19th Independent Sponsors Summit

Claudine Cohen leads a dynamic team specializing in transaction advisory, valuation, restructuring, project finance, dispute resolution, performance improvement, merger integration, carve-outs, M&A insurance advisory, and sustainability advisory. With a keen eye for identifying opportunities and navigating challenges, Claudine helps her clients achieve optimal outcomes, safeguarding and enhancing stakeholder value throughout their business lifecycle.

Paul Marino is a partner in the Financial Services and Corporate Groups. Paul focuses his practice in matters concerning financial services, corporate law and corporate finance. Paul provides counsel in the areas of private equity funds and mergers and acquisitions for private equity firms and public and private companies and private equity fund and hedge fund formation.

Paul works on a variety of M&A transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, divestitures of business divisions, going-private transactions, and other strategic acquisitions and dispositions, in the following industries: manufacturing, telecommunications, consumer products, hospitality, healthcare, and technology, among others. His practice also includes joint ventures and general company representation matters.

Paul has represented national and multinational corporations, ranging from telecoms to tech companies, as well as real estate syndication and financial investors and investment advisors. He has also negotiated and structured a number of U.S. domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.

Prior to Headway Capital, Katherine worked in the private equity division of a U.S. non-profit as well as at a U.S. healthcare focused buyout fund.

Katherine previously spent a decade at JPMorganChase as a Portfolio Manager in the J.P. Morgan Private Equity Group in New York. Katherine also held roles at the firm in Corporate Strategy and Product Management.

Katherine received a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School where she was a Private Equity Fellow. Katherine received a Master of Science with high honors in Governance from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in Government from Georgetown University.

Founded the Tamarix Group in 1993. Over 30 years experience in private equity, private credit, asset management and investment banking. Previously Senior Managing Director of OFS Capital Management, Global Head of Private Equity at Sandell Asset Management and Managing Director at FdG Associates. Served on numerous private and public boards of directors and philanthropic organizations. Member of the Economic Club of NY and YPO/WPO. Master of Laws from London School of Economics and Bachelor of Economics and Laws from Sydney University.

Nate Niehuus is a serial entrepreneur who specializes in acquisition and disposition of levered assets. He has advised across the Lower Middle Market on businesses and the commercial real estate they occupy. 

He currently runs OutSearched as a buyside advisor and dealflow provider, specializing in proprietary pipeline building. 

Chad brings two decades of experience investing in private and public businesses. Prior to founding Black Lake, he was at leading private equity firms HIG Capital and AEA Investors, which manage $37B and $15B, respectively, and began his career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company. He earned an MBA with Honors from the Wharton School and a BS in Chemical Engineering with Distinction from the University of Wisconsin.

Mr. Geisel has a diverse financial services background, including leadership experience growing regional banks for more than twenty years. He was President of Corporate Banking, at Webster Bank (formally known as Sterling National Bank). Prior to Sterling National Bank, Mr. Geisel was President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Sun Bancorp. Prior to Sun Bancorp, Mr. Geisel was at KeyCorp, including serving as President of the Northeast Region where he was responsible for $20 billion of assets within seven states, including commercial, consumer and private banking. He also helped to build the company’s general M&A investment banking practice in the East and West regions. Most recently, he was recruited to lead a turnaround of Republic First, which culminated in an assisted transaction.

Neel is an experienced investor, operator, and advisor. Prior to NB Group, he was a member of the investment team at Berkshire Partners, a corporate development manager at The New York Times, a co-founder of Foodpanda India, and a management consultant at Bain & Company. He is also the founder of NB Advisory, an advisory and consulting firm working with growth stage businesses on corporate development, strategy, and finance.

At Berkshire Partners, a growth-oriented private equity fund with $15+ billion in assets under management, Neel evaluated new investments in the Tech/Telecom and Consumer/Multi-Unit industries. He also worked closely with the teams of several portfolio companies including retailers Aritzia and Party City, where he was a Board Observer. At the New York Times, Neel evaluated investments in ad technology, business intelligence, and mobile. At Bain, Neel advised clients across industries and worked with several leading private equity funds on strategic diligence.

Neel is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Business School. He lives in New York City with his wife and two kids.

