Hey there! My name is Russell Yue, and I’m a Vice President with Tru Arrow Partners in New York City where I focus on technology and late stage venture investments. Prior to Tru Arrow, I was an investor with H.I.G. Capital, where I helped start the firm’s new late stage venture/growth investment practice. Before H.I.G., I was an investor on the growth stage investment team at Greycroft. I also previously worked in financial planning & analysis at Fastly, where I helped the company raise $75 million during its Series D fundraise. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.S. in Business Finance. Happy to chat with anyone about (1) entrepreneurship and working at a startup/scaleup, (2) technology and venture investing, (3) nontraditional career paths after college, or (4) anything else I can be helpful with!

Hello! My name is Andrew Spiegel. I am a Senior Associate on the Truist Securities Technology, Media & Telecom Leveraged Finance team based in Atlanta, GA. My role is focused on advising corporate clients and financial sponsors on the origination, structuring and execution of institutional loans, high yield bonds and bank loans for LBO, M&A, recapitalization and refinancing transactions. Prior to Truist, I spent roughly three years in Public Accounting, including Grant Thornton’s Transaction Advisory Services group and Deloitte’s Audit practice. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a double major in Finance and Accounting and obtained my CPA license in the State of New York shortly after graduating. I was drawn to Investment Banking, albeit “late to the game”, as I gained an appreciation for how Investment Banks helped businesses of all shapes and sizes achieve some of their most significant milestones and growth objectives. As someone who attended a “Non-Target” university and did not have strong connections into “high finance”, I can provide a unique perspective on what it will take to break in to the industry. I am also active with my firm’s recruiting initiatives, so I can provide specific insights into our talent acquisition process.

Hello! I am a real estate private equity associate at Artemis Real Estate Partners based in D.C. and was previously a real estate acquisitions associate at The Carlyle Group and an investment banking analyst in Jefferies' Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging group. I studied physics at Davidson College where I was actually pre-med for my first three semesters. After deciding medicine wasn't right for me, I took econ 101 and completed UVA's business certificate over the summer, during which I decided that finance might be a good fit. I am happy to discuss how pursuing a non-traditional major (i.e. not finance, accounting, business, or economics) will affect the recruiting process and how to best leverage your unique perspective to earn an offer. I am also happy to discuss how to catch up if the recruiting process is in the near future and you've only just decided finance is something you want to pursue. Just because you don't have directly relevant prior experience doesn't mean you can't land a great internship if you're willing to work hard!

Hi there! My name is Ben Peacock, and I’m an investment banking vice president in the Global Industrials Group at Jefferies. I joined the firm in 2017, and prior to that, I spent five years in sell-side equity research covering industrial stocks across several platforms. I studied finance at Miami University (in Ohio) where I also played on the men’s golf team. Over the years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to lean on the advice, experience and guidance of others who have been willing to share their insight. As such, I’d be thrilled to connect and share any perspectives that may be helpful. Whether you have specific questions or would simply like to make an informal connection, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Henry Johnson and I am currently a Senior Private Equity Associate at The Carlyle Group based in Washington D.C. I support our U.S. Buyout strategy within Corporate Private Equity, focusing on investments in the Aerospace, Defense and Government Services sectors. Prior to joining Carlyle in 2019, I spent three years in Investment Banking at Jefferies in New York, focusing on transactions in the Aerospace & Aviation sectors. Originally from New York City, I attended Wake Forest University for undergrad, where I majored in Economics. I have pursued a career in finance as I have found the high-velocity, strategy-intensive nature of the work to be intellectually stimulating and rewarding. I have also greatly enjoyed the relationships I have been able to foster professionally and therefore look forward to hearing from others in/entering the finance career path. If you are considering a transition from investment banking into private equity or simply would like to hear more about my experiences in either role, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

I’m pleased to be involved with Pro-Forma Futures to share my 25+ years background with those who can benefit from a diverse financial background.

I initially started my career working for a small CPA firm doing both tax and audit services, and became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in California. After leaving public accounting, I worked in the operations team for two large asset managers in California (Capital Group, parent company of the American Funds), and New York (Goldman Sachs Asset Management). I’ve worked for a small Registered Investment Advisors, and a boutique Asset Manager doing institutional sales. I’ve worked at BNY Mellon in San Francisco and London in the beta and transition management team providing services to institutional clients, foundations/endowments and sovereign wealth funds. I had a great experience working for the world’s largest index provider, MSCI, in their wealth advisory team in San Francisco, then spent time as an ETF Specialist at VanEck in a sales capacity across the Western United States focused on the wirehouse, regional and independent broker/dealer channel.

For my undergraduate studies, I attended the University of Southern California (USC) and earned dual Bachelor of Science degrees in both Accountancy and Business Administration, and earned my MBA at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

In my career, I’ve always embraced ways to provide support to those who can benefit from my experience and background. I’ve had the good fortune of participating on the Board of Directors for the CFA Society of San Francisco, as well as for the Bay Area Financial Education Foundation. I’m a believer in ‘paying it forward’.

