The Missing Piece: Positioning Your Business for an Exit to a Strategic Buyer
Presented By: Ascent Advisory Partners / Nelson Mullins
When a powerhouse buyer takes interest in your company, they aren’t just buying revenue—they are looking for an important piece that fits with their business and growth strategy. This session breaks down a strategic buyer’s M&A mindset and the "Seller’s To-Do List" to achieve an optimal outcome. Learn how to transform your private enterprise into a high-value asset that commands a premium by being built to be compelling to strategic buyers.
Moderator:
Managing Director
Ascent Advisory Partners
Gordon R. Watt is a Managing Director & Co-Founder, Ascent Advisory Partners. Gordon has over 30 years of M&A and investment banking experience. He has both middle-market and Wall Street experience, having advised clients ranging from small, founder-owned businesses to large, publicly traded companies. He was a Managing Director at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (now Truist) responsible for the execution of both M&A and capital raising transactions. Prior roles included Managing Director in the investment banking group at The Robinson-Humphrey Company (a division of Citigroup). He started his career in the corporate and investment banking group at Chemical Bank (now JPMorgan) in New York City. In 2019, he co-founded Ascent Advisory Partners to provide M&A advisory services to family and founder-owned companies in the lower middle-market.
Panelists:
Partner
Nelson Mullins
Michael is co-head of the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group and its Investment Management Group. He focuses on middle-market corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures. He also serves on the firm's Executive Committee, the governing body of seven partners who oversee firm standing committees, strategic initiatives, and firm operations.
Head of Strategic Business Development
The Home Depot
Mike Locker is the Vice President of The Home Depot’s Strategic Business Development group where he is responsible for enterprise strategy and corporate development activities. Mike joined The Home Depot in 2015 and has held roles of increasing responsibility including Director – Strategic Business Development and Divisional CFO of Installation Services business.
Prior to joining The Home Depot, Mike worked as an investment banker advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital financings and corporate board advisory services. Mike had a fifteen year career advising clients at Goldman, Sachs & Company, Raymond James & Associates and TM Capital Corp. Mike began his career as a CPA in the Financial Assurance Division at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University, a Masters in Accounting from the University of Florida and a Masters of Business Administration from Duke University.