isn't the models themselves, it's the people behind them. Bilal is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of analysts, sharing not just the technical tools, but the mindset it takes to thrive in Investment Banking and Asset Management. He believes that great analysts aren't just trained, they're developed, one honest conversation at a time.
Public bio:
Private equity, corporate investment, M&A, strategy, advisory and business professional with over 20 years experience in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia markets.
Keen to share my experience and knowledge with others who are starting and developing their careers in this industry! It is not all in the books for sure!
Extensive expertise across the full investment and advisory cycle from origination, due diligence, negotiation, financing and completion through to post acquisition monitoring, strategy, board representation, growth plan execution on to M&A, asset sales and divestments. Roles have involved recruitment and management of investment teams and internal and external reporting to boards, committees and investors. Experience in many markets and geographies and across a wide range of sectors.
Established Mulverhill Associates in 2010 in Dubai to provide a full range of private equity and corporate advisory, investment and transaction related services in the MENA region. Clients have included government related entities, major listed corporates, family groups and a wide range of other businesses. Also completed several angel and venture capital investments and was a board member of yallacompare.
In addition to Mulverhill, from 2014 to 2019, a Senior Deal Advisor to TVM Capital Healthcare Partners, a leading healthcare private equity firm based in Dubai, and was involved in a variety of transactions and portfolio management.
At Abraaj Capital from 2001 to 2008 - responsible for and involved in over US$ 2 billion of acquisitions, disposals and financings for many companies, including Aramex International Limited, Jordan Aircraft Maintenance Limited, Egyptian Fertiliser Company, Ramky Infrastructure Limited, Signature Clubs International, Septech Holdings, National Air Services Limited, Saudi Tadawi Healthcare Company and Numarine Limited.
Public bio:
Trace Cohen is a founder, operator, investor, and technologist focused on the intersection of AI, enterprise software, and venture capital. He has spent the last decade building companies, investing in startups, and working closely with founders across the US and Israeli technology ecosystems.
Trace began his career as an entrepreneur, launching his first company from a college dorm room before ultimately scaling and exiting the business after more than a decade of operating experience. Since then, he has become an active early-stage investor with experience across venture funds, SPVs, and angel investments spanning AI, fintech, enterprise SaaS, defense technology, infrastructure, and deep tech.
He previously worked at American Express on the enterprise B2B side of the business, helping lead large-scale internal platform and onboarding initiatives across product, engineering, operations, and partnerships. His work focused heavily on enterprise infrastructure, payments, APIs, fintech enablement, and operational modernization inside large organizations.
Trace is also the creator of ValueAddVC, a data-driven platform and research initiative focused on venture capital, startup ecosystems, AI adoption, SaaS markets, IPOs, and private market analytics. Through dashboards, research, and long-form writing, he has built a significant audience among founders, operators, investors, and enterprise technology leaders.
Most recently, Trace co-founded Six Point Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in vertical AI, automation, defense technology, and deep tech startups across the US and Israel. His investing philosophy centers around long-term infrastructure shifts, applied AI adoption, and backing technical founders building enduring systems rather than short-term applications.
Across his work, Trace is known for combining operator experience, technical curiosity, market analysis, and narrative strategy. His interests span AI infrastructure, enterprise adoption, venture capital, economic systems, emerging technologies, and the evolving relationship between software, labor, and society.
Public bio:
Investment Banking VP | CFA all three levels completed | M&A | Emerging Markets Specialist
Vice President with 8+ years of experience leading over USD 500M in cross-border M&A and capital raising transactions across Africa, EMEA, and LATAM.
Proven track record in mentoring and developing junior talent, with mentees now securing roles at leading institutions, including Proparco and Bank of America.
Passionate about providing practical, actionable guidance on financial modelling and deal execution. Committed to paying forward my experience to help the next generation of finance professionals thrive.
