Walter Barrett Email & Phone Number

Berkeley Heights, Nj, Us

United States

Now available for consulting and Board of Director opportunities

Jersey City, New Jersey

* Co-Portfolio Manager for internally managed fund of funds portfolios.* Evaluate and assess portfolio manager strategies, processes and investment performance for inclusion within fund of funds portfolios.* Create comprehensive evaluations and recommendations of investment managers and present to internal investment committees.* Fixed Income advisor to 16,000 Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors providing asset allocation, portfolio construction and fund recommendations in line with client goals and objectives.* Fixed Income representative on Global Wealth Management Investment Committee setting asset allocations across fixed income, preferred and convert strategies.

Provide independent bond credit research and advise to institutional investors and invest personal portfolio.

Reporting to CEO, primary role to review existing Fixed Income Department operation and provide recommendations for improved methods of performance of $300 million bond portfolio. Provided portfolio management and credit research on Investment Grade and High Yield bonds and portfolio structuring for firm's High Net Worth clients.Company Fixed Income Advisor to 20 internal equity portfolio managers that oversee $8 billion in assets. Role included providing views and perspective on the Fixed Income market, actionable credit recommendations, asset allocation and trading strategies. Accomplishments included:* Proposed bond department act as separate profit center * Introduced independent and street research into firm's credit process* Created weekly Bond Market Update educating equity portfolio managers on fixed income trends, spreads and performance returns

Managing Director High Yield Fixed Income 2005 - 2008Head of High Yield Fixed Income/Portfolio Manager- Top Quartile performance rank in Callan High Yield Fixed Income peer group over two year time horizon - Responsibilities included all portfolio management, trading and credit related decisions for $550 million in high yield assets- Managed a team of three professionals responsible for high yield investments comprising 200 individual companies within a high yield Total Return and CDO strategies- Successfully restructured high yield department in 2005 and repositioned portfolios to optimize performance for new investment strategies- Senior Member of Investment Policy Committee determining all Fixed Income Department asset class positioning within the capital marketsManaging Director High Yield Fixed Income 2000 - 2004Co-Portfolio Manager/Head of High Yield Credit GroupCo-founded and Co-managed High Yield Fixed Income Arbitrage Hedge Fund. Positive net returns 52 of 55 months fund operated.Established and managed High Yield Fixed Income Credit GroupPortfolio Manager and Analyst for approximately 60 unique credit positionsOversaw and managed positions across 4 investment strategies (Hedge Fund, High Yield Total Return, CDO and Enhanced Core) and benchmarks, and among 7 diverse credit sectors: (Gaming/Lodging/Leisure/Supermarkets/Retail/Consumer Products/Restaurants)Scope of responsibilities included portfolio management, credit analysis, relative value, bankruptcy valuations and investment recommendations across all aspects of the credit curve to discern appropriate risk profile for individual portfolios' strategy.Member of Investment Policy Committee - instrumental in determining strategy, credit quality weightings and curve positioning for all Investment Grade and High Yield Portfolios.

Responsible for credit analysis and Buy/Hold/Sell recommendations for High Yield Bond Insurance Funds in aggregate of $5 billion.Industry coverage included complete, below investment-grade coverage of Gaming; Supermarkets; Retail; Restaurants; Textiles; Lodging/Leisure and Consumer Products companiesSpecific responsibilities included credit quality analysis, valuations and bankruptcy analysis, relative value, covenant analysis and subsequent Buy/Hold/Sell recommendations. Additional responsibilities included preparing detailed credit reports for oral and written presentation, portfolio monitoring, new issue coverage, preparing relative value matrices and valuation analysis within capital structures based on risk adjusted spread criteria.Other responsibilities included attendance at road shows, daily interaction with portfolio managers, sell side analysts and salespersons to generate new portfolio opportunities and to monitor market technicals.Successfully restructured $300 million High Yield Supermarket acting as Co-Chair to Bondholder Restructuring Committee. In conjunction with other bondholders, evaluated the financial and operating condition of the company and assessed the priority claims of creditors to determine course of action toward maximum recovery. Resulted in over a 200% total return within an 18-month time horizon.

Primary responsibilities included in-depth, weekly oral and written High Yield credit presentations to Investment Group reviewing sector trends, relative value, credit fundamentals and market technicals.

Co-managed with Managing Director $150 million High Yield Portfolio. Recommended credit strategy and executed trades, monitored credit quality, yield, duration, weightings and managed cash position. Included acting as trader to work into and out of trading

Held various positions of increasing responsibility related to High Yield trading and investment operations. Duties included portfolio pricing, performance reporting and default studies.

Mba, Finance And Investments

Bachelor Of Arts, Education