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Session B

Positioned to Win: Maximizing Value Before You Go to Market

Presented By: Polsinelli

Smart preparation drives better outcomes. This session explores how sellers can proactively position themselves to maximize value and navigate today’s shifting deal landscape. From pre-market readiness to strategic use of earnouts, learn how to bridge valuation gaps, structure deals to your advantage, and protect against post-close risk. Whether you’re planning to sell now or in the future, discover the steps that set successful sellers apart.

Moderator:

Matthew Weill
Shareholder
Polsinelli

Matthew Weill is a corporate attorney concentrating on business and transactional matters for a wide range of clients, including private equity and venture/growth capital funds and their related portfolio companies and investments. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and growth equity financings, recapitalizations, joint ventures and other commercial transactions.

In the M&A sector, Matt’s clients include private equity funds and their portfolio companies, independent sponsors, family offices, corporate buyers/sellers, founders/entrepreneurs, and other industry participants. Matt also advises senior executives regarding sales and/or rollover transactions, including negotiating employment and equity arrangements.

He routinely counsels entrepreneurs, startup and growth-stage companies, investment funds and investors in connection with the structuring and formation of early-stage business ventures. In addition, Matt guides clients through private placements, capital-raising transactions, agreements among founders, employment and equity arrangements with key personnel, as well as general legal and business advice to clients seeking to grow or expand their businesses. He frequently represents employers and employees in employment, equity and separation matters.

Matt has advised on transactions in numerous industries and sectors, including food, beverage and hospitality, consumer products, software and technology, health care and life sciences, financial services, management/business consulting, media, publishing, advertising, marketing, industrial products, entertainment and apparel.

Panelists:

Debbie Habib
Managing Director
Levine Leichtman Capital Partners

Debbie Habib joined LLCP in 2021 and currently serves as a Managing Director of the Investment Originations team. In this capacity, she is responsible for the origination of new investment opportunities and investment due diligence with a focus on the Northeastern U.S.

Prior to joining LLCP, Debbie was a Vice President with Lindsay Goldberg, a New York-based private equity firm, where she led the firm’s business development efforts. Debbie began her career at FGI Worldwide, a New York-based commercial finance company, where she spent a decade of her career and ultimately oversaw the firm’s business development team. Debbie received a B.A. in Journalism from New York University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University and London Business School.

Arun Jethani
CEO
Northstar VETS

Arun Jethani is a Healthcare entrepreneur and operator. He has spent most of his career operating companies from founder/origination to exit. Currently, he is the CEO of Northstar VETS with the vision of building the best multi-specialty / ER practice in the country. Our goal is to build a timeless practice where we develop opportunities for each team member to be an owner and leave a legacy where each generation is better off than the last.

Previously, he was the CEO /Founder of Medical Imaging Specialists where we grew the company from scratch to an exit in 2019 returning 17X (51% ARR over 7.25 years to investors). Once acquired, he was the COO of Rezolut where he led acquisitions, integrations, and operations that doubled the company's size in one year. Prior to MIS, he started and exited two other healthcare organizations. Overall, he enjoy taking different organizations/ divisions and building a unified culture of both clinical and financial performance. What's most satisfying is helping people take ownership of their careers and achieve outcomes, for both our company and their careers as it provides dignity and additional financial security for their families.

Steven Parks
Partner
Topspin Consumer Partners

Stephen joined Topspin in January 2008 and is a member of the investment committee. Stephen brings over 20 years of investing and operating experience and was instrumental in building the infrastructure and the success of Topspin Consumer Partners’ private equity business. During his tenure with the firm, Stephen has covered a wide range of consumer-focused industry verticals with significant experience in specialty retail, health and wellness and juvenile products.

Stephen began his career with Bain and Company, where he focused on business services and manufacturing firms. Following his tenure with Bain, Stephen left to support the executive leadership team of Spherion Corporation during a multi-year turnaround.

Stephen received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering with highest honors from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000, where he was a President’s Scholar, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2007, where he was a George F. Baker Scholar, and helped support the Chair of the Finance Department in the development of a new course focused on private equity finance.

Conference Location

180 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
Tel: (212) 767-7000