Public bio:
• CFA charterholder with 12+ years of experience in equity research, financial modelling, and investment analysis across GCC markets
• Recently worked with ADQ (Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund) on a consulting/secondment basis, building 35+ financial models and conducting portfolio-level scenario analysis
• 8+ years in sell-side equity research, including as Senior Investment Analyst at Al Ramz Capital, covering GCC banks and UAE-listed companies
• Strong background in valuation, financial modelling, and investment thesis development, with experience supporting strategic and investment decision-making
Public bio:
Finance professional with 6+ years of banking experience at Standard Chartered Bank and Woori Bank, currently pursuing a Master of Finance at McMaster University and CFA Level II candidate. Focused on financial modeling, valuation, and equity research. I help students build strong technical skills, develop structured thinking, and prepare for finance recruiting.
Public bio:
Former Managing Director of Venture Capital & Private Equity, founder of angel investment collective, and fractional finance executive for small businesses and scaling venture-backed tech startups. Experienced investor, executive, strategist, board member, leader and university instructor with finance, marketing and operations expertise gained across multiple industries. Previously taught the CFA program content, started multiple businesses, invested personally in dozens of technology startups and helped raise venture financing for numerous early-stage technology startups. Earned an MBA (Finance) with distinction and the CFA charter. Have been responsible for dozens of direct reports, multi-million-dollar P&Ls and multi-million-dollar investment decisions.
Public bio:
Juan is a strategy and corporate valuation advisor with more than 20 years of experience working with corporations and private equity investors across Latin America and the United States. He focuses on supporting senior leadership teams in high-impact decisions, including M&A, investment evaluation, and strategic transformation. Throughout his career, he has partnered with buy-side investors and management teams to assess opportunities, structure transactions, and drive value creation—bringing a practical, deal-oriented perspective that bridges analytical rigor with real-world execution.
He is currently a Managing Partner at Q3 Strategy and was previously a Partner at Hermes Management Consulting. In parallel, he serves as a graduate professor of corporate valuation and quantitative methods, where he combines academic frameworks with hands-on investment experience to mentor professionals pursuing careers in finance. Juan holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a degree in Industrial Engineering from Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires.
Public bio:
Over my 16+ career, I have advised CEOs, CFOs and Chairmen at major corporations, distilled market-sensitive information, shaped narratives, and navigated high-stakes decision making.
My leadership has driven global solutions, advanced stakeholder relations with financial institutions, regulators, proxy agents, trade unions and the media, and delivered high-impact outcomes in line with a company’s key growth areas.
My reliability in managing global diverse teams and complex cross- divisional transactions is demonstrated by awards and team promotions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find an answer? Please send an email to [email protected]
The WSO mentor service runs at a very slight profit (~5-10% net margin) in order to help motivate amazing professionals to provide great (free) advice in the forums (many mentors have green "mentor" buttons next to their usernames) which strengthens the entire WSO community. Luckily, there is a surprising number of elite professionals within the WSO community that love giving back to motivated candidates. We also recently automated the mentor matching with an algo that helps reduce the manual work needed on the backend should a requested mentor not be available. Prices range from as low as $57 up to $997 depending on the package you purchase and the mentor you select. Given the success of our service and the number of repeat clients we have, we know that we can afford to run on thin profit margins and serve thousands of applicants. We also know that many of you will follow the advice of our mentors and invest in additional courses and/or services from WSO.
After checking out, your request will immediately be sent to the mentor you selected. You will be expected to fill our some basic information (location, industry preference, etc) along with upload a Word version of your resume in order to help the mentor decide if they feel like they are a great match. As soon as they accept (usually within ~9-12 hours), an email will be sent making an introduction. Your mentor will introduce him/herself and then proceed to review your current resume and/or offer times when you can connect for a mentor session. Over the following days, you will schedule a time that is mutually convenient for you initial phone call to go over what you need help with (mock interview, career consultation and/or both). If you would like to continue with this mentor, you can schedule more hours anywhere from 1 hour to 3+ hours with him/her over the following weeks & months.
Typically the match happens within 12hrs. If your preferred mentor has not responded within 9 hours or they indicate they can't take you on as a mentor, we will notify other top mentors that have the most in common with the mentor you selected (based on our matching algo). These backup mentors will indicate to you if they are available and you have the choice to move forward with one of them, get a refund or wait longer for your preferred mentor. If for whatever reason we cannot match you in time and/or there are no mentors that are available that you'd like to work with, we will refund your purchase in full, no questions asked.
