About Us Each company faces unique opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed in a thoughtful, fact based, and timely manner. And that is what Bakes and Co. does. I work with management and stakeholders to identify and solve problems whether they are organizational, financial, operational, or market driven and whether caused by positive events such as growth or major transactions or negative issues encountered during periods of financial distress.
Among other things, I am good at assessing situations and supporting management as they operate under adverse circumstances. I am frequently asked to determine how the value of an entity might best be maximized, how an organization might run more efficiently, or how debts and other obligations may be restructured to fit current circumstances.
I am typically hired by senior managers, boards of directors, lenders, and investors in the real estate and business and financial services industries. Client and company entities include banks, mortgage servicers, public and private commercial real estate developers and managers, homebuilders, land development companies, contractors, private equity firms, investment banks, land owners, estates, municipal governments, and philanthropic organizations of all size ranges. It is a national practice with engagement experience from New York to California to Hawaii to China.
Some engagements are hands-on management assignments and some are consultative. Some are independent efforts, some are done as a contractor with large national turnaround firms. Some include other team members on an as needed basis: market researchers, property managers, attorneys, architects, and contractors, for example.
Career Highlights More than 25 years of industry and consulting experience including positions as CEO and Board member of a public company during a turnaround, experience with commercial real estate, homebuilding, construction, and large scale land development during the 1980's and 1990's in California and Hawaii, and recent consulting with major banks and their borrowers.
Consulting experience - Touche Ross & Co.
Industry experience - The Prudential Insurance Co. of America.
Education - MBA - The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
Member - Turnaround Management Association.
Published author in Dow Jones and Chief Executive online.
Product Experience:
Homebuilding: Single family Condominiums Land development / sitework New community development Infrastructure construction Water resources
GSA facilities Corporate real estate Municipal facilities Credit tenant Single tenant Agricultural land Brownfield / asbestos properties
Independence of thought is in the client's best interests. So is preserving confidentiality.
Understanding that you don't know what you don't know is helpful perpsective when sorting through the dilemmas that one confronts in a distressed environment.
Recognizing decision making biases helps when contemplating solutions.
Seth has extensive experience in homebuilding, large scale land development and land management, office, industrial, retail, mixed-use, and apartment real estate development, property and asset management, and finance, with additional experience with water resources, construction, and real estate services.
Set your course ...
Clients include major banks, a global commercial mortgage origination and servicing company, a real estate investment bank, private commercial real estate development and investment companies, a regional apartment owner / manager, a NYSE company engaged in media business services, community development and homebuilding, a NYSE retail and apartment REIT, and the estate of an iconic entrepreneur engaged in real estate development gaming, and aviation.
Seth previously acted as President, CEO, and Member of the Board of Directors to a publicly traded new community developer, home builder, and land developer during a turnaround. Seth was also a Development Partner and Vice President of Finance for an entrepreneurial commercial real estate development company where he helped the company grow substantially by acquiring projects for rehabilitation or development and by raising capital from U.S., European and Asian sources. Seth has also managed properties and portfolios of office, industrial, and apartment properties. Seth has extensive project management and construction experience; working as a team leader to start or complete projects: design, finance, construct, market, and lease and / or sell.
Seth has also worked in the health care, software, services, and non-profit sectors in a variety of roles from financial analyst to Board member performing assignments in the areas of: business planning and strategy, management reorganizations, market strategy and penetration, financial analysis and planning, and interim CFO.