Nichol Chiarella is a partner and Citrin Cooperman's Mergers and Acquisitions Tax Practice Leader, with over two decades of experience in public accounting. She provides high level tax planning and consulting services related to buy-side, sell-side, and restructuring transactions involving private equity firms, closely-held businesses, business owners, and high net worth individuals within the technology, manufacturing and distribution, wholesale, retail, cannabis, healthcare, real estate, staffing, and professional services industries.

Nichol handles transaction tax matters for private equity funds, independent sponsors, limited liability companies (LLCs), domestic partnerships, corporations, and S corporations. She specializes in buy-side and sell-side tax advisory, including tax due diligence, pre-transaction planning, tax structuring, and modeling, and post-transaction compliance support. She also handles mergers, divestitures, and restructuring matters, in addition to helping privately-held business owners transition to related parties.

Nichol also leads the firm’s global diversity, equity, and inclusion mission, branded as CC EDGE (Empowering Diversity and Gender Equality). In this role, she interfaces regularly with all CC EDGE leads in each of our metro geographies in the United States and in India.

Nichol's specialized tax knowledge and network of professional contacts allows her to act as a resource not only for her clients, but for other professionals seeking solutions for their clients and customers.

Megan Brobson is a vice president at Borgman Capital. She joined the firm in 2019 as an analyst. Prior to working at Borgman Capital, she spent six years working in client finance at subsidiaries of two global, public companies – WPP PLC and Publicis Group S.A. Megan focused primarily on forecasting and financial analysis, driving growth and profitability across her client businesses and improving internal agency wide operational processes.

Conner McGee is a Managing Director and Financial Advisor with The McGee and Ennis Group at Morgan Stanley – a 9-person team that provides a world-class wealth management experience to private equity principals and their family office investors, helping them build financial legacies that empower future generations. By orchestrating a full suite of customized strategies, Conner helps private equity principals and family offices navigate critical financial decisions they face. Conner and his team specialize in employing strategies to optimally manage liquidity associated with capital commitments; providing solutions to reduce tax burden of future capital gains on portfolio company monetization, carried interest, and related income events; and implementing generational wealth transfer plans.

 Conner attended high school at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH and graduated from Dartmouth College. Conner has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) and Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) designations.  Born and raised in Vermont, Conner now lives in New Canaan, CT with his wife and four children.

Leah Beitner counsels clients on tax-efficient solutions in the context of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and business operations. She focuses her practice on federal income tax aspects of corporate and partnership transactions, representing private equity funds, institutional investors, and public and private corporations. She has broad experience navigating complex tax laws to maximize tax efficiencies and enhance deal outcomes for clients. Leah guides clients, enabling them to make informed business decisions based on a clear understanding of tax implications. Collaborative, creative and proactive, Leah provides clients with pragmatic tax solutions that help their businesses thrive.

At Black Granite Capital, Mr. Kroloff leads the firm's growth equity stage investing in healthcare and technology, with a focus on software for the healthcare sector. Prior to founding Black Granite Capital, Mr. Kroloff invested in healthcare companies at NGN Capital for 11 years, with a focus on medical devices and diagnostics. Prior to NGN Capital, Mr. Kroloff served as an executive officer at i-STAT Corp., a publicly-traded medical device and diagnostics company where he was Vice President for International Sales & Marketing and Corporate Development. He led the creation of global alliances with Abbott Laboratories and Hewlett-Packard Medical Products Group and created i-STAT’s international distribution network. He was actively involved in the sale of i-STAT to Abbott for approximately $450 million. Prior to i-STAT, Mr. Kroloff was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Co. where he advised leading pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and tech companies on R&D management, portfolio strategy, and alliance formation. Mr. Kroloff also worked in international business development at Merck & Co.

Mr. Kroloff received his BA in general science from Brandeis University and his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management where he was a co-founder and served as a judge of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition--one of the largest such competitions in the world. Mr. Kroloff is currently or was previously a board member or board observer of Valtech Cardio, Cerapedics, OptiScan Biomedical, Hospital IQ, TigerConnect, Bluesight (Kit Check), IntelyCare, Jump Technologies, and Z Software. He is a member of the board of the American Technion Society-NY and has served as an advisor to the NYC Economic Development Corporation’s healthcare initiative and as a member of McKinsey's alumni advisory council.

