Tom Bakaitus

Partner
Louis Plung & Company

Tax Partner with Louis Plung & Company. Have 35 years experience primarily in tax. Focus area is transaction analysis. Undergraduate California University of PA. Masters in Tax from Duquesne University. Prior to Louis Plung I was regional managing partner and firmwide Director of Tax with a regional firm.

Brian Baum

Managing Director
Interchange Capital Partners

Brian is the Managing Director of Interchange Capital Partners. In this role he oversees strategic initiatives of the company with a specific focus on the Family Business and Entrepreneur client segment. His focus is on helping owners think through, build and execute on a value acceleration and transition strategy for the shareholders. He believes that at its core exit planning combines the plan, concept, effort and process into a clear, simple strategy to build a business that is transferable through strong human, structural, customer, and social capital. The future of each owner, their family, and their business are addressed by exit planning through creating value today.

Brian is also the President of the Pittsburgh Exit Planning Chapter, which he helped found in 2019. The chapters mission is to give business owners a forum to get educated on true exit planning – how to build a valuable and transferable business through a proven process. He graduated from Penn State with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in Business. He is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor and a CFP.

Rich Beaty

Managing Director
IMB Partners

Rich is a finance professional, investor, runner, and triathlete. He has 20 years of experience in capital markets, commercial lending, business development, and credit risk management. In addition to his role as Managing Director at IMB, he is also the Treasurer and on the Executive Committee of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Robert Berdanier

Managing Director, Business Restructuring Services
BDO USA, LLP

Robert is a Managing Director in BDO's Business Restructuring & Turnaround Services practice. His focus is on middle-market companies, both distressed and healthy, seeking financial financial and operational improvement through interim financial leadership and re-organization. Robert is a seasoned restructuring professional, with significant experience in the manufacturing, distributing, hotels/ hospitality and entertainment industries.

Beth Bershok

Chief Marketing Officer
Louis Plung & Company

Beth Bershok has been appointed to the newly created role of LPC Chief Marketing Officer at Louis Plung. She’ll be leading the marketing strategy and vision as the firm celebrates more than a century of expert accounting and advisory services.

Previously, Beth oversaw the marketing and practice development efforts for Herbein + Company. Prior to her career in professional services marketing, Beth earned a degree in speech communications (radio and TV) from California University of Pennsylvania and went on to a 26-year career in radio. From 1990 to March of 2008, Beth served as co-host and producer of “Gary & Beth in the Morning” on Lite Rock 92.9 FM. In 2005, she was awarded Best Pittsburgh On-Air Personality by the Pittsburgh Radio and Television Club.

Scott Bormet

Partner - Transaction Advisory Services
FORVIS

Scott is the Chicago market leader for FORVIS’ Transaction Advisory team. His primary areas of expertise include analyzing the quality of earnings and working capital requirements, identifying and analyzing key performance indicators, accounting for mergers and acquisitions, and reviewing purchase agreements. Scott has more than 27 years of business experience focusing on mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, divestiture services, and other strategic financial analyses. He has extensive experience working with large- and mid-cap private equity firms, strategic acquirers, and financial institutions in connection with leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations. Scott was responsible for providing buy-side financial due diligence and divestiture services in connection with more than 200 domestic and international transactions in a wide variety of industries, including technology, business services, industrial and consumer products, logistics, healthcare, and vacation resorts.

Christopher Brodman

President & CEO
Metz Lewis Brodman Must O’Keefe LLC

Chris is the president of the firm and a member of the firm’s executive committee. His practice focuses on general corporate matters and business transactions for funds and privately held middle-market companies. Chris serves as outside general counsel for many clients. His transactional practice includes M&A, early stage investments, corporate finance and commercial transactions. Chris has led in excess of 100 M&A transactions during his career. Chris has been a member of the board of directors of many privately held companies throughout his career and he has invested in early-stage and mature businesses.

Mike Brown

Managing Director, F.N.B. Capital Markets
First National Bank

Mike Brown is a Managing Director in the F.N.B. Capital Markets group, leading the Syndications practice for the Commercial & Industrial segment. Mike has over 15 years of capital markets experience focused on the middle market, sponsor finance, asset-based lending and healthcare syndicated finance. Previously, Mike co-founded the Syndicated Finance group at Huntington National Bank. Mike's varied experience also includes public accounting and he served as the CFO of a private equity-owned manufacturing business. Mike has a B.S. in Accounting from Miami University and MBA from The Ohio State University and holds a CPA along with Series 63 and 79 licenses.

