Choosing and Structuring Capital Stacks for Scale
Presented By: CBIZ / City National Bank
Growth requires capital—but the type, structure, and timing of that capital can shape outcomes for years to come. This session brings together operators, investors, lenders, and advisors to explore how companies finance growth across the capital stack at different stages of growth. From senior debt and private credit to minority and control equity, learn how experienced deal teams evaluate tradeoffs, structure deals, and align capital with long-term strategy.
Moderator:
Chief Content Officer
Smart Business
Dustin is an award-winning business journalist, bestselling author, and the chief content officer of Smart Business. Over the past 30 years, he has interviewed thousands of business and civic leaders, and helped more than 50 CEOs and entrepreneurs transform their ideas into books. A trained investigative politics reporter and former digital media entrepreneur, Dustin joined Smart Business in 1997 after serving as an editor at several daily newspapers.
Panelists:
Director
Trivest Partners
Brent has spent his entire career working for or investing in entrepreneurs. Now he is a Director at Trivest Partners for TGIF, the firms' non-control growth investment fund. Prior to joining Trivest, Brent was Vice President Sheridan Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm. His previous experience includes working at a financial services platform backed by Carlyle and Warburg Pincus, as well as being an early team member at a venture-backed company acquired by Nasdaq, Inc. Brent began his career at Morgan Keegan, a Memphis-based investment bank. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Furman University, where he was a member of the football team.
Southeast Transaction Advisory Services Leader; Managing Director, Transaction Advisory Services
CBIZ
Fred is a seasoned executive with broad experience in accounting, finance, strategy and M&A. Fred has executed on more than 300 transactions (buy-side and sell-side) ranging from $15 million to over $1 billion in purchase price. He has led cross-border transactions throughout the United States and Latin America for strategic and private equity clients. Fred is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Chief Commercial Officer
Crescent Aerospace Technology LLC
Tracy leads the commercial customer relationships and strategic acquisitions to grow Crescent Aerospace within Lionheart Industrial Group. Experience in the aerospace, defense, and industrial manufacturing, advisory services, and aftermarket services, and military service. Several years in various leadership roles at GE, Rolls-Royce, Sargent-Avborne (a Dover Diversified company), HEICO Aerospace, Paradigm Precision, KPMG, and Alvarez & Marsal. Focused on aerospace supply chain resiliency, defense industrial base readiness, and modernizations for global manufacturing / MRO aftermarket services. Graduated from the Clarkson University with a BS in Engineering. Worked in Rail, Power Generation, and Power Generation / Industrial Gas Turbines, and the US Army's 82nd Airborne and 2nd Infantry divisions.
Market President
City National Bank
Jason Russek is a finance and business executive with deep knowledge of the Greater Tampa Bay region and wide experience in relationship banking, wealth management, sales and product development, and regional banking strategies. As the West Florida Market President for City National Bank, he leads all aspects of business and operations on the Gulf Coast, ensuring clients have a trusted partner who understands their market and their ambitions.