On March 23, the M&A community, including regional corporate transaction professionals, business owners and company executives, came together at the Opalka Gallery in Albany for Upstate Capital’s debut M&A Advisor Series.
Knowledgeable professionals and executives spoke about the fundamentals of business valuation, the M&A process, and personal experiences both making acquisitions and selling companies. Invited founders and executives joined a roundtable discussion for a closed-door session to make connections with each other.
This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors, including Mike Lasch with Pine Street Capital Partners, Maurice Tessier with UBS, Cory Martin with Schwartz Heslin, Chuck Haviland with Whiteman, Osterman and Hanna, and Matt Scarchilli with Sandler Training.
With his sponsorship, Maurice offered copies of a new book that was sponsored by UBS called Exit Right. You can buy the book online for $24, or request a copy from Maurice. UBS also offered a free simple business valuation through one of their partners, Biz Equity. If you did not have the opportunity to complete your valuation connect with Maurice for more information.
Matt Scarchilli from Sandler Training moderated a conversation around business valuation and the fundamentals of M&A transactions. Matt built and sold a software company prior to acquiring Sandler Training in the Capital Region, therefore has M&A experience both as the buyer and seller. Sandler offers sales training for staff and leadership development for executives, among other services, in support of growing companies. He was joined by Cory Martin, a valuation professional and Managing Director at Schwartz Heslin Group, Maurice Tessier, a Wealth Management Professional with UBS, and Chuck Haviland, an experienced M&A Attorney with Whiteman Osterman and Hanna.
Finally, Mike Lasch led the keynote conversation. Mike is Managing Partner at Pine Street Capital Partners, a private debt and equity investment organization based in Albany and metro Boston. He has served on the board of directors at Upstate Capital since 2010, and is the chair of this event.
The keynote conversation included Ed Mitzen, Founder, and Bill McEllen, Global President, of Fingerpaint. Ed and his team at Fingerpaint acquired several companies, levering private equity for support, to grow the company strategically. The M&A strategy was successful in attracting an acquirer for Fingerpaint in 2021. Ed and Bill talked about building the company and their lessons learned, with a particular focus on how to approach acquisitions and to getting acquired.
Our next M&A Advisor Series will take place in Rochester. Check back for details!
Click here to see the event pictures.