Speakers

Augustine (Gus) Faucher is senior vice president and chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group, serving as the principal spokesperson on all economic issues for PNC.

Prior to joining PNC as senior macroeconomist in December 2011, Faucher worked for 10 years at Moody’s Analytics (formerly Economy.com), where he was a director and senior economist. He was responsible for running the firm’s computer model of the U.S. economy, edited a monthly publication on the U.S. economic outlook, covered fiscal and monetary policy, and analyzed various regional economies. Previously, he worked for six years at the U.S. Treasury Department, and taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. He was named senior vice president in March 2015, deputy chief economist in February 2016, and to his current role in April 2017.

Faucher is frequently cited in international, national, and regional media outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He has appeared on ABC World News, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News and Nightly Business Report, and is regularly featured on CNBC, CNN and Fox Business. In addition, he appears regularly on CBS Radio, NPR and Marketplace.

He serves on the board of directors of The Economic Club of Pittsburgh - the local chapter of National Association of Business Economics (NABE). He is also co-chair of the Financial Roundtable of NABE.

Faucher earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, with concentrations in labor economics and public economics. He also has a B. A. in economics from Cornell University.

Hani has 20+ years of operational improvement, corporate advisory and merger and acquisition experience and has assisted both corporate and private equity clients throughout the deal and non-deal cycle. Hani supports and leads supply chain related pre-acquisition due diligence, post-acquisition or pre-exit value creation and transformation to ongoing performance improvement initiatives. Hani is aligned to Supply Chain Vertical solution area, addressing clients needs across all major supply chain processes including: end-to-end supply chain strategy and transformation, strategic sourcing / procurement execution, integrated demand and supply planning,, manufacturing and logistics (distribution and transportation).

Hani has extensive industry experience in technology, media & entertainment, telecom, consumer products, retail / franchise operations, manufacturing and distribution industriesWrite a brief description of your skills, focusing on areas of experience and expertise.

As president at Arch Channel Retail, John Beering is responsible for all sales and operations of nation’s second largest retail provider of wheelchair accessible vans and SUVs – serving the disabled community with wheelchair accessible minivans, full-size vans with lifts and commercial fleet vehicles. Thousands of individuals and business clients are impacted by the products and services provided.  Arch currently operates an expanding footprint of 49 locations across 4 brands and 15 states.

Beering brings more than 28 years of experience and expertise in leading, growing, and improving business operations across a wide variety of businesses and industries globally.  Beering has served as chief operating officer for Trojan Battery LLC, senior vice president and general manager of commercial powertrain with Eaton Corp.  He also has served in multiple sales and marketing positions at Eaton, Pratt & Whitney, and in engineering and product management roles with Carrier Corp.

Beering currently serves in a variety of non-profit board roles

• Board Member, Purdue University Industrial Engineering Advisory Council
• Board Member, For the Children | Royal Family Kids
• Vice President & Board Member, Purdue Acacia Building Association
• Emeritus Board Member, Acacia Fraternity Foundation
• Member, VISTAGE, Worldwide Business Advisory and Peer Executive Coaching Network
• Member, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG)

Beering earned a Master of Science degree in management, from the Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.  He currently resides in Chesterfield, MO with his wife of 28 years, Heather.  Together they have two children, Andrew (21) in his fourth year in engineering at Purdue University, and Catherine (17), a senior in high school.

Sasha Bernier is a Senior Vice-President and Investment Committee member of Cheltenham Investments, a single family office focused on investing in both debt and equity primarily in real estate opportunities and lower middle market companies. 

Mr. Bernier formerly served as a Vice President of Revere Capital, a real estate debt fund with the responsibility for underwriting and structuring new investment opportunities in the real estate debt space.
Sasha Bernier has also worked at investment funds GSC Group, a credit focused hedge fund, and Barrington Capital, a debt and equity event driven hedge fund.

