Marcus Fuchs

   Chairman & Principal

 

  • CEREFunds: Chairman & Principal
  • Gladstone Global Alliance: Managing Director
  • DamaGroup International: Board Advisor
  • DaMarch Development & Investment: Board Director & Principal
  • Based in Dubai, UAE
  • Has direct oversight of activities in the EMEA Region
  • Overview of group activities
Marcus is an experienced banker and asset manager offering more than 10 years of financial and commercial experience, including investment banking, real estate, fund management, corporate restructuring, M&A advisory and venture capital.

Marcus has held positions in various banking & investment groups, including: Chief Executive Officer of Investment Banking Group: BPA International, Board Director of Arch International Group, Managing Director at CERE Corporate Ventures (2010 to date); Chief Operating Officer of Global Operations CBS LLC (2008 - 2010); Corporate Finance Director of Luxemburg based Centuria Capital (a DEXIA Banking group company) (2006 - 2008).

He has coordinated and raised finance for several projects in the GCC, ranging from real estate to oil & gas. Additionally he has led corporate restructurings and enforcement procedures in the UAE. Previously, Mr Fuchs set up a Central European Real Estate Investment Fund targeting companies holding residential housing stock. Prior to his business career Mr Fuchs was a professor at the University of New York in Prague for their B.B.A program, Higher National Diploma program, and the Swiss Graduate Institute program. He has lectured at numerous other universities. Marcus was awarded the prestigious R.S. McLaughlin Fellowship upon entering graduate school and graduated from Canada’s top Economics school, Queens University.

Key Reference Transactions and On-going Transactions:

  • Europe   Co-founded a real estate fund and raised investment capital which invested into a holding company that held distressed real estate. The capital was used to restructure the distressed portfolio and exit. (2004-current)

  • UAE   Corporate turnaround of a construction based retail & material supply group taking them from $15 million USD a year to $ 120 million USD over three years helping them become a regional leader in the market. Established finance credit lines for trade between Dubai and China, Europe, South America increasing revenue considerably. Integrated a business strategy & plan that required consensus with the board and all investors within the firm. Advised on the set up of management information systems, corporate governance as well as reporting policies.(2005/2006)

  • Europe  Corporate structuring of small development companies and advised on transactions of US$ 140 million for real estate finance through off-plan sales linked to developer financing. (2003/2006)

  • UAE  Raised US$ 63.4 million developer financing on a Motor City mixed use commercial tower. (2007/2008)

  • UAE  Advised on a US$ 22 million private equity transaction to seed an asset to launch a GCC based infrastructure investment holding. (2008/2009)

  • UAE  Corporate structuring of a Dubai based investment holding firm and raised $5 million USD for the management company in the form of a Quasi-equity, non-recourse loan, which lead to the complete turn-around of their holdings and resulted in capturing market share during the economic crisis in 2009/10.

  • UAE  Advised on a corporate restructuring for a distressed Abu Dhabi based land owner and used alternatives solutions to help them through the economic crisis. Designed solutions to pool contractor equity and Chinese bank finance for two mixed use projects. This allowed for a turn-around solution during an illiquid banking market and the first cash flow for the development company in over 8 months. (2010)

  • UAE  Board advisor to a family investment holding and advised on a corporate turn-around strategy of a US$ 200 million refinancing plan for their industrial conglomerate that focused on upstream real estate, infrastructure technologies, furniture manufacturing & steel fabrication. Integrated a business strategy that required consensus with the board and family stakeholders. Advised on the integration of management information systems, corporate governance as well as management reporting. (2010/2011)

  • UAE  Project development advisory of a US based investment company focused on Data Centres in Dubai as well as other telecommunication technologies. (2011)

  • UAE  The restructure & asset recovery of a Kazakh based investment holding company with enforcement proceedings that required hands on strategic legal & financial negotiations across a multicultural group of stakeholders. Integrated a business strategy & plan that required consensus with the board and all stakeholders in the firm. (2011/2012)

  • Brazil  The complete restructure of a Brazilian based development company with legal enforcement proceedings & asset recovery. Advised and sourced an alternative cross border bridge finance solution to complete their distressed projects without having to sell their properties at distressed prices. (2012/2013)

  • Dubai  Raised Venture Capital & principal investor into a start-up Dubai based Property Development Company. (2013)

  • Saudi  Corporate structuring and capital raise for a joint venture of a KSA based WWTP EPC contractor who had been awarded an unprecedented amount of government contracts and who required growth capital to roll out solutions for each project. Advised on the set up of management information systems, corporate governance as well as reporting. (2011/12/13)

  • EMEA  Advisory, restructuring, & project development of several firms in EMEA, varying from Technology, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Green Energy and other forward integrated project.

Welcome

Founded in 2003, CEREFunds (Central European Real Estate Funds) has over 12 years’ experience in the Real Estate business, Asset Management and Corporate Advisory.