Our senior team combines direct market presence with operating experience, supported by a broader team of 10+ financial analysts and professionals across origination, research and execution. Together, we give owners access to the capital, liquidity and counterparties their businesses require.
Senior Banking Advisory
Our banking advisors bring senior experience across capital markets, financing and transaction advisory. They provide perspective on live mandates where their expertise is directly relevant.
FINANCIAL SERVICES & CAPITAL MARKETS ADVISOR
Tadeusz Pietka
Ted has over 30 years of experience across financial services, capital markets and corporate strategy, working across more than 25 countries. He has built financial institutions, led major transformation programmes and held senior management and board positions across Europe.
He co-led a US$1 billion IPO on the London Stock Exchange, raised over US$800 million in equity and closed more than US$2 billion in debt across banking and corporate finance mandates.
He has built and led banks from scratch, including a new retail bank for Allianz in Poland, and held senior roles with GE Capital, BMO Financial Group and Getin Holding. He has also invested in and advised 40+ FinTech companies across CEE and ASEAN.
Ted is Managing Director of Neema Solutions in Dubai and Co-Founder of Inventity Partners in Warsaw, with 800+ engagements since 2021.
At Vantierr, he advises on financial services, technology and capital markets mandates, covering strategic positioning, capital structuring, investor access and transaction execution across ASEAN, GCC/MENA and CEE.
Capital raising & transaction advisor
Bernhard Herdes
Bernhard is a senior corporate finance and strategy executive with more than 30 years of international experience across M&A, capital markets, corporate development and strategic advisory. He has held senior positions at Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche Bank, and DekaBank, alongside advisory roles at McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group.
He has advised on major M&A, capital raising and recapitalisation mandates involving billions of euros of capital, working with leading financial institutions across banking and asset management. His experience spans complex transactions, strategic reviews, capital management and corporate development.
As Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, he advised financial institutions on M&A, capital markets, restructuring and strategic transactions. Later, as Head of Corporate Development at DekaBank, he led strategic initiatives and acquisitions, disposals and partnerships across banking and asset management, managing a portfolio of approximately 70 investments and subsidiaries.
At Vantierr, Bernhard helps move complex transactions from strategy and structuring through to execution. He advises across M&A, capital raising, transaction structuring and strategic positioning.
Corporate Finance & Investment Structuring ADVISOR
Husain Zariwala
Husain is a senior finance executive and board adviser with more than 20 years of international experience across corporate finance, investment structuring, international taxation and governance. He has held senior positions at Gulf Islamic Investments, Dubai Investments PJSC and KPMG.
He has raised over AED 2 billion in funded and unfunded facilities, and has run group finance across portfolios of more than 20 operating entities and 50 special purpose vehicles spanning the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the Cayman Islands.
As Group CFO of Gulf Islamic Investments, a Sharia-compliant alternative asset manager, he led the acquisitions of an ADGM-regulated bank, a UK bridge lending business and a CMA-regulated financial institution in Saudi Arabia. Before that he spent twelve years as CFO of the manufacturing and ventures platform at DFM-listed Dubai Investments PJSC.
He brings Vantierr the ability to structure a transaction properly before it reaches an investor, along with the financial discipline Gulf institutions expect to see.
Husain advises across Vantierr mandates, covering deal structuring, financial due diligence and investor and lender readiness.
Specialised Advisory
Our advisors have led the businesses our clients own. They are engaged on live mandates in their sectors.
DEFENCE & AEROSPACE ADVISOR
Joe Dransfield
Joe spent 28 years in the Royal Navy, finishing as Head of Operations Division at the UK Military Aviation Authority. He held responsibility for every aircraft flown by UK Defence, from fighter jets to helicopters to drones.
He personally authorised over 100 types of military drone for operational use, and helped establish the Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre, which directs the £4 billion investment in autonomous systems announced in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review.
He led the largest safety audit in UK Defence history, covering a £12 billion element of Defence. As Commanding Officer of the Wildcat Maritime Force he ran 450 personnel, 28 aircraft and a £300 million capability programme.
He served as Military Professor at the US Naval War College and was Deputy Commander of a US-led multinational task force across the Indo-Pacific. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Joe advises on defence and aerospace mandates, covering regulatory position, programme risk and investor readiness.
