2024 ACG Charlotte M&A Panel: M&A 360

Panelist Rob Frear is the CFO at QAS, the second largest and fastest growing Valvoline Instant Oil Change franchisee operating 168 stores across 13 states.  Prior to QAS, Rob held Head of Finance positions for two subsidiary businesses of Lowe’s Companies including Lowe’s Pro Supply (fmr Maintenance Supply Headquarters) and Alacrity Services.  Rob has retail finance experience from Lowe’s and Target where he partnered with merchants, marketing, operations, supply chain, and enterprise strategy.  Over his career he has also consulted consumer, manufacturing, and retail clients through Deloitte and IBM Global Business Services.  Rob holds a BS in Engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from UNC Kenan Flagler Business School.

Panelist Brandon Moores rejoined Carousel Capital in 2021 after earning his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.  Mr. Moores worked at Carousel for four years on a variety of partnerships prior to pursuing graduate school. Brandon’s current portfolio company responsibilities include O.R. Colan Associates, McCorquodale Transfer and Palmetto Infusion Services. Mr. Moores received a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia and worked at Deloitte Corporate Finance where he focused on mergers and acquisitions prior to originally joining the firm.

Panelist Chris Wells joined Carousel Capital in 2019.  Prior to joining Carousel, Mr. Wells worked in private equity at Saw Mill Capital and in investment banking for Edgeview Partners. Mr. Wells’ current portfolio company responsibilities include Quality Automotive Services, Ethos, Landscape Workshop, and Expedited Travel. Mr. Wells received a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from Washington & Lee University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Moderator Stacey Zeller leads the Charlotte M&A Transaction Advisory Services practice and has over twelve years of public accounting experience, including transaction advisory and audit services with Private Equity and Corporate clients. Stacey has worked on over 100 transactions, ranging from $5 million to over $1 billion in enterprise value.​​ Stacey has experience performing buy-side, sell-side and carve-out diligence procedures across several sectors including software licensing, software-as-a-service, consumer products, and business and professional services, among others.