Azhar is a successful entrepreneur, operator and investor with over 20 years of experience investing and building businesses. Azhar has a track record of success in private equity and special situations investing and his experience spans the gamut from sourcing, transaction execution, value creation and exit. Prior to founding Queens Court, Azhar worked at firms such as Advent Capital, Perry Capital, Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. Throughout his career Azhar has been a successful private markets investor across a variety of industries. Azhar served as Chairman of the HairCuttery Family of Brands, VCG Holdings, and is currently the Chairman of Pet Resort Hospitality Group. Azhar was also part of the founding team of Convene, an Inc 500 real estate services business.

Azhar is a graduate of Columbia University where he received a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics as well as Columbia Business School where he received his M.B.A.

Since beginning his career in 2008 during the global financial crisis, Mr. Vasilchikov has advised companies and investors through multiple market cycles, raising over $300 million of equity and debt capital on behalf of private companies and investment funds across industries including aerospace & defense, consumer goods, food & beverage, manufacturing, technology, and sports. He is an Ambassador for TIGER21 and also serves as an Advisor to Sportsology Capital Partners and Una Equity Partners.

Mr. Vasilchikov holds a BS in Economics and Finance with a minor in Computer Science from St. Francis College. A former Division I water polo athlete, he represented the New York Athletic Club in national and international competitions.

Mark Sinatra is the CEO of Aspen HR, where he leads the strategic direction and growth of the company. Prior to Aspen HR, Mark was CEO of Staff One HR, where he led the company through a period of substantial growth highlighted by achieving the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for four years in a row, and culminating in Staff One HR’s sale to its largest privately-held competitor, Oasis Outsourcing, in December 2017. Mark oversaw the Western half of the country for Oasis Outsourcing until its sale to Paychex for $1.3bn in December 2018. Prior to his leadership experience in the HR industry, Mark worked as a consultant and investment banker.

Actively involved in his community and industry, Mark has served as a Board director for NAPEO and ESAC and two non-profit organizations. He is also an active member of Young Presidents’ Association.

Mark is an MBA graduate of the Wharton School of Business and holds a BA in Economics from Fordham University. He has earned the SHRM-CP designation, is a Certified Predictive Index analyst, and is a graduate of the Stagen Integral

Grant is a seasoned investment professional with years of both deal and operating experience. Over the last few years, Grant has honed his operating skills by founding several innovative companies such as MoneyToGo, HelpMeToBuy and Vuru. Grant’s leadership and these companies have been profiled in numerous national media outlets including an appearance on CNBC’s The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. Grant was also Director of Business Development at Isadra, an enterprise software company that was acquired by VerticalNet (NASDAQ: VERT).

Prior to rolling up his sleeves and running companies, Grant spent years investing in operating companies and real estate. He was the Florida Development Partner for The Lane Company, one of the largest multifamily development companies in the U.S. In that role, Grant focused on acquiring and developing apartments and condos that ranged from $15 million to $50 million in project size. Grant began his career as an associate at Sterling Partners, a private equity firm with over $4 billion under management. At Sterling, Grant structured investments in numerous companies and spent considerable time advising senior management teams on their growth and capitalization strategies.

Grant has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance from Georgetown University.

Doug Foley specializes in creative financing solutions for acquiring and growing businesses. As Chief Marketing Officer at COTE Capital, Doug was instrumental in developing the “IP Capital” model, revolutionizing how companies leverage intellectual property for growth. An international best-selling author and TEDx speaker, Doug's expertise spans marketing, financing, and scaling businesses, enabling him to craft innovative strategies that drive sustainable growth and unlock potential for high-growth companies and their investors.

With over 20+ years of experience, Ronelle is a seasoned transactional attorney who focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, joint ventures, and general corporate representation. She counsels and advises private equity funds, independent sponsors, venture funds, private and public companies on complex business transactions in a variety of industries, including industrial technology, sports, and energy.

