Justin D. Faust, CMA – Founder
Having spent over 20 years as an insurance industry executive, investor and investment banker, Justin’s strong corporate finance background and longstanding relationships in the insurance industry are at the disposal of the clients of Bushido Strategic Advisory.
Prior to founding Bushido Strategic Advisory in late 2019, Justin served as Executive Vice President of Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions for San Francisco-based Top 10 retailer EPIC Insurance Brokers, leading EPIC’s efforts to enhance its rapid organic expansion through the acquisition of complementary insurance distribution firms in the property-casualty, employee benefits, and specialty program niches. He was also responsible for managing the financial operations of EPIC’s Specialty Programs & Investments (“ESPI”) division, where he made and oversaw investments in several InsurTech ventures.
Justin joined EPIC as part of ESPI’s late 2017 investment in Paragon Insurance Holdings, a Connecticut-based specialty managing general agency, where he served as Chief Financial Officer.
Prior to joining Paragon, Justin was Chief Financial Officer of Dowling Capital Partners, a Connecticut-based, insurance industry-focused, private equity firm. Justin’s career began in New York City, including M&A advisory and capital markets roles with Guy Carpenter’s investment banking division (now GC Securities) and Hales & Company (now Dowling Hales), as well as principal investing duties with alternative asset manager Northaven Management.
Justin is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in finance, and holds the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation from the Institute of Management Accountants. Justin currently lives outside Hartford, CT with his wife and two teenage daughters.
Bushido (boo-SHE-doe)
is a Japanese term meaning “the way of warriors” in reference to the ancient Samurai code of values including honor, duty, patience and wisdom. The Samurai were often soldiers for hire, who were sworn to utilize their training and experience to protect and advance the interests of their employers.
Bushido Strategic Advisory brings this same level of devotion and expertise to advising its insurance industry clients in whatever financial capacity they deem most valuable – whether serving as a Corporate Development Consultant or Fractional CFO; providing Transaction Execution Support or Financial Due Diligence; or acting as a Senior Advisor or Independent Board Representative.
