World Business Lenders Bolsters Executive Ranks

NEW YORK, May 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- World Business Lenders (WBL), a lender to small businesses, announced today that it appointed Ronald Phillips and Eliot Pratt as Directors and promoted Cem Oztreves from Vice President to Director. Phillips, an attorney and investment banker, and Pratt, a finance professional, each brings to WBL over 20 years of experience in investment banking and finance.

Phillips, who will oversee business expansion and development for WBL, joins the company from Merchant Advance Funding, a small business lender, which he founded in 2009.  Between 2002 and 2008, Phillips was the fund manager for the $600 million DKR Capital Event Driven Fund that invested in debt and equity securities in the U.S. and internationally, and across many different sectors.  Prior to his role at DKR, Phillips co-managed the Weiss, Peck & Greer Merger Arbitrage Fund and he was an analyst with Taurus Partners merger arbitrage fund, as well as a Vice President at ING Barings Furman Selz. 

"Having spent the last five years managing a small business lender, I am especially enthusiastic about the prospect of joining WBL," said Phillips. "The depth and experience of WBL's world class management team brings a new and much needed dimension to this fast-growing industry."

After attaining his Bachelor's degree from Brown University and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, Phillips served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate's General Corp., primarily serving at the Pentagon as an assistant to the Department of Defense General Counsel, and spent two years at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as an Antitrust Associate.

Pratt, who will serve as Treasurer for WBL, joins the firm from Chelsea Asset Management, a boutique investment banking, asset management and advisory firm he founded in 2004.  After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Harvard University, Pratt spent over a decade with Ampton Investments, an investment banking firm specializing in commercial real estate finance, where he served as Managing Director.

In addition to his position as Director, Oztreves will be Senior Investment Officer with WBL.  After obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Systems Engineering from George Washington University and a Master's degree from Columbia University in Financial Engineering, Oztreves joined WBL. Oztreves will manage the company's Credit Department and will be responsible for loan underwriting and portfolio analysis. Oztreves commented, "I have had an especially rewarding two-plus years at WBL, and am gratified to have contributed to the development of the firm's underwriting risk protocols."

"We are very pleased to welcome Ronald and Eliot to our team, and Cem to our executive roster," said Doug Naidus, World Business Lenders founder and CEO.  "WBL will continue to build its executive and management ranks with experienced investment bankers and finance professionals in our goal to bring unprecedented professionalism and leadership to the nascent alternative small business lending space." 

About World Business Lenders

Based in New York City, World Business Lenders (www.wbl.com) is a lender specializing in serving the small business community by providing working capital for the growth and maintenance of its customers' businesses. WBL was founded by a group of successful international entrepreneurs with extensive experience and background in financial markets. In serving the underserved small business community, the company helps to satisfy the growing need for capital in this vital sector of the U.S. economy.

SOURCE World Business Lenders