Peter Butcher

Partner
McGuireWoods LLP

Peter Butcher is a seasoned corporate finance attorney with McGuireWoods. He primarily helps structure and negotiate debt financing transactions for both financial institutions and borrowers. He represents clients in the energy, manufacturing, trading, retail, distribution, real estate, mining, telecommunications, healthcare and high tech sectors.

Rob Carskadden

Partner
3 Rivers Capital LLC

Rob co-founded 3 Rivers Capital, a lower middle market private equity firm, in 2005. Prior to 3RC, Rob had 12 years of experience in operational finance and process analysis. After graduating from Columbia Business School, Rob continued his career at Ford Motor Company, joining their newly-designed manufacturing finance training program. While at Ford, Rob held numerous positions including line foreman at the Dearborn Stamping Plant, finance manager for the company’s North American Stamping Best Practices Team, and finance manager for the small vehicle transmission program.

Gary Cerrone

CEO
CE Consulting Group

Gary provides over 40 years of executive experience in various industries which include technology, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, healthcare, energy, and education. He has helped companies navigate through complex business situations arising from Chapter 11, restructurings, turnarounds, start-ups and acquisitions while leveraging the competitive advantage of market leading companies. After working for several companies where he has held various executive positions, Gary started his own consulting practice in 2011. It was evident that the opportunities and challenges that companies face across all industries have elements that are essentially the same. By leveraging Gary’s extensive experience, he is able to provide his clients with a variety of “C Level” experience across many disciplines. Without question, the time Gary has spent operating his consulting practice has been the most rewarding time of his career.

Gary has a BS from Duquesne University and is on the board of a few non-profit organizations.

Helena Chaye, Ph.D., J.D.

CEO
KaliVir Immunotherapeutics

Helena has over 24 years of experience in the biotechnology industry having held leadership positions in operations, corporate affairs, business development and IP management primarily in oncolytic virotherapy development. She is currently the CEO of KaliVir, private biotech company located in Pittsburgh dedicated to discovery and development of oncolytic vaccinia viruses.

Prior to KaliVir, Helena served as Chief Business Officer at SillaJen Biotherapeutics, Inc. where she managed all operations including corporate and business development strategies, R&D strategy and intellectual property.

Prior to joining SillaJen, Helena held the positions of VP of Corporate Affairs & IP at Jennerex Biotherapeutics and the Director of Business Development at MediGene. Helena received her B.S. in Biochemistry and her Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of British Columbia and her J.D. from Dalhousie University.

Patrick Colletti

Founder, Net Health
Author, Refounder

Serving as the President of Net Health for over two decades, Colletti and his partners took an organization on the brink of bankruptcy and transformed it, turning it into a thriving healthcare business serving millions of people each year. Net Health solutions are used in over 20,000 facilities, including 98% of the country’s largest healthcare systems. What’s more, their award-winning culture has made them a mainstay on lists ranking the best place to work.

An experienced board director and advisor for angel, VC, and PE-backed organizations, Colletti is a frequent speaker, selective consultant, and redemptive investor. He is also author of the book Refounder: How Transformational Leaders Take What's Broken and Make it Better.

Brian Dandrea

Partner, Business Development
Continuim Equity Partners

Brian is a co-founder and Partner at Continuim Equity Partners, a Private Equity firm in Pittsburgh, PA. Brian leads Continuim’s relationship-based approach to identifying and acquiring successful, family-owned industrial businesses within the region. Brian previously led the business development effort for PNC Mezzanine Capital and served as a Commercial Lender for PNC Bank.

David L. DeLullo Jr.

CEO
Comtec Mfg., Inc.

David L. DeLullo, Jr. is the founder of Comtec Mfg., Inc., a manufacturer of OEM metal components utilizing the conventional powdered (sintered) metal production process. Comtec Mfg., Inc. produced both ferrous and non-ferrous parts serving the global markets of automotive, medical, ordinance, power & hand tool, hardware, outdoor power equipment, fluid & gas, lawn & garden, off road, welding, railway, and agricultural industries.

Ron Donatelli

Pittsburgh Regional President
First National Bank

Ronald is President of the Pittsburgh Region of First National Bank. He is responsible for integrating FNB’s successful cross-functional business model and for developing small business, middle market and corporate banking opportunities in the Company’s headquarters market. Donatelli also oversees FNB's Asset-Based Lending group, which operates across the Company footprint.

