Orion Financial Solutions (Orion) is a Lebanese advisory firm registered with the Lebanese Ministry of Finance (registration number 319707) and was founded in 2002. Orion was founded with the purpose of proposing developmental and restructuring solutions to Lebanese corporates and financial institutions. Given the absence of developed financial and capital markets in Lebanon and its immediate neighborhood, the purpose of Orion is to act as a financial advisor and facilitator of a variety of financial products and transactions for local institutions with different needs.

The range of services offered by Orion has gone from simple operational consultancy to the restructuring of debt in distressed situations, to arranger in the sale of a company to the appropriate or optimal investors.Orion has carved itself a reputation as a unique provider of alternative financing to local and regional companies, including financial institutions. Its permanent partners, Nicolas Photiades and Dr. Ghassan Chammas have a strong track record in structuring financing methods that offer more flexibility to their beneficiaries and provide different alternatives to existing traditional banking finance. Such alternative financing methods include the structuring and issuance of fixed income securities, asset backed securities and other types of securitization, as well as Islamic financing, including Sukuks and financing triangulation. Orion's “alternative” financing capabilities is supported by initial advisory ground work, which is essential for the successful completion of any transaction the firm is involved in.

VISION

Orion Financial Solutions (OFS) has been active in Lebanon and the MENA region since 2002. It was founded by Nicolas Photiades for the purpose of providing a wide range of financial advisory services, focused on financing and capital optimisation, to financial institutions, corporates and sovereign entities, and filling a gap not covered by local and regional banks. OFS's vision consists of:

• In view of the currently prevailing economic and financial crisis in Lebanon, OFS' partners are aiming in the short-term to position themselves as advisors and representatives of large bank depositors. The current economic restructuring plan which is being put in place by the Lebanese government and the banking sector involves a major bail-in program, whereby large depositors will be asked at a certain stage to convert a portion of their deposits into their bank's equity. OFS' partners are keen to offer their services to targeted depositors as their advisors and board representatives. The partners have extensive experience in global banking and as board members of financial institutions, and are well positioned to relay the views of depositors and help in the protection of their interests
• Becoming the premier financial advisory firm in Lebanon, focused on small and medium enterprises, financial institutions restructuring, and domestic capital markets development
• Guiding SMEs through the process of entering the domestic fixed income and equity capital markets
• Establishing proper financial and operational governance for SMEs as well as financial institutions and public sector entities
• Providing advice on economic and financial restructuring at the levels of SMEs, financial institutions (FIs) and government
OFS intends to build its franchise over the long term, with the following vision:
• Providing principal investments activities: OFS intends to launch over the medium to long term private equity and recapitalisation funds dedicated to the corporate and financial institutions sector
• Providing research and scoring on domestic corporates, financial institutions, as well as on equities and fixed income securities
• Providing corporate broking advice, which includes arranging road shows and presentations to investors and other relevant stakeholders