If I can provide assistance, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hi - I’m Chris Ellan and am the head of M&A for Frontline Education, a K12 administrative software company. Prior to Frontline, I spent over a decade within the investment banking industry in various roles spanning from supporting an exotic derivatives desk at Morgan Stanley to a tech banker at Jefferies. Most of my time in banking was spent with Wells Fargo where I held roles in DCM and TMT. An entrepreneur at heart, I’ve also founded a few (mostly failed...) businesses in the past. Most notably, I co-founded ReporterSuite, a software company that ultimately sold to Stenograph. I had a somewhat unique entry into the world of finance. Having been inspired by my families’ military heritage, I shipped off to the Navy after high school. After leaving the Navy, I trekked back to my hometown of Tallahassee and attended community college before transferring to Florida State, then again to Emory University to finish out a BA in finance with a minor in applied mathematics. Given my unconventional entrance into finance, I’m excited by the idea of helping folks navigate the process of getting into and staying in the industry. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Jason DeLaurentis is an insurance, employee benefits, and risk management adviser at Lockton Companies. Jason has a specialization in structuring, restructuring, and executing strategic insurance-related initiatives, as it relates to private equity firms and the operating of their portfolio companies. He is responsible for delivering on all aspects of client service, including but not limited to deploying appropriate resources/intellectual capital, managing and executing client deliverables and managing client relationships across the globe. Jason is also the Founder of DealMakersNY, an exclusive social gathering of both buy-side and sell-side M&A professional (Private Equity, Family Offices, Investment Banks). DealMakersNY creates a tremendous networking opportunity for professionals and those connected to Proforma Futures. Jason’s expertise is in Risk Management, Employee Benefits, M&A insurance due diligence, transactional liability, restructuring/special situation, and insurance risk profiling by industry. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Chelsea Dunlap and I am the COO and Business Manager for the Global Industrials, Municipal Finance and Private Capital Advisory Investment Banking teams at Jefferies. I am heavily involved in the daily operations and build out of these three teams, including responsibilities across Operations, Finance and HR. Prior to my role as COO, I was a banker on the Healthcare Investment Banking team for four years, also at Jefferies. I graduated with a B.A. in History from Yale University, where I was also the captain of the Women’s Swimming and Diving team. I enjoy working with bankers on their professional development. If you’d like to chat, please reach out to xx and the team will coordinate a call.

My name is Chase Cormier and I currently work in corporate development at IES Holdings, a holding company with four operating divisions in the construction and infrastructure space. Prior to IES, I spent time as a private equity associate in New York City with ORIX Capital Partners and DFW Capital Partners. I started my career in finance with RBC Capital Markets in the Power, Utilities and Infrastructure group in Houston. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 2013 with a degree in Agricultural Business Management with a minor in Economics. I have experience helping students considering a career in investment banking or private equity and understand the challenges of coming from a school that is not heavily recruited at. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

I have 27+ years of debt financing leadership and founded ECS Debt Advisory in 2014. I have completed over $12 Billion of debt financings spanning roles as both Borrower (led debt financing and M&A for PAETEC, a publicly-traded Fortune 1000 telecommunications company), Lender (SVP & Team Leader for Union Bank’s Communications/Media Lending group where I managed financings), and Advisor (executing financings on behalf of private equity-owned and owner/operator borrowers). I attended UC Davis and earned a BA in economics. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hi - my name is Aneesh Bhattacharya and I am an investment professional on the Controlled Environment Foods team at Equilibrium Capital, a sustainability-driven investment firm.

Prior to joining Equilibrium, I worked at the Forest Road Company where I focused on a structured investment strategy which provided capital to early-stage renewable energy developers. Earlier in my career, I was a member of the investment team at Union Capital, a lower middle market private equity firm focused on investments in the food manufacturing, business services and franchise restaurant spaces. In this role, I worked across investment, portfolio operations, and fund management responsibilities for Union Capital's first institutional fund. I began my career in the Industrials investment banking group at Jefferies.

I hold an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

I’ve been lucky enough to have mentors in both banking and PE who have helped me to grow and develop and I would like to help others do the same. If you have an interest in private equity, private credit, sustainability, or business school, I'd be happy to chat!

Alena Antigua is a Senior Vice President in the healthcare group helping co-lead the healthcare information technology practice at Jefferies. Alena has been with Jefferies for over 10 years, prior to which she spent roughly one year at Truist in the healthcare group. Alena’s passion for financial services come from her immense intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Alena holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Occidental College and a Masters from University of Chicago. Alena comes from a diverse family of immigrants with a mother who is a political refugee of Chile and a first-generation Greek father; she is fluent in Spanish and can read and write in Greek. If you'd like to chat, please reach out to proformafutures@gmail.com and the team will coordinate a call.

