De-Risk, Fund, and Flourish: Preparing your company for a clean M&A deal

John Surrette Chairs KLR's Private Equity and Venture Capital Services Group. He has over 20 years of experience working with middle market and lower middle market companies. His focus is on providing audit and compliance services to Private Equity and Venture Capital firms and their funds as well as transaction advisory services to other financial and strategic sponsors investing in middle market companies. John partners with a diverse audit and consulting client base and has extensive experience working with companies in the manufacturing, distribution, renewable energy, technology enabled services and healthcare industries.

Rob Kershaw is a Senior Vice President and Corporate Banking Team Leader at Cambridge Savings Bank. In his current role, he manages a team of five experienced Commercial Bankers as well as providing customized financial solutions for a diversified portfolio of corporate banking clients in Massachusetts.

Rob has over 25 years of professional experience in the banking and financial services industry at Cambridge Savings Bank, Rockland Trust, Boston Private Bank & Trust Company and Eastern Bank.

Senior operational executive with a legacy of success in growing successful businesses in the B2B, OEM, and distribution sectors with particular expertise in the building products and defense industry. Record of maximizing earnings and returns for shareholders through global market expansion, strategic acquisitions, restructuring initiatives, and new product development. Entrepreneurial leader skilled at identifying new markets, corporate deal making, and executing on growth oriented strategies.

Strategic Operational Leadership – Transformed a segmented holding company into a highly focused single organization that manufactured quality products, produced significant growth in sales and profits, and earned Amesbury recognition as the leading organization in its industry.

Acquisitive Growth and Integration – Created the strategic vision, designed the structure of the process, and successfully completed 13 acquisitions as both CEO and CFO, effectively integrating them into a cohesive business entity that offered a broader array of products to customers, dramatically expanded the company’s brand, and established Amesbury as one of the top three suppliers to the largest OEM’s in the industry.

Maximizing Shareholder Value – Led a multi-year effort to strengthen the company during the economic downturn and grow the organization through a revitalized sales organization, lean operations, strategic acquisitions and state-of-the art technology and manufacturing processes. Amesbury grew from $40M in sales to over $350M and was the single most profitable division of Tyman, Plc. contributing to significant shareholder returns for the corporate parent.

Kyle Stanbro is the co-founder of 424 Capital and Managing Partner of the firm. Kyle leads investments in the Renewable Energy and Healthcare Technology sectors at 424. In addition, Kyle oversees 424 Capital’s Strategic Finance Group, a team solely dedicated to financial analysis, reporting, forecasting and capital markets to support 424 Capital’s investments.

Kyle is a member of the firm’s investment committee and serves on the boards of several 424 Capital portfolio companies. Kyle is passionate about developing strategies and tactics to elevate portfolio companies into acknowledged industry leaders. Prior to co-founding 424 Capital, Kyle was with Brook Venture for six years. Previously, Kyle held financial management positions at Travelers and Kodak.

Kyle received his MBA from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, completing concentrations in Finance and Corporate Accounting. He earned his BS in Corporate Finance from St. John Fisher College.