M&A Masters

Today on M&A Masters, we’re rewinding my interview with Jon Finger, a Partner at McGuireWoods in Dallas. The reason I want to take you back to this show is because of the unique things Jon’s practice is bringing to the M&A space. They were the first to dedicate themselves to introducing independent sponsors to their capital partners.  

Jon says, “As we were building the network, and our practice was evolving, what we like to think was our secret sauce was our ability to introduce investment opportunities to our network of capital partners.”

Listen, as I rewind this episode of Jon walking us through:

• The lightbulb moment that led to the discovery of their secret sauce
• How independent sponsors differ from private equity investors and how they're bringing greater value to their capital partner relationships.
• Creative solutions to offloading the friction in deals (including his use of rep and warranty insurance)

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we’re sitting down with Renny Sie, Vice President of Business Development and Investor Relations at the private equity firm Boyne Capital. 

Established in 2006, Boyne Capital takes a different approach to investing—one that forges lasting and collaborative relationships with companies whose founders and families are still deeply involved in growing their businesses. It’s a term they call a value cultivator approach.

Renny says, “Partnership is extremely important to us. The fit is important because this is going to be a long-term partnership to grow this thing together and make it bigger and better for everyone.”

Listen to discover:

• How to propel family-owned businesses to the next level—partnering NOW to prosper in the future
• Boyne Capital’s unique value cultivator approach to the lower middle market—building the right team through focusing on relationships, recruiting, and retention
• Why they feel that Rep & Warranty Insurance is an important component for their deals
• And much more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we sit down with Laurin Parthemos to talk about culture. Laurin is a Principal at Kotter, a company named after Dr. John Kotter, the world’s foremost change expert. Kotter’s approach to merger & acquisition integration focuses on culture and people first.

Laurin says, “Culture is more and more seen as that differentiator within an industry to say we have a strong culture where people want to work.” 

Listen as she walks us through:

• Three ways to acknowledge (and counter) the survive or thrive mindset of change and help an organization move forward 
• The key to the path forward when integrating organizations with varying cultures—she’ll share a case study of the positive results they achieved (with long-time rival companies) 
• The monumental shift in the talent pool—what’s behind it 
• One of the most overlooked things most miss when planning integration and catalysts for forward momentum
• And much more

This week on M&A Masters, I want to revisit with you a special episode featuring the conversation I had with Domenic Rinaldi. Domenic is the President and Managing Partner of Sun Acquisitions, a buy-side and sell-side M&A advising firm. Domenic also hosts his own podcast, M&A Unplugged, ranked among the top M&A podcasts in 2021.

Listen to this special rewind episode as Domenic walks us through:

• Too big to be small and too small to be enterprise: why Sun Acquisitions loves the lower middle market
• The secret to uncovering opportunities on both the buy-side and the sell-side
• How to avoid the number one pitfall to getting deals done
• And much more

This week on M&A Masters, we’re doing a special rewind of my sit down with Dena Jalbert, Founder and CEO of Align Business Advisory Services. 

I think it’s worth revisiting this episode for two reasons. 1) Dena’s name appeared on Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine’s list of the Top 25 Most Influential Women in Mid Market M&A. 2) Her company, Align, is unique in their commitment to the lower middle market—a vast marketplace that is highly underserved. By bringing their expertise to the owners and founders they help them discover:

• Key strategies for unearthing opportunities at the inflection point
• How Align positions a company to put its best face forward—bringing Wall Street resources into smaller deals
• The secret strategy that is the real “art of the deal” 
• And more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we sit down with Samantha Ory to talk about choosing partnership over buyout. Samantha’s company, Ouroboros Group, is a private investment firm specializing in middle market corporate acquisitions and operations in the manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

Samantha says, “I found that there is this segment of outlier companies and CEOs who are looking for something a little bit different. We cater a lot to the CEOs. We always ask ‘what can we do for you?’ It builds trust, but it’s also very genuine… we really want to know.”

Listen as she walks us through:

• How her non-traditional background led to a unique approach for the Ouroboros Group
• Two atypical things they focus on to take a company to the next level (post buyout)
• The 3 algorithmic strategies they use to find deals
• The key to developing organic partnerships
• And much more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Lorraine Wilson, Chief Impact Officer and Head of ESG Methodology at Novata. 

Novota’s mission is to empower general partners in the private market to collect, analyze, and report relevant ESG data. 

Lorraine says, “ESG is evolving. Novata offers a standard process for analysis... using metrics most applicable to the private market.”

As ESG begins permeating the private sectors, it’s becoming top of mind for investors and in the boardroom. Listen as Lorraine walks us through:

• How Novata assists general partners and private companies in collecting, analyzing and reporting relevant ESG data
• The reporting on-ramp Novata has created - a technology platform which includes a library of metrics and guidance, where GPs can select the most relevant disclosures for their portfolio companies
• What she believes will be the biggest focus of data analysis for 2022 (Hint: ESG isn’t going away)
• And more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we are replaying one of our most popular episodes. 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.

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 Kresimir Peharda, corporate and M&A attorney with YK Law. Kresimir is the Chair of the firm’s Cannabis Practice.

As federal legalization inches ever closer, we invited him on the show to discuss the ins and outs and the rise of M&A in the world of cannabis.

Listen as he walks us through:

• Improvements are happening and usage is up, but what challenges lie ahead for M&A in the cannabis industry
• How cannabis regulations affect deals and why buyer/seller trust is everything
• What trends he sees coming in the cannabis M&A market for 2022 and beyond and his advice to first-time buyers in the market 
• And much more

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Michael Kornman of NCK Capital. 

NCK Capital acquires controlling interests in lower-middle market companies and takes them to the next level with “right-fit” capital structures, inspiring management incentives, and nurturing support.

Michael says, “We love the lower middle market. It’s a great place to build value…” Listen as he

walks us through: 

• Why NCK Capital loves the lower-middle market, their unique perspective and target markets
• Three rules to ensure success in lower-middle market deals
• Their secrets for fostering organic growth, and (long term) focused wealth creation
• And much more