Hello! My name is Michael Zhang. I’m currently a strategic finance senior director at GoGuardian. Prior to GoGuardian, I spent time as a tech growth investor at Sumeru Equity Partners, buyout investor at H.I.G. Capital’s Advantage Fund, and leveraged finance investment banker at Nomura. I’ve always been passionate about business, and I initially pursued finance for the opportunity to interact with a wide array of companies, industries, and management teams. After spending 5 years in finance, I decided to switch over to an operator role at GoGuardian to get closer to the ground in terms of driving change and creating value within businesses. As both LGBTQIA+ and a minority, I’m excited to share my experience with you as you evaluate potential career paths within investment banking, private equity, and/or corporate finance as well as provide any help with interview prep.

My name is Anna Zhang and I am currently an associate at Rockpoint Group, a real estate private equity firm headquartered in Boston. Prior to my current role, I was an investment banking analyst in the Real Estate, Gaming & Lodging group at BofA Securities in New York. I grew up in Singapore before graduating from New York University's Stern School of Business in 2022. After college, I pursued a career in investment banking because I wanted the opportunity to build a foundation of technical knowledge and transferable skills, and the role provides a great platform to start learning about the finance industry. Real estate, in particular, was really interesting to me in how it underpins and connects to other sectors. Happy to connect! 

I am currently a private equity associate at The Riverside Company based in San Francisco, CA. Prior to joining Riverside, I was a private equity associate at Comvest Partners in West Palm Beach, FL and I began my career in investment banking at Piper Sandler in Minneapolis, MN. I graduated from St. Olaf College, a liberal arts school in Northfield, MN, with a B.A. in math and economics with a finance emphasis. Initially, I decided to pursue finance because I saw it as a combination of my two majors, math and economics, and looked at finance as a way for me to apply what I was learning in the "real world" (rarely talked about at a liberal arts school!). I then decided to pursue investment banking (i) because of pure luck that I was introduced to it my sophomore year by a few seniors during investment club and (ii) because I wanted to start my career somewhere where I would be constantly challenged and learning. Feel free to reach out if you are looking to get into middle market investment banking or private equity. Additionally, I am happy to speak to anyone who is interested in lateraling between private equity firms as I went through this process in the transition from Comvest to Riverside.

Hi! My name is Dana Wu, and I’m currently a Corporate Development associate at WHP Global. Previously, I was an investment banking analyst within Stifel’s Leveraged Finance group based in New York City. I graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 2020 with a B.A. in Economics, a Minor in Political Economy and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Technology. I pursued a career in finance because I first and foremost wanted a challenge. I was attracted to the constant learning opportunities and responsibilities I’d be afforded in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment, all while having the chance to impact a company’s future and growth. More than happy to chat and answer any questions related to exploring IB, interviewing, recruiting for the East Coast from a West Coast school, and how to navigate any other situations that may arise.

Hi there, I'm Daisy Wu! I am currently an strategy management consultant with Humans Matter. Previously, I was an investment operations associate at MarketX Ventures, a private capital investment platform focusing on pre-IPO and growth-stage deals. I graduated from the Michigan State University in 2021 with a master's in accounting and information systems degree. I pursued a career in finance because I am genuinely curious about the intersection of capital investment and social impact. As a candidate from a non-target school, a woman, an international student, and a person of color, I am able to provide advice on how to get your foot in the door as a minority, leverage the PFF network, or join and thrive at a VC/ PE startup or consultancy.

Hi! My name is Donna Wong, and I’m an associate at Zenyth Partners. Before Zenyth, I was in Jefferies’ Healthcare Investment Banking group based in NYC. I’m originally from Hong Kong and I graduated from Tulane University in December ’21 with a BS in Economics. During college, I also took on leadership roles within CHAARG (Changing Health, Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls) and Consult Your Community. I decided to pursue healthcare investment banking for its exposure to all kinds of public/private transactions across the healthcare universe and the various learning opportunities. As a former international student who did not formally intern in banking in the summer prior to graduation, I encountered all the usual obstacles during the recruiting process due to my visa status, on top of limited openings in the full time cycle. I can be most helpful in discussing recruitment strategies as an international student, breaking into banking from a liberal arts background, and/or full time recruiting.

Like many folks, I was unsure what I wanted to do with my career when I was a student. It wasn’t until I discovered consulting that I realized there was a home for people like me who want to explore different industries, work on challenging projects, and interface with high-level leadership at some of the world’s largest companies, non-profits and government institutions. Since graduating, I have worked at and interviewed for a number of the top global consulting firms. Currently, I am a management consultant at Kearney aligned to their health practice and my goal is to help demystify the world of consulting and the intimidating recruitment process.