Martin Bernstein joined B. Riley Principal Investments as head of private investments. In this newly created role, Bernstein will be responsible for sourcing, underwriting and managing investments with private companies in addition to leading distribution to B. Riley Principal Investments’ syndication partners.
“We are pleased to welcome Marty to B. Riley,” Dan Shribman, chief investment officer of B. Riley Financial, said. “As a firm, B. Riley employs an active investment strategy of providing debt and equity financing to client-partners. Our investment portfolio has primarily focused on public companies over the last several years and expanding our mandate to private companies is an exciting opportunity to enhance value for our partners and shareholders.”
As head of private investments, Bernstein will work alongside Shribman as part of the B. Riley Principal Investments team, which leverages the firm’s capital base to create proprietary opportunities that benefit partners and shareholders. Current investments span public and private debt and equities with a focus on traditional merchant banking and active sponsorship of public companies. The firm has since expanded its exposure to private company investments through its venture capital business, which was formed in late 2020. B. Riley Financial’s cash and investments totaled approximately $1.3 billion at Dec. 31, 2020.
Bernstein joined B. Riley from Anchorage Capital Group. He has experience in originating, underwriting and investing in public and private equities, performing credit, bank debt, distressed debt and restructuring situations across transportation, automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, power, infrastructure and other sectors. Bernstein has worked with management teams and corporate boards to maximize shareholder value through capital allocation strategies, governance, financing and operational turnarounds. He previously worked as an analyst at Bocage Capital and was on the investment team for the endowment at Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is based in Greenwich, CT.
“I am excited to join this growing platform and believe B. Riley’s unique combination of capital markets and operational expertise makes the firm a compelling partner for investors and companies alike,” Bernstein said. “We believe we are well-positioned to capitalize on the proprietary opportunities that B. Riley’s diverse platform generates, and I look forward to working closely with Dan and the entire B. Riley team in contributing to the firm’s well-established track record of delivering value for partners and shareholders.”