Donatelli joined FNB in 2009 to lead its Asset-Based Lending division and has had oversight for various corporate banking groups within the organization, including Syndications and International Banking Services. He has more than 40 years of financial services experience, having held a range of leadership roles with asset-based lending groups at major banks in the Pittsburgh area.

A graduate of LaRoche College, Donatelli is active in the community as board chairman for Bridgeway Capital and chair of the Watson Institute/First National Bank Pro Am golf tournament committee.

Ann Dugan

Founder
University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE)

Ann Dugan founded the first US based entrepreneurial Institute at the University of Pittsburgh when she realized that as a 4th generation member of a family business and as an entrepreneur as well, there was no organization in Western Pa to assist in growth and education of the closely held enterprise. Ann's believed strongly that family and business could thrive with active learning and a solid network of similar companies despite the local lack of interest and understanding of entrepreneurship at the time! This led to a nearly 30 year journey building education, consulting and assistance programs for all stages of the business lifecycle within the IEE.

Preparing for her next chapter, Ann realized how difficult it would to keep the IEE alive unless a successor entrepreneurial leader was found which did occur. Today the IEE continues to thrive and the results over a life time of dedication to the entrepreneurial pathway has resulted in nearly 10,000 employment jobs created, retained and supported, well over 30 million in capital raised for the closely held firm from start-up to generational transition and thousands of business leaders served in a variety of ways. Ann Dugan continues her focus today guiding the entrepreneur and family leader to continued success.

Patrick Dugan

Former CFO
Wabtec Corporation

Pat Dugan is an established finance leader, with over 30 years of experience, at the Board, C-Suite, and Executive Management levels, guiding Diversified Industrial, and Technology companies to growth and success. Having worked with various organizations spanning start-up entities to S&P 500 organizations, he has provided financial leadership, developed effective growth strategies, provided operational integration and support, and created shareholder value.

Recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of Wabtec (NYSE: WAB), Dugan, as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President,has been responsible for all aspects of Investor Relations, Accounting, Tax, Finance, and Information Technology. He was part of an executive team that led the company to expand into global markets and develop new products. Having grown through a combination of organic expansion and M&A, Wabtec has been recognized for having achieved a record string of year-over-year stock price increases, ultimately named a member of the S&P 500.

Today, Pat provides consulting and board advisory services for diversified industrial companies facing rapid expansion and growth, as well as assisting a number of local non-profits.

John Erkert

CFO
IPEG Industrial Group | Piovan North America LLC

John Erkert is responsible for IPEG’s global shared service finance function, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, tax, treasury, and risk management. He also has accountability for brand finance along with the group’s brand presidents for Conair, Thermal Care, Pelletron, and Republic Machine.

Greg Farrell

Partner
Herbein + Company, Inc.

Gregory Farrell, CPA/ABV, CVA joined Herbein + Company, Inc. in 2002 as a Senior Manager and was named Partner in 2008.

His experience includes individual and entity level tax planning and compliance services and client representation before federal, state and local taxing authorities. Greg provides these services to clients working in various industries.

Greg serves as Partner-in-Charge of Herbein’s Western Pennsylvania Business Valuation Practice, specializing in business valuation of closely held entities and litigation support engagements. He has performed valuations for various purposes, including acquisitions, buy/sell agreements, divorce proceedings, estate/gift tax planning and compliance and ESOPs.

Buddy Flerl

Chairman
RDX/Navisite

Buddy is Executive Chairman of RDX, a leading cloud and data infrastructure managed services provider headquartered in Warrendale. RDX started almost 20 years ago as Contemporary Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based Oracle consultancy.  Since Buddy acquired the company in 2010, RDX has become one of the largest IT-services employers in the Pittsburgh region, grown to over 700+ clients worldwide, and generated over $200M in enterprise value.  RDX’s most recent recapitalization was led by Madison Dearborn Capital Partners. Buddy is a founder of 21Ventures, a $300M venture capital fund.  He lives in the North Hills with his wife and three children.

Jeff Ford

Partner - A&A Services Group
Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP

Jeff has focused his career on providing accounting, auditing and consulting services to privately held companies and not-for-profit organizations. His experience includes furnishing compliance services such as audits; providing due diligence and investigation services related to business acquisitions; performing fraud investigations; developing and compiling projected and forecasted financial statements; and evaluating, selecting and implementing information systems for companies.