We have an incredible team of 1,000+ dedicated mentors across top firms all around the world. Our #1 goal is to make sure you are placed in the hands of the most competent and detail-oriented professional in your specific target industry. This coupled with our strict process ensures a smooth and thorough experience. Why do we use actual professionals? The answer is simple: they are the ones ACTUALLY SCREENING APPLICATIONS for their own firms! They know what it takes to make it out of the trash pile and into the interview pile. On top of this, since we have been doing mentor sessions for over a decade across THOUSANDS of clients, we are able to immediately identify a top mentor and feed them more clients to ensure happy customers like you (due to our strict screening process). Our team includes investment bankers at all the top bulge brackets and elite boutique banks as well as private equity, hedge fund and VC professionals at the most prestigious funds. We also have reviewers at the top management consulting firms in the world, elite prop trading firms, top corporate finance roles as well as other related finance careers.
Usually these are all self-limiting beliefs, but if you're unsure if we are a good match for you, please send us a quick email to [email protected] and we can send over some bios if we think there might be a potential good match for you.
Too Young / Too Inexperienced: We do NOT recommend our mentor service until you at least have at least some relevant WORK experience that we can leverage. For the young clients out there, this means an internship, ideally in your target or related industry. If you are still in high school, it is unlikely that you have this experience. The earliest we'd recommend doing a mentor session is early freshman or early sophomore year as you prepare for summer internship recruiting. If you have no relevant experience then it probably doesn't make sense to sign up for the service. Our mentors are amazing, but they aren't magicians. If you tell us you really want to be in Investment Banking or Private Equity (for example) and everything in your background points to law or medicine, it's going to be an uphill battle. On the other hand, if you have unrelated experience but you have started the transition process by taking relevant classes and joining relevant clubs and associations, we'd love to work with you. You may not be the most competitive candidate, but we will highlight the most relevant education and functions at your current job that would translate well across industries.
Too Old / Too Experienced: We DO recommend our mentor service for more experienced professionals that are looking to make a transition or have an interview coming up. We have several very senior mentors that can answer the tough questions and make sure you are up to date on the latest trends in your target industry. However, before you move forward, we encourage you to give yourself an honest assessment. If you are looking to make the transition and have not made any steps outside of considering this mentor program, you probably aren't ready. If you've taken steps (education, new degrees, courses, etc) and feel like you're ready, we're on board and eager to help!
Yes, but if you have a negative attitude you are unlikely to have success. If you think a mentor session is an automatic referral, please don't bother to hire us.
Yes, our mentors often do refer our clients for open positions at their firms (over 20%), however, this should not be asked of our mentors to avoid a conflict of interest and it should not be expected as part of the service. It is up to you to impress the mentor if this is your goal, however, we believe you can gain much more out of the experience by being honest about your weaknesses and concerns with the mentor so there can be an open dialogue on how to improve your chances.
The only discounts are for larger packages and more hours purchased at once. This is an incredibly labor intensive 1-on-1 service using finance professionals that typically make well over $200/hr and are doing this primarily to give back.
This is a personal question and the answer is naturally subjective. If you are serious about landing a job in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, trading, asset management, management consulting or any other competitive industry, it's more than likely that the answer to that question is a resounding "YES".
Career services advisers at your school are not screening applications for interviews...neither are your classmates. If you do happen to have a friend in the industry, are they going to take the hours necessary to give you a realistic mock interview? Odds are that their time is limited outside the office and if they do give you some guidance, it won't be as thorough as our expert mentors. If you look at the competitive nature of recruiting nowadays, why would leave your application up to chance when many of these jobs pay well over $100,000?
Join the 1,000+ candidates just like you who have already used the WSO Mentor Service
If you’re reading this, you’re here for a reason: because you want to be one of the very few who gets an an elite job and because you need help doing it. The choice really is yours. And your opportunity really is limited.
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