Greg Achten

Managing Director
UBS

Gregory is managing director and market head for the UBS Wealth Management Chicago Market that includes offices in Downtown Chicago, Northbrook, Oakbrook, Barrington and Naperville, and Madison and Milwaukee Wisconsin. Previously he spent 28 years at Merrill Lynch, where he began as an operations manager and held numerous roles to include 14 years as a financial adviser, resident director, regional sales manager in Dallas, complex director in Tulsa and managing director in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, Indiana and Boston.

Joseph Angel

Senior VP, Head of Structured Finance
First Midwest Bancorp

Joe leads First Midwest Bank's Cash Flow and Asset-Based Lending units. Joe is responsible for building origination, underwriting and portfolio management teams across both lines of business, as well as developing new growth channels for the bank. Joe’s career includes experience in bank and non-bank environments, with roles including business development, credit and capital markets activities.

Joseph Baez

Principal, Private Equity
CLA

Joe is a private equity principal with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) and has been with CLA since 2001. He has 18 years of assurance and consulting experience, which includes working with a wide range of closely held companies as they deal with the challenges of mergers and acquisitions.

Robert Barnett III

Managing Partner
Wexford Capital Partners, LLC

Robert is managing partner of Wexford Capital Partners LLC, an independent sponsor platform for principal investing. He was a managing director and sector head of BMO Capital Markets’ Commercial and Industrial Group. Previously, he was head of Midwest Large Corporate Banking for Bank One Corp.

Miriam Leskovar Burkland

Attorney & Counselor
Howard & Howard PLLC

As a transactional attorney, Miriam Leskovar Burkland assists clients in closing transactions, from the everyday to the once-in-a-lifetime. Miriam concentrates her practice on corporate and commercial transactions, with extensive experience negotiating and interpreting a full range of contracts that govern her clients and their businesses.

Andrew Busser

Managing Director of Strategy
Pitcairn

As a respected advisor and strategist, Andy has spent his career helping families navigate the complexities of investing their wealth. Andy is driven and curious, with a passion for solving complex problems, and is a family office industry leader. Andy brings to the Leadership Team an enthusiasm for excellence and is known for building successful relationships with clients and employees. As head of strategy for Pitcairn, Andy has spearheaded the development of the Pitcairn Experience, and he continues to position Pitcairn as a leading innovator in the family office industry.

John Caltagirone

Founding Director
Loyola Business Leadership Hub

Prior to joining Loyola, Mr. Caltagirone was the Vice President of Global Supply Chain Strategy for The Revere Group. He was previously Senior Vice President, Chief Logistics and Operations Officer for Peapod, Inc., where he was responsible for distribution services, inventory management, purchasing, transportation management, logistics engineering, and customer service. John has also held senior management positions with the following companies: Rand McNally, RR Donnelley & Sons and Ryder Integrated Logistics.

Paul Carlisle

Executive Vice President and Market Head
Wintrust

Paul is executive vice president and market head of Wintrust Commercial Banking, where he is responsible for leading and coordinating middle-market banking across all of the Wintrust banks. He has spent his entire career serving middle-market organizations in the Greater Chicago area. Before joining Wintrust in 2010, he spent more than 25 years with JPMorgan Chase and its predecessor banks, American National and Bank One.

Harry Cendrowski

Managing Director
Cendrowski Corporate Advisors

Harry is a founding member of Cendrowski Corporate Advisors and a licensed CPA in Michigan, Illinois and Florida. He is a veteran of the private equity and venture capital industries as an investor, founder and advisor to several funds. He has served as an expert witness in numerous disputes, as court-appointed receiver for multimillion dollar estates and as the accountant to the trustee in high-profile bankruptcy cases.

Brendan Deely

CEO
Banner Solutions

Tom Durkin

Vice President
Aon

Tom started his career in insurance in 2005 and is a Vice President with Aon's relationship management team in Chicago. Tom's expertise is centered around helping organizations optimize their total cost of risk and providing risk and health advisory services aimed at supporting the achievement of client objectives.

