M&a Masters

Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Gus Marshall, Head of Transaction Liability at CFC Underwriting, Ltd. CFC is a specialist insurance provider, pioneer in emerging risk, and market leader in cyber and transactional liability.Today we are talking with Gus about CFC's exciting new product launch, Transaction Liability Private Enterprise (TLPE). Gus says, “Reps and warranties insurance is currently Wall Street and we want to make it Main Street with TLPE.” He’ll break this new product down for us and tell us: How TLPE creates groundbreaking opportunities in micro markets 5 Key TLPE coverage highlights 3 key points to making TLPE work  And more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Jordan Tate, Managing Partner at Montage Partners. Montage Partners, based in Arizona, is a people-first private equity firm. For 17 years they have invested in established companies across North America, helping them reach transformative growth.Jordan tells us about his path to Montage Partners, the interesting meaning behind their company name, and how it reflects both who they are and the companies they seek to invest in, as well as: Key strategies for selecting investments The biggest driver in successful partnerships Which questions you should ask to assure a deal is a cultural fit And more

Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Scott Hendon of BDO. Scott has been with BDO for 20 years and currently serves as the National & Global Practice Leader for Private Equity. A true icon in M&A, he brings a unique perspective as he knows both the investment side and the service side. Today we sit down with him to talk about the recently released Spring 2021 BDO Private Capital Pulse Survey Report. The survey polled 100 private equity and 100 venture capital middle-market fund managers across the United States.On the show, Scott talks about the key takeaways from the report and offers his insights into:  The current key M&A drivers The 3 top impacts of Covid-19 on deal making The biggest tax concern for fund managers The biggest surprise in the report And more

Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Tom Wells, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of 10 Point Capital in Atlanta. 10 Point Capital partners with visionary founders and operating executives to build dominant franchise brands. A foodie who loves hospitality, Tom found a way to combine those by investing in such companies as Walk-On’s and Slim Chickens. We chat with Tom about the inspiration behind 10 Point Capital, and the meaning behind their brand name, as well as: The one key thing they look for when partnering with a brand 5 things that determine which brands will be successful How to master building rapport with potential clients Franchise investing post pandemic And more

On this week’s episode of the M&A Masters Podcast, we are joined by Brien Davis, Founder of Altacrest Capital. Altacrest is a private investment firm focused on consumer brands with enthusiast customer bases and centered mainly on e-commerce. Giving clients the experience of an institutional sized team at the boutique level, Altacrest Capital’s focus on e-commerce has been even more fine-tuned in the virtual world of COVID.We chat with Brien about his journey from big companies to lower middle markets, as well as: Building an investment thesis around e-commerce Flexibility and strengths of being an independent sponsor  Growth in the e-commerce industry Risk and cost in transactions The e-commerce markets that will continue to grow post-COVID And more

On this week’s episode of the M&A Masters podcast, we sit down with Domenic Rinaldi, President and Managing Partner of Sun Acquisitions. Sun Acquisitions is an M&A advising firm specializing in both buy-side and sell-side advisory services. Domenic also hosts his own podcast, M&A Unplugged, ranked among the top M&A podcasts of 2021. From a young age, Domenic had an itch to own his own business. In discussing why he chose the details of Sun Acquisitions, Domenic says, “Quite frankly, I love the lower middle market. They have more sophistication, more infrastructure, but they don’t necessarily have the money for the advisory groups...so they need firms like ours.”We chat with Domenic about his path to owning Sun Acquisitions, as well as:  The ideal client both on the buy-side and sell-side Encouraging empathy in M&A Experiences with rep and warranty The importance of preparation when it comes to transactions Using podcasts to help spread information And more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we are joined by Ryan Milligan, Partner of ParkerGale. Guided by their principle – “products that matter, cultures that last” – ParkerGale is a small private equity firm that focuses on profitable, lower middle market technology companies and the convergence of private equity and software. “Let’s just be transparent, and let’s just give everyone the answers to the test,” Ryan says of the empathy he has learned in the market - take the competitive advantage off the table and make it about the people. We chat with Ryan about his journey to building a successful company and culture in ParkerGale, as well as:  The excitement of working in the lower middle market  The importance and art of measuring culture How a “Chief Worry Officer” can fit into risk decisions and dynamics Buyer diligence and reps and warranties The future of software post-pandemic  And more Listen now...