Ronelle collaborates with her clients to understand their strategic and financial priorities beyond any particular transaction and works closely with them to ensure that their identified objectives are continuously considered not only in larger strategic matters but also in day-to-day business decisions.

In addition to her corporate practice, Ronelle is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. She is also a past co-chair of Loeb & Loeb’s New York Women’s LEAD Network.

Mike Burke is the Founder & Managing Partner of Sky Peak Capital. He has nearly two decades of fundamental investing experience, having invested professionally at several multi-billion-dollar investment managers, on behalf of institutions, pensions, & endowments. Throughout his career, Mike has invested in companies that require a deep understanding of fundamentals and operational complexities, positioning him well to identify opportunities and drive value in the lower middle market. Mike graduated magna cum laude from Boston University’s School of Management and currently lives in Greater Boston with his wife and daughters.

Peter brings over 25 years of private capital markets experience to Aviara Partners as Managing Partner.  Aviara Partners provides customized, proven advisory and tailored capital raising for independent sponsors, specializing in flexible capital solutions—spanning common equity, preferred equity, and debt structures— a collaborative approach that optimizes marketing and enhances positioning to achieve optimal results for clients.  Previously, Peter served as the Global Head of Private Capital Advisory at Stifel | Eaton Partners, among other leadership roles.  And prior to Eaton Partners, Peter was a Managing Director at Macquarie Funds Management where he led and implemented a global direct investment fund of funds strategy.

Peter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a BS in Oceanography, earned an MBA from Yale University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College.

Case Study Capital Partners is a private equity firm that combines the discipline of seasoned investors with the mindset of proven operators. The team has over 25 years of investing, capital markets and operating experience and seeks to be the partner of choice for family and founder-owned businesses. Our mission is to acquire, build, and enhance closely held businesses into enduring, high-performing companies while honoring their legacy and embracing the future.

Matt Harnett is a founding Partner of Tecum Capital Partners (“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, monitoring, and exiting of subject private equity and mezzanine debt investments.

As the deal team lead, Matt has closed and managed the full life cycle of over 100 unique mezzanine debt and private equity transactions. He has been with the same investment partners for the past 18 years, where the team has invested over $1 billion across multiple funds. His focus is on companies with $10-100 million of revenue and $3-10 million of EBITDA, primarily in the business-to-business services, manufacturing, and value-added distribution markets. Matt and his partners recently launched their 4^th Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”), a $350 million committed fund focused on supporting best-in-class sponsors, management teams and operators.

Matt currently serves as a Board Member of Aging with Comfort, BP Business Solutions, Connecticut Electric, Conco Services, Midwest Equipment Sales, National Power and Blackwood Solutions. He also serves as a Board Observer for The Marwin Company, Inc., Gilman Cheese, Long Island Waste Management, CM Industries, Five Point Dental Specialists, CDE Services, Hainesport Transportation, The Lewis Group, DelGrosso Foods, Arrow Waste and 5280 Waste Solutions.

This extensive investment experience has provided him with significant expertise in sourcing and structuring transactions, growing companies, and executing & negotiating successful exits.

In addition, Matt is an active member of the Small Business Investor Association (“SBIA”) and is on the SBIA Independent sponsor committee and has served on the Midwest conference committee. He is a member of the Association of Corporate Growth (“ACG”) and serves on the Board for the Pittsburgh Chapter.

Ankit joined Clarendon in 2024 as a Vice President. In this role, Ankit is focused on origination, due diligence, deal execution and portfolio company value creation initiatives across the Transportation, Logistics and Distribution sectors.

Prior to joining Clarendon, Ankit was at ACON Investments and The Carlyle Group where he focused on deal evaluation and execution as well as portfolio company management across a variety of different industries. Ankit has served on the board of a hardware distribution business and has evaluated several opportunities in the broader Distribution sector.

Ankit began his career at Raymond James as an investment banker, where he provided financial advisory services on mergers and acquisitions to corporate and institutional clients.

Ankit received an MBA from The Wharton School. He received a BS in Economics and a BA in Sciences, summa cum laude, in Finance from The Wharton School and in Computer Science from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, respectively, at The University of Pennsylvania. Ankit serves on the board of The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, which restores the lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.