Rudy Freeman

Principal
Corbel Capital Partners

J. Rudy Freeman serves as a deal lead Principal, chiefly responsible for the firm's legal affairs and focuses on rescue financings and secondary purchases of existing securities, in addition to performing investments into profitable businesses.

Rick Graham

President
Brookville Equipment Corporation

Dan Griffith

Senior Vice President, Director of Wealth Strategy
Huntington

Stephen Gurgovits

Managing Partner
Tecum Capital

Stephen J. Gurgovits, Jr. is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Tecum Capital, a $500+ million private investment firm based in Pittsburgh, PA, which oversees pools of committed capital focused on mezzanine debt, subordinated notes, and private equity, along with a separate strategy via a multi-family office platform for control equity investments. In his current role, Mr. Gurgovits, Jr. is responsible for providing strategic, operational and investment management leadership to the funds, including its overall planning, fund raising, growth and execution of strategy. Mr. Gurgovits, Jr. previously served on the board of directors of Auburn Gear, Uncle Charley’s Sausage, Oberg Industries, Gibraltar Cable Barriers, Western Allegheny Capital and is currently on the board of directors for Primetac and the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG).

Jon Halpern

Co-Founder & President
Pineapple Payments

As co-founder and President of Pineapple Payments, Jon leads the execution of strategic and operational initiatives. Pineapple Payments is a payments technology company that provides business owners with value added tools to seamlessly accept credit card and ACH payments. Prior to Pineapple, Jon co-founded AthleteTrax in 2012 to provide software to sports leagues/facilities to accept payments and manage their businesses. After raising capital and driving the vision, Jon grew AthleteTrax’s customer base nationally and ultimately to its acquisition by Pineapple Payments in 2018. Jon’s passion for entrepreneurship has driven him to spend his free time helping non-profits accelerate and reach sustainability. Jon serves as partner and board member of Social Venture Partners (SVP), a growing network of individuals that link passion and purpose to share skills, time, and resources in support of innovative nonprofits in the Pittsburgh region.

Matt Harnett

Partner
Tecum Capital

Matthew is a founding Partner of Tecum and serves on the firm’s Investment Committee. In this position, he is responsible for leading all aspects of transaction origination, analysis, structuring, underwriting, deal execution and monitoring of subject private equity and mezzanine debt investments.

Prior to co-founding Tecum, Matt served six years at the predecessor organization, F.N.B. Capital Corporation, LLC, where he was Vice President. Matt started his career at Ford Motor Company where he worked for four years. He completed the management program and became Zone Manager of Ford Division’s largest market in the Pittsburgh Region. Matt was responsible for annual franchisee revenues exceeding $300 million and was named Ford’s 2006 Zone Manager of the Year. He was recognized as one of the top-performing Zone Managers nationally for exceptional results in sales and market share growth, market representation actions and franchisee profitability.

Craig Heryford

National Chair Business Transactions Sections
Gordon Rees LP

Craig's practice is concentrated in the area of mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and corporate finance matters as well as the representation of mature and emerging businesses. He has experience in a wide variety of commercial transactions, including numerous corporate finance and venture capital funding transactions involving both equity and debt, as well as merger and acquisition and private equity transactions.

Mr. Heryford regularly represents investors, including private equity and venture based investors, in portfolio investments and acquisition and divestiture transactions. He has also represented fund clients in fund formation work, including the structuring and formation of the funds, negotiation and preparation of investor documents and constituent fund documentation.
Mr. Heryford is the chair of the firm's Business Services Section and Business Transactions Practice Group.

David Jaffe

Member
Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe LLC

David Jaffe is a business transactions lawyer whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, growth capital investments, corporate finance, corporate governance, private placements and distressed company transactions. For more than 20 years, he has counseled middle market businesses, emerging growth companies, public corporations and boards of directors in these transactions and has served as an advisor on general corporate and commercial matters.

Scott Kiger

CEO
SDI Companies

Gary Kustis

Partner
Herbein | Watterson Talent Solutions

Dr. Gary Kustis is a Partner at Herbein Watterson Talent Solutions. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Kustis uses applied psychology to help organizations evaluate individuals for hire or promotion into critical jobs, give feedback to key stakeholders about employee performance, and provide coaching and development services to those who need it.

