Passion. Experience. Diligence.
Ray has over 20 years of experience in the financial services sector advising corporate clients and structuring financing solutions. He is experienced in mergers & acquisitions, lending across all parts of the capital structure, structured financing and fund origination & administration.
Ray began his career at Export Development Canada (EDC), as a banker with the Industrial Equipment Group and then moved to EDC’s Legal Services Group as legal counsel. His final stop at EDC was with the Extractive Industries & Resources Team as a financing manager focussed on the oil & gas sector. While at EDC, Ray gained in-depth experience with mergers & acquisitions, secured lending, structured & project financing and syndicated lending in several countries around the world including Mexico, China, the United States, and Venezuela.
He then joined STS Capital Partners as a Managing Director and President & CEO of their Canadian operations. At STS, he was involved with and lead a number of international mergers & acquisitions as well as corporate finance transactions in industries ranging from consumer goods to private banking. Ray was a member of STS’s global advisory council and sat of the board of STS International, STS’ parent company. While at STS, Ray incorporated Coldwater Corporate Finance Inc. primarily to bring the large investment bank model to small and medium sized businesses in Canada and the United States. Today, Ray splits his time between Coldwater Law and Coldwater Corporate Finance advising various companies.
Ray has lectured and presented at various venues including the University of Ottawa's law faculty, the University of Ottawa’s business faculty, the McGill University’s law faculty and the Barbados International Business Association. He has been a member of panel discussions and presentations on such topics as international mergers & acquisitions, international trade, cross-border financing and risk mitigation techniques in international business transactions.
Ray holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from Laurentian University, a Bachelor of Administration (Business) and a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa. He is licensed to practise law in Ontario and is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association as well as several philanthropic organizations. He was an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) – Bahamas Chapter when he was working out of the Caribbean and is now active in YPO Toronto. His also sits on the advisory boards of several companies throughout North America.