Jae Ko
New York
Summary
Experienced investor relations and business development professional specializing in capital formation and relationship management. Proven ability to engage high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors, enhancing strategic partnerships and growth initiatives. Skilled in financial analysis and effective communication with stakeholders to support ongoing investment opportunities.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Head of Investor Relations & Business Development
Wesray Capital Corporation
New York
05.2025 - Current
- Led investor relations and capital formation initiatives for private investment firm focused on distressed retail real estate assets.
- Cultivated relationships with high-net-worth individuals, family offices, registered investment advisors, and institutional investors, enhancing capital sourcing efforts.
- Developed fundraising materials, investor presentations, and due diligence responses, streamlining communication with potential investors.
- Coordinated with legal counsel, accountants, lenders, and operating partners on fund formation and acquisitions.
- Supported financial analysis and strategic evaluation of acquisition opportunities within firm’s portfolio.
- Assisted senior leadership in executing growth initiatives and capital markets activities, supporting strategic objectives.
Data Scientist Fellow
NYC Data Science Academy
New York, NY
01.2020 - Current
- Predicted housing prices in Ames, Iowa using linear, ridge, lasso, random forest, and elastic models to provide insights for real estate valuation.
- Web scraped English Premiership website to analyze correlation between financial investment and winning outcomes using multiple linear regression model.
- Developed interactive web app with R Shiny to demonstrate cost-effective ferry routes for improved fund management in New York City Ferry System.
Business Development & Relationship Manager
Quest Capital & Risk Management
New York
05.2021 - 01.2025
- Helped book of business 20% growth rate in the first year through speaking engagements, webinars, cold calling, and targeted marketing.
- Researched and developed qualified opportunities with potential clients to expand client base.
- Collaborated with accountants, actuaries, attorneys, bankers, and third-party providers to address client needs and drive business development.
- Facilitated monthly webinars and speaking engagements, contributed articles for "The Street," and executed targeted marketing through book package.
Financial Advisor
Mass Mutual
New York, NY
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Conducted needs assessments for individuals and families to identify appropriate whole life, disability, term, and key person insurance solutions.
- Developed investment summaries for management that highlighted historical performance, competitive advantages, and organizational structure to inform strategic decisions.
- Achieved certification in Sandler Sales Training Program after successfully passing the exam.
Client Service Associate
Peller Wealth Management
New York, NY
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Collaborated with 50+ individuals and 100 small businesses on 401(K), IRA, defined benefit, defined contribution, annuities, estate planning, wills & trusts.
- Identified and prepared investment opportunities for asset consolidation and high net worth products for Managing Director.
- Managed client communications and inquiries with professionalism and efficiency.
- Organized client files and documentation for easy access and review.
- Assisted in onboarding new clients by gathering necessary information and forms.
Associate
RCC Ventures, LLC
New York, NY
01.2010 - 01.2013
- Executed nine investments totaling $27.5 million by interviewing CEOs & CFOs, conducting due diligence, and developing financial models to assess investment viability.
- Structured term loans and revolver loans among high net worth individuals, banks, investment companies, and corporations to facilitate capital flow.
- Managed client relationships to ensure satisfaction and retention.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams on project development and execution.
- Conducted market research to inform strategic planning and decision-making.
Financial Analyst
The MITRE Corporation
McLean, VA
01.2008 - 01.2010
- Managed and updated 8 Army projects with total budget of $10 million, ensuring alignment with financial goals.
- Analyzed financial data to provide project leaders with staffing recommendations, monitoring expenditure trends and assessing necessary staffing adjustments.
- Analyzed financial data to support decision-making processes.
- Developed budget forecasts to guide project funding allocations.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to assess financial impacts.
Education
Continuing and Professional Education - Data Science
NYC Data Science Academy
03-2020
Continuing and Professional Education - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certification
Columbia University
06-2013
B.S. - Business Administration
University of Mary Washington
01-2007
Skills
- Investor relations
- Capital formation
- Portfolio Management
- Financial analysis
- Financial Modeling
- Data Visualization
- R Shiny
- Python
- MySQL
- Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint
- Customer management
- Networking skills
- Presentation skills
- Investor Engagement
- Team management
- Organizational skills
- Redtail CRM
Awards
Mitre Army Director Award, 2010, Top team in the Army Division for Budget Analysis
Timeline
Head of Investor Relations & Business Development
Wesray Capital Corporation
05.2025 - Current
Business Development & Relationship Manager
Quest Capital & Risk Management
05.2021 - 01.2025
Data Scientist Fellow
NYC Data Science Academy
01.2020 - Current
Financial Advisor
Mass Mutual
01.2016 - 01.2019
Client Service Associate
Peller Wealth Management
01.2014 - 01.2015
Associate
RCC Ventures, LLC
01.2010 - 01.2013
Financial Analyst
The MITRE Corporation
01.2008 - 01.2010
Continuing and Professional Education - Data Science
NYC Data Science Academy
Continuing and Professional Education - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certification
Columbia University
B.S. - Business Administration
University of Mary Washington