Josh Lefcowitz

Partner, Valuation & Litigation Support Services
Cohen & Company

While business valuation and intangible asset valuation are highly complex and technical areas, Josh knows clients want an easy-to-understand explanation of his conclusions. He ensures they not only understand what his analysis is, but why.

Josh has over 20 years of public accounting experience providing dispute advisory, forensic accounting and valuation services for a wide array of purposes. In addition to business valuations, he performs valuation services related to intangible assets, purchase price allocations, intellectual property, oil and natural gas rights in Marcellus Shale formation, and goodwill impairment testing. Josh’s experience encompasses serving clients across a range of industry sectors, including healthcare, oil and gas, restaurants, manufacturing, retail, professional services, technology, biotechnology, wholesale and distribution, and advertising.

John Lewis

Founding Member
Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe LLC

John is a Corporate Attorney who has a diverse business practice, and his primary role is interfacing with clients, knowing their businesses, and keeping them out of legal jams. He is on the Executive Committee for Metz Lewis, and is one of the firm’s original members. “The firm is a critical part of my life,” John says. “I want to see it do well, see it get better every day.”

Mike Livanos

Managing Director
Stellex Capital Management

Bassem Mansour

Co-CEO
Resilience Capital Partners

In 2001, Bassem Mansour co-founded Resilience Capital Partners. He is involved in all aspects of overseeing the firm’s operations, including investment decisions, portfolio company oversight, and investor relations. Since 1994, he has been involved in principal investing, leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, Chapter 11 reorganizations, and out-of-court restructurings.

Prior to founding Resilience, he was an investment banker with KeyBanc Capital Markets (formerly McDonald Investments). He is a member of the Cleveland Chapter of Young Presidents Organization as well as several professional organizations.

Bassem serves on the board of directors for numerous Resilience portfolio companies. In addition, he formerly served on the boards of the Hathaway Brown School, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, the Visiting Committee of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

James Marra

Director of Business Development
Blue Point Capital Partners

Bob McCormack

Managing Partner
Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors

Bob is Managing Partner and Founding Partner of Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors, a boutique investment banking and corporate advisory firm in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. McCormack has more than 32 years of financial services experience, and focuses on providing advisory services related to business sales, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, business valuations, debt and equity financing, and select turnaround projects. He formed Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors in 2005. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Bancorp, Inc., a $1 billion financial services holding company with bank branches and affiliates located throughout central Pennsylvania.

Al Melchiorre

President
MelCap Partners, LLC

Al Melchiorre is President and founder of MelCap Partners, a middle market investment banking firm that he founded over 23 years ago, Over the past few years, MelCap has been recognized as boutique investment banking firm of the year multiple times by The M&A Advisor. MelCap's clients are predominately privately-held, family owned businesses going through a once in a life-time transaction.

Mark J. Nesselroad

COO & Chief Legal Officer
Glenmark Holding LLC

Mark J. Nesselroad is responsible for planning and supervising the day-to-day operational aspects of Glenmark Holding Limited Liability Company, in addition to shaping and executing the company’s strategic plans as an owner of Glenmark. As Chief Legal Officer, Mr. Nesselroad’s responsibilities include oversight of the company’s affairs, contract analysis/negotiating/drafting, and liaison with the company’s outside counsel. Also, he is the broker for, and co-owner of, Black Diamond Realty LLC, Glenmark’s affiliated commercial real estate brokerage firm.

With Glenmark, Mark is also integrally involved with project development, design, construction, marketing, leasing, and overall business and financial planning. Prior to Glenmark, Mr. Nesselroad was an associate lawyer for over three years within the business department at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, a prominent Mid-Atlantic law firm, where he focused his practice in the areas of real estate, commercial transactions, and business organizations.

David Nicholson

Vice Chairman
Polyconcept North America

David Nicholson currently serves as Vice Chairman of Polyconcept, the largest and most recognized supplier of promotional products and branded merchandise in the world. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he was responsible for growing Leed’s and ultimately Polyconcept North America (PCNA) from a small, regional business to a multi-national company with revenues of $750+ million and over 2,000 employees. David served as PCNA’s Chief Operations Officer from 2000 through 2002 and most recently as its President from 2003 through 2021. 

Throughout his career, David has initiated numerous strategic expansion efforts that were integral components of PCNA’s rapid and successful growth. He was responsible for leading multiple acquisitions within the industry broadening PCNA’s product and brand portfolio. He was also the chief architect of PCNA’s integration strategy which delivered a cohesive go-to-market approach for the company’s operations and customers. David’s background also includes extensive international experience, both within Europe and Asia, with specific expertise in global supply chains, product sourcing and distribution.

