Jon has pursued a diverse career in structuring and negotiating complex transactions as an investment professional, corporate attorney and sports marketing executive.  With 20+ years of professional experience in Japan, China and South Korea, Jon has developed a unique global network of strategic relationships. 

Jon is a Partner at Bast Partners which provides consulting and advisory services to various early- to mid-stage companies, primarily in the technology space, and is responsible for sourcing new deal opportunities and providing strategic advisory services to client companies.  Jon is also a founding Partner of Ares Group, a sports agency that sources sponsorship for star athletes and leading sports properties in the US and Europe, including stadiums, arenas, teams and leagues.

Jon was previously a Managing Partner at Manhattan Venture Partners (MVP), a research-driven merchant bank focused on mid- to late-stage private technology companies.  Prior to joining MVP, Jon was a Director in Deutsche Bank’s principal finance group where he sourced and structured bespoke transactions across all sectors and a wide spectrum of asset classes, including credit opportunities for corporate and ultra-high net worth individuals, asset finance, commercial real estate and financial institutions.  Prior to Deutsche Bank, Jon was a Vice President at Credit Suisse and an Associate at Lehman Brothers, in each case within the Leveraged Finance Group, where he structured and executed leveraged loan and high yield bond transactions, primarily in the mergers and acquisition context. 

Prior to Lehman Brothers, Jon was a corporate attorney at Latham & Watkins where he represented financial institutions in complex leveraged finance transactions, with a particular focus on cross-border transactions and acquisition financings. 

Jon holds a JD/MBA from Columbia University, and an AB in Government from Harvard University. He is admitted to the New York State Bar Association, and holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses. He is an Advisory Board Member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.