There have been many stories of small companies that would later grow into global phenomena and market leaders in their own right. Focus is often placed on the founders and the entrepreneurs who had the big ideas that made their success possible. However, what is less often discussed is how the right financial backing and advice are just as essential to the success of an emerging company. After all, multitudes of similarly great ideas have not seen the light of day because they lacked the necessary foundations.
Look back on the stories of some of the world’s largest companies, like Google, Toyota, and Coca-Cola, and it easily becomes apparent how some sort of benefactor is essential for large-scale success. Regardless of the exact nature of these benefactors, be they individuals like angel investors and venture capitalists or larger entities like government financial institutions and various forms of commercial banks, they play a role in not only ensuring that the positive flow of finances is maintained but also that the money is being spent sustainably and effectively.
Contrary to their unsung role in the entrepreneurial narrative, financiers have the massive responsibility to discover, choose, and properly develop the right ventures and companies. In this particular game of money, the stakes could not be any higher, as the pooled resources of multiple investors, as well as the fates of entire companies, hang in the balance.
It is in such a difficult game that Canadian international financier and entrepreneur, business consultant, and prolific philanthropist Stan Bharti is at his best. With over 30 years of hands-on experience in the sectors of mining, oil, gas, technology, and finance, Mr. Bharti has listed over 50 companies on different stock markets worldwide, including Toronto, London, Australia, South Africa, and New York. Over the last ten years, Mr. Bharti’s development and financing through both private capital and public markets have been valued at over US$10 billion.
Mr. Bharti’s aptitude for finance and development is rooted in his technical background, combined with his breadth of experience in the finance industry. Born in India, he would hone his technical expertise through two master’s degrees in engineering from prestigious universities in Moscow and London. He would use his expertise to work in the African mining industry before making his way to Canada and joining the international mining company Falconbridge Ltd., now known as Glencore. His talents would see him quickly become a senior executive and hone his aptitude for finance.
By 1995, Mr. Bharti had the needed experience and capital to establish Forbes & Manhattan Inc., an international merchant bank and finance house focused on natural resources, infrastructure, energy, and technology. Initially based in Toronto, Forbes is now recognized worldwide for its ability to discover, finance, and build some of the biggest projects to completion. Reflecting on Mr. Bharti’s philosophy of technical and financial expertise, the company’s over 1,000 professional staff include experts in fields ranging from engineering, geology, software development, investment, and financing. Today, Forbes handles the development and operation of over 20 companies spread over six continents, with a focus on North and South America, Africa, Europe, and countries of the Former Soviet Union.
Mindful of the mining industry’s negative reputation, Mr. Bharti not only uses his considerable talents and resources to develop some of the most prominent emerging companies but also to contribute to charities all over the world. In 2010, he set up the Bharti Charitable Foundation to provide funding for nature, children, and wildlife in developing countries. In 2012, he collaborated with Laurentian University to establish the Bharti School of Engineering, which aims to encourage students to follow his example of using engineering to help develop the world.
For his charitable works and his business opportunity development, Mr. Stan Bharti was awarded the designation of Honorary Consul of Kazakhstan to Canada. You may also click here to learn more about Mr. Bharti and his company, Forbes & Manhattan Inc.