David was a key member of the executive team that completed 3 successful private equity transactions for the company during his tenure. Most recently, he was the lead for the company’s sale to Charlesbank Capital Partners from Investcorp in 2016. 

David graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT with a BA in International Politics. He currently serves as board director for several mid-market companies and remains active in supporting the local community through work on non-profit boards.

Jim Nickel

Pennsylvania Region Head, Regional Commercial Banking
CIBC Bank USA

Jim is a native of western Pennsylvania and is Managing Director and Pennsylvania Region Head CIBC Bank USA. Over his 30-year banking career, Jim has focused on providing relationship-driven commercial banking services to middle market companies. He joined The PrivateBank & Trust Company (acquired by CIBC June 2017) in September 2014 to spearhead the founding of a Pittsburgh office. Prior to that, he was with TriState Capital Bank and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. He began his career with PNC in Pittsburgh. Jim has a finance degree from Bucknell University and a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He serves as Treasurer of the Board of Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania, is a member of the board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and is President of the school board of directors at Seneca Valley School District. Jim has been married for 29 years and has two sons, ages 25 and 21.

Joe Palmieri

Partner & Managing Director
Waldron Private Wealth

Joe is Waldron’s Family Office Services Managing Director, leading our organization in providing services that traditionally fall out of the realm of planning and investments.

For more than 15 years, Joe has been helping entrepreneurs and their families simplify their financial lives. After graduating from the University of Delaware, he earned a master’s degree from Duquesne University. Prior to joining the Waldron team, he served as VP and Investment Officer at PNC Wealth Management and Portfolio Manager at JKMilne Asset Management. Joe passed the CFA® exam in 2015 and is a certified financial analyst charter holder.

At Waldron, Joe specializes in family office services and enjoys building long-term relationships with clients through providing solutions and simplifying lives. Outside the office, he enjoys running, skiing, and fishing. He resides in Mount Lebanon, PA with his wife and three children.

Christopher Pelletier

Managing Director
Citizens

Chris is a senior member of Citizens’ Global Markets division, leading a team specialized in interest rate risk management. The team offers consultative guidance to business owners and C-Suite executives: identifying interest rate exposures, quantifying the potential financial impact, and offering solutions that mitigate balance sheet exposure to the ever-changing interest rate market. Chris joined Citizens in 2005 and has been with Global Markets since 2009.

George Pilafas

Managing Partner
Continuim Equity Partners

George Pilafas is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Continuim Equity Partners. George has spent his entire career investing in and advising industrial businesses. Previously, George was a Vice President at PNC Mezzanine Capital and was an investment banker at Stephens in New York. As a Pittsburgh native, George is focused on investing in the Region and building world class businesses.

Rocky Pontikes

Managing Director of Investment Banking
Mesirow Financial

Rocky is a managing director in Mesirow Financial’s Investment Banking group. He is responsible for developing key relationships, leading deal teams throughout the transaction process and providing advisory services on middle-market M&A assignments within the distribution & supply chain and industrials sectors.Rocky has more than 20 years of investment banking experience. Prior to joining Mesirow Financial in June 2001, he was an investment banker in the global investment banking division at Merrill Lynch & Co., providing corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and public and private capital advisory services to middle-market and growth-oriented companies. Rocky has played an integral role in many notable M&A and capital markets transactions across numerous industries with aggregate transaction value of over $10 billion. He has led several industry award-winning and notable transactions in recent years.In 2012, Rocky was named a winner of The M&A Advisor 40 Under 40 Awards for the central region. Rocky is an active member of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Association for Corporate Growth and Turnaround Management Association.Rocky earned a BS from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 licenses.Rocky has four sons, is happily married to his wife Jen, and is an avid golfer and paddle player.

Yogesh Punjabi

Senior Director
Capstone Partners

Yogesh is a Senior Director on Capstone Partners’ Consumer Investment Banking Team and brings investment banking experience across mergers & acquisitions, financial advisory, and capital raising for private and public companies, with a specific focus on the Automotive Aftermarket industry.

Prior to joining Capstone, Yogesh was a Senior Vice President at Jefferies focused on transactions in the Automotive Aftermarket industry including advising automotive parts manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, retailers, and service providers.

