Public bio:
Hello,
My name is Leon and I have solid professional experience in the fields of linguisitics, translation, fraud prevention, due diligence, background checks, investigaiton, and research.
I speak native/advanced Romanian, English and French, have lived in several European countries and studied in four universities in Europe. Additionally, I hold a B.A. in Translation and Interpreting and an M.A. in International Negotiations / International Business from a French University.
I am looking forward to helping you build your career!
Signed,
Leon Leftarache
Public bio:
Bruno began his career in 2006 at Itaú-BBA in Brazil. In 2008, he joined one of Brazil's largest privately-owned family offices, where he gained experience in investment research, trading & risk control, and later co-managed a global portfolio. In 2020, Bruno moved abroad to seek new opportunities, taking on the challenge of structuring and leading the trading desk for Private Banking at EFG Bank in the Bahamas. He worked there for nearly two years before relocating to Canada.
At FINMETRIX, Bruno leverages his extensive investment background to help corporates manage financial exposure in FX, commodities, and interest rates, helping to protect profit margins and contribute to overall business success.
Public bio:
Camilla Telles is a consultant who helps startups grow and strengthen their fundraising strategies, from refining their business models to crafting investor-ready pitch decks. She has worked across the innovation ecosystem as a Venture Analyst at ScaleUp Labs, a Boston-based venture studio focused on AI and smart systems. With experience bridging startup and corporate innovation ecosystems in the U.S. and Brazil, Camilla has led initiatives in venture capital, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem development. Previously, she served as Head of Operations at Angels Wallet and Head of Expansion at CapTable, connecting hundreds of startups with investors. She holds an MBA from Hult International Business School and is passionate about empowering founders in strategy and fundraising.
Public bio:
I’m a Chief Compliance Officer and AML Executive based in Vancouver, with over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services across UK, Canada and the U.S. My work focuses on AML/ATF, BSA/AML, sanctions, and risk management under FINTRAC, OSFI, and U.S. regulatory frameworks.
I’ve helped organizations design compliance programs, prepare for regulatory exams, and build a strong compliance culture. As a mentor, I enjoy helping professionals navigate career transitions, understand AML and BSA regulations, and prepare for leadership opportunities in compliance and risk.
If you’re looking for clear, practical guidance from someone who’s been on both the strategic and operational sides of compliance. I’d be happy to help you plan your next steps with confidence and clarity.
Public bio:
- Currently Assistant Vice President in the research division at Gabelli Asset Management
- More than a decade experience in financial services
- MBA
Public bio:
I’m Hossam Al‑Wazzan, a consultant and transformation leader with more than 15 years of experience driving government initiatives and private sectors projects. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to major Vision 2030 programs—such as NIDLP, NTP, and Quality of Life—where I helped shape and deliver over 100 strategic initiatives that strengthened national capabilities and elevated organizational performance.
My background in project management has allowed me to establish 10 PMOs across diverse sectors, ensuring strong governance, alignment, and execution discipline
Academically, I hold an MBA from the University of Nicosia and a BS in Management of Information Systems, along with certifications including PMP, PMI‑RMP, ACP, MSP, SIP, PMO‑CP, and Agile Hybrid Project Pro. Professionally, I’ve served in senior consulting roles with EY, Deloitte, Maven Insights, Tharwah, and others, leading PMO setups, digital transformation programs, and strategic execution for major initiatives in Riyadh and beyond.
This experience taught me how to operate in ambiguity, bring structure where none exists, and move diverse stakeholders toward a shared outcome. This combination of strategic depth, execution discipline, and comfort with ambiguity is why I believe I’m a strong fit for a CEO‑adjacent role focused on pioneering initiatives that require both vision and operational rigor.
Public bio:
Sekayi was born in London and educated in Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. She holds a Master’s degree in International Business and brings over a decade of experience across technology, banking, and investments. Her career includes senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays Wealth, and HSBC. In addition, she is an active fintech investor, VC scout, and experienced Non-Executive Director, holding multiple board and advisory positions.
Key Experience:
Project financing for large-scale developments across construction, infrastructure, energy, data centres, and leisure sectors
Debt financing for trade finance, working capital, invoice factoring
Asset-backed private placements, including aviation, and alternative investment structures
Execution and advisory on multi-million to billion-dollar transactions for UHNWIs and commercial organisations
Public bio:
Dr. Jairo Borja is a seasoned business consultant who partners with nonprofits—including SHCCNJ—to develop and enhance impactful programs. He is the founder of Elevation High Ticket Group Coaching, where he empowers founders, investors, and fundraisers with proven strategies to raise capital effectively. In addition to his consulting and coaching work, Dr. Borja is a real estate investor, owning and investing in over 463 apartment units and participating as a passive investor in hotel ventures. He is also a 2X Amazon Best-Selling Author, recognized for his thought leadership and dedication to helping others achieve financial and professional success.
Public bio:
Commercial operator and venture builder with 20+ years of experience launching, scaling, and transforming digital and technology businesses across the GCC.
My career combines:
• Full P&L ownership as Co-Founder, COO, and General Manager
• Strategic advisory experience with Boards, investors, and family offices
• Telecom and digital platform expertise across UAE, KSA, and wider MENA
I have built revenue engines from zero, scaled digital brands to hundreds of thousands of users, secured venture funding (AED 20m+), and structured large-scale investment platforms (AED 200m+). Earlier in my career, I advised leading telecom and media operators at Oliver Wyman and Strategy&, shaping competitive and growth strategies in highly dynamic markets.
Public bio:
Seasoned professional with 13+ years of GCC experience driving strategic growth, market research, and business development across diverse sectors, including retail, healthcare, blockchain, travel, and real estate. Expertise in navigating UAE government regulations, including Free Zones, Department of Economy, VARA, and RERA, with a proven track record in securing trade licenses, residence visas (Golden Visa), and ensuring operational compliance. A Senior Strategy & Business Consultant, Ahmed specializes in market entry, growth strategy, and commercial performance across consulting, real estate, healthcare, fintech, blockchain, and digital services. Proven expertise in feasibility studies, regulatory advisory, and go-to-market strategies with projects valued up to USD 260M. Adept at crafting data-driven marketing strategies, B2B initiatives, and digital campaigns utilizing SEO, content creation, and analytics. Skilled in operations management across HR, recruitment, and project delivery, with a strong global presence as a speaker at exhibitions and conferences.
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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