Robert Johnson

Managing Partner
The Solomon Group LLC

Robert Johnson is the Managing Partner of the Solomon Group, a social enterprise management consulting company and the co-founder of The Collective, a social impact business incubator that raises capital for social enterprises.

Stephanie Kline

Managing Director, Commercial Banking
BMO Harris Bank

Stephanie is a managing director in BMO Harris Bank’s middle-market banking group in Chicago, bringing more than 20 years’ experience and management in corporate banking. She leads a local team of commercial banking experts with focus on building relationships with middle-market companies by providing financial solutions to increase enterprise value, fund business growth, manage cash flow and optimize working capital.

Lee M. Koury

Managing Partner
Smart Business

Lee is managing partner of Smart Business, a national events, media and marketing company founded in 1989, primarily responsible for expanding the company’s Aspire deal-making conference throughout the U.S. He plays a key role in establishing corporate policies and developing long-term strategy and growth plans. Previously, he founded and chaired the Growth Group at national law firm Arter & Hadden LLP (now Tucker, Ellis & West), which focused on working with middle-market and high-growth technology companies.

Kristi Kunz

Investment Management
Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC

Kristi is a private wealth advisor in the Investment Management Division of Goldman Sachs & Co. She previously worked on mergers and acquisitions in the investment banking division of Mesirow Financial, providing valuation analyses and advisory services for middle-market business owners looking to sell their companies. She is a member of the firm’s Disability Interest Forum, which supports local community organizations and raises awareness across the firm.

Len Lillard

Managing Director
Glaucon Capital Partners, L.L.C.

Len brings more than 30 years of experience working in finance and capital markets, including co-founding a private equity firm focused on investments in lower middle-market companies. He has originated and invested more than $1 billion of privately held senior subordinated debt and equity securities, managed teams of up to 30 employees and performed all aspects of the investment process, including sourcing, negotiating, structuring and financing transactions working for Merit Capital Partners, Banc One Capital Partners and The Prudential Capital Group.

Michelle Moore

Partner
Reed Smith

Michelle is a partner in Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group and is a member of Reed Smith’s Executive Committee, the Firm’s global governing board, where she also serves on the Audit Committee and the Talent Committee. Michelle’s practice primarily focuses on the areas of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (both for private equity and strategic acquirers) and general corporate counseling. She represents her clients in their structuring and formation, acquisitions and divestitures, recapitalizations, management buyouts and restructurings. With her extensive experience acting as many of her clients’ “outside general counsel,” she also advises on day-to-day corporate and commercial matters, including financing issues and the negotiation of general commercial contracts such as manufacturing, supply and service agreements, addressing her clients’ needs through all stages of growth.

Maura O'Hara

Executive Director
Illinois Venture Capital Association

Diane Pearse

CEO
Hickory Farms, LLC

Linda Peddle

Director
RSM US LLP

Linda is director of Business Development of RSM US LLP in Chicago. With more than 25 years of experience servicing middle-market companies across manufacturing, distribution and business and professional service industries, she specializes in helping organizations identify, evaluate and address their business opportunities and challenges. By connecting companies with RSM resources, she successfully helps organizations to accelerate growth and profitability. She is responsible for sourcing audit, tax and consulting engagements including M&A diligence, QOE, cyber security, tax consulting, ERP selections and specialty tools.

Jeff Piper

Managing Director
Svoboda Capital Partners LLC

Jeff joined Svoboda in 2004 and is responsible for evaluating potential investments, leading due diligence, executing transactions, fundraising and managing portfolio companies.  Jeff currently serves on the Boards of Cigar Accessories Holdings, Bully Pulpit Interactive and Sonoma Creamery, and was previously involved with Infinite Packaging Group, SWC Technology Partners, OPT Holdings (Optronics/Primos), The Glover Park Group, Nth Degree, and Coffee Bean International.  Previously, Jeff was an associate at Robert W. Baird & Co.

Helena Robbins Huddleston

Partner
CohnReznick

Helana Robbins Huddleston, CPA, CIRA, is a Partner specializing in transactional advisory and restructuring services. She has over 18 years of expertise in financial due diligence, restructuring, financial auditing, internal control evaluation, and business process improvement. Helana leads buy-side and sell-side financial due diligence engagements with strategic and financial buyers for private and public companies with enterprise values ranging from $20 million to $500 million in a variety of industries.