Prior to Jefferies, Yogesh was with BB&T Capital Markets where he worked with clients in the Retail & Consumer, Automotive Aftermarket, and Food & Beverage sectors, and with Financo where he focused on Retail & Consumer clients.

Yogesh began his financial career in Alternative Investments at Bank of America Merrill Lynch after graduating from Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business.

Sanjiv Singh

CEO
Near Earth Autonomy

Dr. Sanjiv Singh is an innovator, educator, and entrepreneur. He is currently a Consulting Professor at the Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, and the CEO of Near Earth Autonomy, a start-up that develops autonomy for next-generation aircraft that will inspect infrastructure, deliver cargo, and transport people. He is the founding editor of Field Robotics, an open access journal, a TEDx speaker, and a co-founder of four companies.

Jim Tates

President & CEO
United Gilsonite Laboratories (UGL)

Jim Tates is President and Chief Executive Officer of United Gilsonite Laboratories (UGL). Founded in 1932 as a family business, UGL has over 90 years of experience as a specialty paint and coatings manufacturer providing quality products for the Pro and Do-It-Yourself markets. He joined UGL in 2016. Previously, he held transformational leadership roles with a variety of consumer driven businesses ranging from private equity backed start-ups to industry leading global CPG companies.

Andrew Vollmer

Managing Director
BellMark Partners, LLC

Andy is Managing Director and Co-CEO of Bellmark Partners, LLC, and head of the firm’s Cleveland office. Andy has 30 years of investment banking experience, having personally completed well over 100 M&A, special committee, and board advisory assignments. Previously, he was with KeyBanc Capital Markets, where he was head of the sponsor coverage, consumer & retail, and M&A investment banking groups.

Bob Whalen

President & CEO
HB Global, LLC

Bob Whalen is the President and CEO of HB Global, LLC. Headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. HB Global is the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) holding company that provides direction and support for nine leading mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contracting companies throughout the United States.

Bob’s personal mission is to change lives through employee ownership, which empowers employees and gives them a stake in the wealth that is created by the entire team through organic growth and acquisitions. His employee-centric vision has created a strong organizational culture propelling HB Global’s year-after-year success.

Bob earned his BS in Agricultural Economics and MBA from Cornell University and holds an MS in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. He serves on the board of directors at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Hospital and Morefield Communications and encourages his employee owners to also serve and support the local communities in which they live.

Evan Weinstein

Partner
Incline Equity Partners

Evan Weinstein, Partner, joined Incline October 2018. He is responsible for all aspects of investment management including sourcing and executing new investments as well as managing the portfolio.

Previously, Evan was a Principal at PAI Partners, a Pan-European private equity firm. Before joining PAI in 2016, Evan spent ten years at CI Capital Partners where he executed transactions across the distribution, business services, specialized manufacturing, and consumer products sectors. Evan began his career at Lehman Brothers working in its Investment Banking Division.

Evan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Longwood University.

Evan serves as a director of ASP Global, Revival Animal Health, The Mad Rose Group, Edko, Road Tested Parts, Perfect Power Wash, Certified Collision Group, Industrial Air Flow Dynamics and NovaVision.

Annie Westbrook

Managing Director
CIBC Bank USA

Annie is currently a Managing Director at CIBC Bank USA headquartered in Chicago (global HQ in Toronto) focused on middle market commercial lending and banking. As a relationship manager, Annie provides senior debt and related banking services to middle market companies (directly and via private equity investments). Companies (prospects and clients) generate $20 million to $2 billion in annual revenue and require senior debt in the $10 million to $125 million range. Annie firmly believes understanding the operations, management team and culture of a business are paramount when developing an appropriate financing package and long-term banking relationship.

Prior to this position, Annie was a corporate lender for TriState Capital Bank. She also worked for The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, PNC Bank and was a mathematics teacher and coach at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, GA.

Annie serves on the board of The Neighborhood Academy, Foxwall EMS and the Pittsburgh Chapter of INFORMS. 

Kevin Wills

Attorney at Law
Babst Calland

Kevin is a shareholder in the Corporate and Commercial, Energy and Natural Resources, and Emerging Technologies groups of Babst Calland. Mr. Wills’ practice includes representing business clients in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts, real estate agreements, commercial leases and software development and licensing agreements; advising clients on business planning and structuring matters; advising clients seeking certification as disadvantaged business enterprises; and advising clients involved in contract disputes.