TJ H. | Leland

TJ Handal

5.0

(2)

Studied at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Worked at Bank of America

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Protected by the Leland Experience Guarantee

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About TJ

I’m a former investment banking Director with ~15 years of total experience, including ~9 years of bulge bracket investment banking experience, advising founders, private equity sponsors, and management teams on M&A, capital raises, and strategic finance. Over the course of my career, I’ve advised on ~$15bn in completed transaction value. I began my investment banking career in 2016 in the large-cap Consumer & Retail group in New York at Bank of America Securities, before transferring to the large-cap Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) group, and later relocating to San Diego in 2020 as a VP to help build out the firm’s Middle Market Investment Banking platform—joining as the 40th hire on a team that scaled to ~250 bankers. I went on to launch and lead the firm’s middle-market Residential & Commercial Services sector coverage initiative, building the strategy from the ground up and driving origination and execution across a highly fragmented, founder-owned market. I have executed large-scale transactions, including the $6.0bn take-private of Tech Data and the $5.5bn acquisition financing for Bass Pro Group’s acquisition of Cabela's, as well as a range of middle-market transactions in the $100–$300mm enterprise value range. In addition to my day-to-day efforts to source and execute transactions, I served as the inaugural Associate Development Officer for the Middle Market group, focused on improving the associate experience and increasing the overall quality of the associate class. I mentored ~90 associates and helped shape training, performance management, and feedback processes across the platform.

Why do I coach?

Early in my career, I remember coming in confident and then quickly feeling overwhelmed—like I was drinking from a firehose. Over time, with the help of a few great mentors, I began to understand the job and regain that confidence. That experience stuck with me, and it’s shaped how I approach helping others navigate similar inflection points. During my time at Bank of America Securities, I conducted 100+ interviews, had countless coffee chats with candidates, and participated in hiring roundtables. I also mentored ~90 associates and helped shape how performance was evaluated within the group. That gave me a clear view into what actually differentiates candidates in highly competitive recruiting processes—and what drives hiring and promotion decisions once you’re in the role. In my experience, the difference is rarely technical—it’s how you frame your story, how clearly you communicate your experience, and how well you demonstrate judgment. At its core, the job is about positioning, and if a candidate can’t clearly position their own experience, it’s difficult for a hiring manager to expect them to do it for a client. I work with clients to pressure-test their approach, refine how they present themselves, and think through decisions the same way hiring managers and senior bankers do. The goal is simple: help you move faster, avoid common mistakes, and approach your situation with a clear, practical lens.