John Rowady

CEO
rEvolution

John is the Founder & President of rEvolution, a leading independent, fully integrated global sports marketing and media agency headquartered in Chicago, Ill. Rowady is a Hoosier B-School Alum whose advanced sports industry experience includes sales and leadership roles working with high-profile governing sports bodies and properties, such as NCAA, F1, FIFA World Cup, the Olympics and many more.

Ken Serwinski

Chairman
Prairie Capital Advisors

Tim Simonds

CEO
Merrick Pet Care

Tim is CEO of Merrick Pet Care Inc. He joined Merrick in 2016 with a proven track record of growing and leading organizations to improved performance. He served as vice president of marketing and president before assuming his current role in October 2018. A skilled general manager and innovative marketer, he is adept at brand strategy, customer experience and new product development.

David Solomon

Partner
Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC

David is the Chair of Levenfeld Pearlstein’s Corporate Practice Group. David has extensive experience in structuring and consummating mergers and acquisition transactions. Upon joining Levenfeld Pearlstein in 2009, David also founded the firm’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) practice which currently serves clients who are involved in various types of transactions involving ESOPs. David also represents many middle-market companies in a "general counsel" capacity by handling various business law issues.

Stuart Sorkin

Former Owner, President & CEO
Affy Tapple

Teri Tadros

Director of Development
Frontenac

Teri is Director of Development at Frontenac, a Chicago-based private equity firm, and is responsible for coordinating the firm’s professional outreach including the sourcing of transactions and CEO1ST executives.  Frontenac invests in lower middle market companies in the consumer, industrial, and services industries.

Mark Thomann

Managing Director
Spiral Sun Ventures

Mark is an entrepreneur dedicated to helping early stage companies and their management teams scale their businesses. The lack of seed capital available to early stage companies focused on better-for-you products inspired him to co-launch Spiral Sun Ventures. He also serves as CEO of Dormitus Brands, which acquires, redevelops and monetizes iconic dormant brands.

Mark A. Thomson, CPA

Managing Director
ORBA

Mark provides financial and business advisory services for a variety of industries, including manufacturers, distributors and service organizations. He provides guidance on audits, reviews and compilations, strategic management, income tax planning, litigation support and business advisory issues. He also has extensive experience with buy/sell situations and has helped clients plan for, and complete, their sales transactions.

Ben Van Vlerah

Commerical Regional Manager
Huntington Bank

Ben is the Commercial Region Manager leading Middle Market Banking in Illinois for Huntington Bank. For more than two decades, Van Vlerah has been advising executive leadership teams for commercial and non-profit businesses across Illinois. Van Vlerah started his banking career as a credit analyst and relationship manager on the Middle Market Banking team at American National Bank. In 2003 Van Vlerah joined Banco Popular North America to start up their Commercial Banking team. In 2010, Van Vlerah joined FirstMerit Bank who was acquired by Huntington Bank in 2014. At FirstMerit, Van Vlerah was once again tapped to start a Commercial Banking team. Over the next 10 years he developed a team of bankers and is currently Commercial Region Manager. Ben obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Knox College. He actively supports and participates in numerous civic organizations including Facing Forward to End Homelessness, Rosecrance and Junior Achievement. He is an active member and board member of the Chicagoland Chapter of YPO. Van Vlerah and his wife Stephanie reside in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago with their two sons.

Roger Veome

Managing Director, Investments; Regional Executive
Alex Brown A Division of Raymond James

Dan Weinfurter

Director
Mentor Group Ltd.

Michael Wilson

Partner
Locke Lord LLP

Michael represents private equity funds (including SBIC funds), banks, companies and entrepreneurs in M&A, debt finance and venture capital transactions in a wide variety of industries. He has substantial experience with technology, health care, energy, and food and beverage transactions. He also serves as an officer on the Executives’ Club of Chicago Leadership Circle Advisory Board.

Warren Young

Chairman
Acme Industries