On this week’s episode of the M&A Masters Podcast, we sit down with Todd Dauphinais, Founding Principal and Managing Partner of Clavis Capital Partners in Dallas. Clavis Capital Partners realized that there was a better model and approach to private equity, and set out to create an investment firm focused on operations, the longer term, and on deploying capital in the most flexible and effective manner possible - the independent sponsor model. We chat with Todd about what inspired him to build Clavis, and where the name Clavis even came from, as well as: The successful effects of the independent sponsor model The importance of strategy for growing businesses  Building a company culture that sets you apart How the rapid advancement of technology can be used for market benefit Rep and warranty policies  And more 

On this week’s episode of the M&A Masters Podcast, we are joined by Brooke Ansel, Vice President of Prudential Private Capital. She runs a Prudential team focused in the southern United States, but her career path to the investment company was unconventional – it started with the Neiman Marcus buying team. Brooke tells us about how Prudential is more than just a bank – it has a commitment to the lower middle market that might surprise some listeners. Prudential Private Capital focuses more on debt and minority equity, and acts as the private capital arm of the larger Prudential institution. We chat with Brooke about what Prudential Private Capital brings to the table, as well as: Minority equity and mezzanine debt  The Prudential Private Capital ideal client  Investing in growth and being there for the long-term relationship Important misunderstandings to avoid  Optimism for the M&A world Post-COVID  And more

Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Jon Finger. Jon is a Partner at McGuireWoods LLC in Dallas, and his practice focuses on private equity and corporate transactions. He and his partners were the first in the area of independent sponsors to create a private equity practice dedicated to independent sponsors. Jon and his partners also created “Deal-by-Deal”, a podcast that focuses on the independent sponsor community of the M&A market.Jon says, of this independent sponsor relationship, “Many of these sellers are selling their baby – this has been, and will be, their legacy. Finding independent sponsors who are really appreciative of that is a big part of what we look for in our network for the clients that we want to be working with.”We discuss the importance of building a network and prioritizing the independent sponsor relationships, as well as: The difference between independent sponsors and other buyers Perceptions of private equity Finding creative ways and best practices to partner

Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Scott MacLaren, Partner of The Sterling Group in Houston. The Sterling Group is a private equity firm, one of the oldest in the country, and currently has $4 billion of assets under management. Scott did not start off in private equity – he studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point, started business school after serving in the Army, and then finally found his private equity calling after working as a consultant. He started recruiting heavily for the middle market, and has now been with Sterling for seven years making investments in the industrial sector. We chat with Scott about his path to The Sterling Group, as well as:  The competition of the private equity market Establishing longevity in a growing industry Finding excitement in investing in “unsexy” markets Simplifying life-changing events The predictions for industrial markets and partners after the pandemic And more

Our special guest on this week’s episode of the M&A Masters Podcast is Grant Jackson. Grant is the Managing General Partner of Council Capital, a middle market private equity firm based in Nashville, Tennessee. Their mission is to be the best healthcare private equity firm, with their focus on investing in the right side of healthcare change.

Our special guest on this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Dena Jalbert. Dena is the Founder and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services, a team of former business owners, operators, and executives in offices throughout the US who bring Wall Street resources to the lower middle market. She was also recently named on Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine's list of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Mid Market M&A.

Our special guest on this week’s episode of M&A Masters is James Darnell. James is the Managing Partner of KLH Capital, a private equity firm based in Tampa, Florida, that focuses on serving family and founder-owned, lower middle-market companies throughout the US. KLH Capital was recently recognized as Private Equity Firm of the Year by M&A Source.

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Emily Holdman. Emily is the Managing Director of Permanent Equity, a lower middle market private equity firm based in Columbia, Missouri, that focuses on investments for the very long term. Emily is also named as one of Axial’s thought leaders for the lower middle market.

Our special guest on this week’s episode of M&A Masters is John Warrillow, the Founder and President of The Value Builder System™. He is also the host of Built To Sell Radio, and the author of the bestselling books, Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You, The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry, and The Art of Selling Your Business: Winning Strategies & Secret Hacks for Exiting on Top.

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Dan Phelps, Founder and Managing Director of Salt Creek Capital, based in Silicon Valley. Salt Creek Capital is a lower middle-market private equity firm that partners with talented executives to acquire profitable small businesses across the United States. Dan earned his MBA at the University of Chicago and spent time in both venture and smaller private equity investing experiences before founding Salt Creek Capital over 11 years ago.

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Ed Bryant, President and CEO of Sampford Advisors. Sampford Advisors is the most active investment banking firm in Canada, focusing on the lower middle market tech sector, specifically software M&A. Sampford now has offices here in Austin, Texas, and was recently named by Axial as a member of the Top 20 Thought Leaders in the lower middle market for 2020.

Our special guest on this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Brett Hickey, the Founder & CEO of Star Mountain Capital, LLC, a specialized U.S. lower middle-market investment firm. Star Mountain employs a data-driven approach to provide value-added debt and equity capital to established small and medium-sized private companies, leveraging its scale-driven resources and longstanding relationships.

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Peter Lehrman. Peter serves lower middle market owners, acquirers, and advisors as CEO of Axial, the largest trusted online platform used for safely buying, selling, and financing private companies. Over the last 10 years, Axial has established a single well-known platform that business owners and deal professionals alike trust to discover and connect with new transaction partners.