Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) added Maisam Raza as senior director to lead its alternative investment services (AIS) practice based in Toronto.
Raza will strengthen A&M’s global valuation services (GVS) presence in the Canadian market by extending the firm’s portfolio valuation advisory capabilities and advance its global strategy to serve pension funds and alternative asset managers.
“Our market-leading platform is a core growth pillar for the global valuation services practice,” Matthew Goldberg, managing director and leader of the U.S. AIS group, said. “Expanding into Canada with top talent aligns with our firm’s broader market momentum and our strategy to address the increasingly complex valuation needs of sophisticated asset managers.”
Raza has more than 12 years of experience in the financial services industry, having held roles both in-house at a private credit manager and at a global valuation advisory firm. He specializes in providing valuation and monitoring advisory services for illiquid securities and private assets to institutional investors, including large pension funds, private equity and insurance clients. His experience includes the valuation of private credit, equity and other asset classes common to private capital investment strategies.
Prior to joining A&M, Raza was a portfolio manager at Golub Capital, where he led the credit monitoring and valuation function in Canada for the $90 billion private credit manager. Previously, he served as a senior manager at KPMG, providing valuation advisory services related to complex financial instruments, including private debt and derivatives.
“Heightened market volatility and increased scrutiny around valuation governance — particularly for portfolios of illiquid assets — are reshaping expectations for asset managers,” Raza said. “As valuation cycles accelerate, firms must enhance transparency and strengthen processes. At the same time, technology is both a challenge and a powerful opportunity. A&M’s integrated platform and holistic operational mindset uniquely position the firm to help clients navigate these complexities.”
Raza earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo, an LL.B. in common law from King’s College London and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. He serves on the Financial Instruments Board of the International Valuation Standards Council, contributing to the development of harmonized global valuation standards.