DEFENCE & AEROSPACE ADVISOR
Rudy Fernandez
Rudy served as a U.S. Navy submarine officer and at Deep Blue, one of the Navy's early rapid-acquisition organisations. He later held senior positions across the US defence industry, including Director at Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a DRS/Thales joint venture, where he led international programmes, and nearly seven years at Northrop Grumman, developing strategy for multi-billion-dollar divisions and sectors.
At Northrop Grumman, Rudy held full P&L responsibility for a $220 million operating unit, overseeing approximately 700 personnel across nine sites. He worked across strategy, operations and business leadership within one of the world's largest defence companies.
Most recently, he served as VP of Operations at Frontier Technology Inc., where he led a $100 million+ federal services enterprise through strategic transformation.
Through his career across the US Navy and defence industry, Rudy has worked at the intersection of defence technology, government acquisition and large-scale defence programmes. He advises on defence and aerospace mandates, covering government acquisition, programme strategy, operational risk and investor readiness.
HOSPITALITY & LEISURE ADVISOR
Giuliano Gasparini
Giuliano Gasparini is a senior hospitality and real estate advisor, currently leading hospitality asset management at WASL Group. He has held senior roles at Aldar Properties, JLL Hotels, HVS, CBRE and KPMG across Europe and the Middle East.
He has worked across 500+ hospitality and real estate projects, including individual asset valuations exceeding $500 million and portfolios exceeding $1 billion, spanning acquisitions, development, valuations, asset strategy and operator selection.
At Aldar, he managed a portfolio of 10 hotels alongside a golf club, marina and beach club, while advising on major hospitality developments and investment decisions across the region.
Giuliano brings Vantierr deep relationships across hospitality, real estate owners, operators, developers and capital providers, particularly across the Middle East and Europe.
Giuliano advises across hospitality and real estate mandates, covering investment positioning, asset strategy, capital raising and transaction readiness.
HOSPITALITY & LEISURE ADVISOR
Paulina Mercader
Paulina is CEO of The Longevity Suite, where she leads the group’s expansion across 5 Gulf markets. The group operates with 27,000 members and is targeting €100 million.
She was previously GM of Clinique La Prairie in Dubai, the 5th Longevity Hub of the Swiss institution founded in 1931, and Spa and Wellness Director for Jumeirah Group at Burj Al Arab, where she represented the wellness division in Jumeirah’s strategic review of wellness as a revenue vertical across a 26-property portfolio.
Her earlier career was built with Rosewood, Four Seasons, Fairmont and Hyatt in Mexico. Under her direction, SENSE a Rosewood Spa in San Miguel de Allende was ranked the leading spa in Mexico by Condé Nast Traveler.
She has led three pre-opening mandates across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and has operated in Mexico, Spain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Paulina advises on hospitality and leisure mandates, covering operating diligence, asset positioning and counterparty access across the Gulf.
CAPITAL MARKETS & STRATEGIC GROWTH ADVISOR
Chris Hoogeland
Chris Hoogeland is a dealmaker and capital markets advisor focused on helping high-growth companies secure capital, strategic partnerships and commercial opportunities. His experience spans investor relations, capital raising, deal origination and growth strategy across international markets.
He has led multi-million-dollar growth campaigns for Nike and has been involved in over €100 million in transactions at Urbane Group, working across commercial strategy, investor engagement and business development.
Through his work with New Age Firm, Chris has built a global network of investors, family offices, venture funds and strategic partners, with the firm’s advisors having closed $750M+ in deals and facilitated 1,200+ strategic introductions across its broader network.
His approach is heavily relationship-driven, with a particular focus on connecting businesses with investors and strategic partners actively looking for opportunities. He has built relationships with family offices and venture investors through direct, in-person engagement and international deal flow.
Chris advises across Vantierr mandates, covering capital raising, investor origination, strategic partnerships and commercial growth.
Associates
ASSOCIATE
Giovanni Romero
Finance Team
FINANCIAL ANALYST
Mark Mouris
FINANCIAL ANALYST
Hana Khaled
FINANCIAL ANALYST
James Ranstone
Bringing your business to the capital that backs it.
Tell us what you are building and what you need, and we will tell you honestly whether we can raise it.