Julie Lada explains how she went from small finance roles in Athens to debt advisory manager at Spectrum Corporate Finance.

How did your career start?

With a move to Athens, I completed my undergraduate degree and worked in a small tax advisory firm. I enjoyed the work, but felt it lacked complexity. I decided that pursuing a career in corporate finance would offer what I needed. I did a master’s degree in corporate finance in France, then applied for and was offered a job at HSBC in London. 

I joined as a graduate trainee in 2014. Detailed financial analysis of a range of companies appealed a lot to me as clients have different needs, whether it’s a debt funding solution or advice on asset-backed lending, so I learned a lot. It required more thought, and I enjoyed helping successful businesses to achieve even more.

How big a change was the move to London?

Moving to London – the capital of finance – was a massive change. It has been very rewarding, not least because of the people I’ve met and the experience I’ve gained. My managers at HSBC were here during the 2008 financial crash, so they have seen companies in distress or restructuring, and getting their opinions on deals that are difficult to get across the line was invaluable. I can see how my career can advance here, compared to Greece where the corporate finance sector is much smaller.

What was your first exposure to private equity-backed transactions?

At HSBC, the first team I joined was managing private equity-backed companies, such as Pret a Manger and Dr Martens. My initial role was in financial reporting, but towards the end of my time at HSBC I worked on three large transactions. My training scheme took me into wider roles around capital management, and I was offered a job assessing credit and commercial risk on both corporate and PE-backed transactions. 

I saw a lot of different transactions, both domestic and international, mainly in the mid-market. I assessed credit papers and the merits of a transaction for the bank, reporting back to the deal team and senior management.

What did you learn at HSBC?

I learned a lot about finance, soft skills and stakeholder management. HSBC is a huge and complex organisation. The experience taught me how to manage expectations and handle difficult conversations with colleagues and clients. I became more commercially aware, and learned how to present the best deal for our client to the bank.

What attracted you to Spectrum?

I joined Spectrum Corporate Finance as a manager in 2018. I wanted to work in a smaller organisation where I could be more agile, independent and work on a wider range of transactions. In a bank, teams tend to be more area- or sector-specific. 

At Spectrum, I have the opportunity to work with a wider range of clients in various sectors and support different types of transactions. Working closely with our M&A team also proves helpful, as we can have conversations about businesses we’re supporting and how the market is responding to a wide range of challenges, which has hugely increased my commercial awareness.

What is your current role?

As a debt advisory manager I have responsibilities through the entire lending process. I work on presentations for lenders, financial analysis, help with negotiations and review legal documents and due diligence reports.

Our team of five is very hands-on, with a full work-in-progress list of live standalone debt advisory projects, as well as working on deals supporting the M&A team. Last year, our team of just three people closed 24 deals. We have since hired two more people, knowing there was a strong market focus on debt advisory. Despite COVID-19, we have remained busy completing transactions and supporting our clients. I am currently working on five live deals, with more in the pipeline. 

What are your current ambitions?

There is a clear career path for me to follow at Spectrum. I want to continue to learn from our experienced team and work on ever more complex transactions. In time, I hope to gain more responsibility, so that I start leading transactions, and I aim to be working towards a promotion within the next 18 to 24 months. 

About the article

This article is from the Corporate Financier September 2020 edition. Exclusively for Corporate Finance Faculty & Faculties Online members, you can access our award winning magazine in its originally designed form, and our extensive archive brought to you by the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty.