Trent Kardell
Chicago,IL
Summary
Strategic finance professional with experience supporting real estate–adjacent portfolios through financial modeling, KPI development, and performance analysis. Well-suited for commercial real estate development environments, with strengths in evaluating project-level economics, translating complex financial data, and supporting decision-making across budgeting, forecasting, and long-term value creation.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Strategic Financial Arrangements - Senior Analyst
Foley & Lardner
Chicago, Illinois
02.2023 - Current
- Serves as a primary financial liaison for 25+ high-value client portfolios, supporting pricing, allocation, and forecasting strategies, contributing to over $125M in collectible revenue and long-term portfolio performance.
- Collaborates with principal partners and senior stakeholders to evaluate client financial performance, optimize revenue realization, and improve long-term client profitability.
- Lead recurring and ad hoc financial analyses for senior leadership, influencing strategic decisions related to portfolio growth, capital allocation, and engagement structuring.
- Develop, define, and monitor KPIs for key client portfolios, enabling targeted action plans, and improved financial visibility.
- Produce client-facing allocation models and revenue forecasts that clarify fee structures, projections, and performance drivers.
Property Analyst Intern
Heartland Alliance
Chicago, Illinois
07.2022 - 01.2023
- Supported financial analysis for a portfolio of 20+ residential properties, assisting with budgeting, operating performance review, and long-term planning.
- Prepared property-level financial statements, invoices, and variance analyses to support decisions related to operating efficiency and asset performance.
- Utilized Excel and Yardi to analyze operating results, track expenses, and improve reporting efficiency across the portfolio.
- Collaborated with asset management and operations teams to identify performance trends, and support data-driven operational improvements.
Wealth Management Intern
Morgan Stanley
Chicago, Illinois
01.2022 - 05.2022
- Conducted due diligence and market research to support investment recommendations, and ensure regulatory compliance.
- Leveraged Morgan Stanley’s 3DR platform to identify prospective clients and analyze retirement planning opportunities.
- Supported client relationship management by responding to inquiries and assisting with financial planning communications.
Education
BBA - Finance
Loyola University of Chicago
Chicago, IL05-2023
Skills
- Financial modeling, Forecasting, & Scenario Analysis
- Real Estate Development & Project Economics
- Portfolio & Asset Performance Analysis
- Revenue, Pricing, & Cost Analysis
- KPI Development & Performance Reporting
- Advanced Excel (Financial Models, PivotTables, Lookups)
- Stakeholder & Partner Collaboration
Timeline
Strategic Financial Arrangements - Senior Analyst
Foley & Lardner
02.2023 - Current
Property Analyst Intern
Heartland Alliance
07.2022 - 01.2023
Wealth Management Intern
Morgan Stanley
01.2022 - 05.2022
BBA - Finance
Loyola University of Chicago