Mr. Bernier graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Business Administration and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
 

Elizabeth is Head of Entrepreneur & Family Office (“EFO”) Partnerships for RedBird.  In this role, she works with families and business founders to create bespoke relationships across transaction sourcing, company building and co-investments. Prior to joining RedBird in 2019, Elizabeth was a senior member of the investment team and helped oversee external relationships for DNS Capital, a prominent Midwest family office.  As part of her responsibilities, she served as a board member or observer in six portfolio companies across the fintech, consumer retail, specialty ingredients and hospitality sectors. Prior to joining DNS Capital, Elizabeth was an Associate in Goldman Sachs’ investment management division in Chicago, with previous experience advising on M&A and private equity transactions for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in Beijing.

Elizabeth received her M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.A. from McGill University with Great Distinction.  Elizabeth resides in Chicago with her daughter, where she is a member of the Midwest Steering Committee for the Women’s Association of Venture & Equity (WAVE); PEWIN; and the Economic Club of Chicago.
 

Clint Bucholz has led GLE Precision, a cutting-edge precision machining company, for 11 years.  He has 28 years of manufacturing experience, ranging from assembly and distribution to high precision manufacturing for industries such as medical, automotive, aerospace, and semiconductor.  In July 2015, Clint led GLE Precision through the ownership transition from Bosch to a private investor group, led by Colfax Creek Capital.

Since 2015, Clint has increased the capabilities and industry end-markets for GLE Precision.  This includes investing and developing leading technology to reduce costs and to expand its machining capabilities.  Also, he has developed a proactive sales and marketing function to diversify the customer base with new fiber optic, aerospace/defense, and medical device customers.

Clint worked at SPX Corporation early in his career, starting with high volume machining and assembly operations supporting tools and diagnostic manufacturing for the automotive industry.  Later, he moved into distribution at SPX and led the business in developing distribution structures and techniques for its North American operations while facilitating supply chain, logistics, and continuous improvement activities throughout North America and Asia.          

Jim Caruso is CFO of Simplura Health Group, a private equity-backed provider of home care, responsible for financial reporting, tax, treasury, risk management, information technology, lender and investor relations, and day-to-day financial operations across the Simplura group of companies operating in seven states, as well as for all merger and acquisition activity. Jim had a prominent role in a successful exit for Simplura’s private equity sponsor, with a recently-announced agreement to be acquired by Providence Service Corporation (Nasdaq: PRSC); the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020. 

Prior to joining Simplura, Jim served as lead partner of the Finance & Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) group for the PA/NJ market of RSM US LLP.  Jim assumed leadership of this then-fledgling FAO practice upon joining Fesnak LLP, a regional Philadelphia CPA firm, in late 2005, which was merged into RSM on January 1, 2015. At the regional firm, Jim also led its Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) practice. Jim oversaw all aspects of both the FAO and TAS service lines, including business development and day-to-day management, while acting as part-time CFO for various clients and leading financial due diligence on more than 50 acquisitions.

Previously, Jim was EVP/CFO of a private equity-backed manufacturing company, held financial management roles in operating units of two Fortune 500 companies, was a management consultant in a boutique firm specializing in process improvement and ERP implementations, and worked for Deloitte in two separate stints in both auditing and management consulting roles.

Jim is a member of the Pennsylvania CPA Journal Editorial Board and a regular contributor of content for the Journal’s print and online publications, as well as for its podcasts and videos. He serves on the Association for Corporate Growth’s Private-Equity Executive Roundtable (ACG PEER) Steering Committee. Jim was named a “CFO of the Year” finalist by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2019. From 2014-2017, Jim was an adjunct professor in the Strategic Design Executive MBA program at Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University).
 

Nick Cimino leads PNC’s due diligence efforts for private investments and alternative credit products, supporting ultra-high-net-worth families and individuals (on behalf of Hawthorn, PNC’s family wealth management and advisory business) as well as institutions.  Prior to joining PNC in 2011, Nick spent more than four years at Janney Montgomery Scott, focusing on the build out of their alternatives platform. Earlier in his career, Nick held positions at BlackRock (as a Senior Portfolio Specialist supporting trust account relationships) and Merrill Lynch (supporting Global Private Client Group corporate retirement plan accounts).  Nick graduated cum laude from Washington & Lee University, earning a double major in Economics and Spanish. He holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), Chartered Market Technician (CMT), Energy Risk Professional (ERP), Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designations.

Summit attendees interested in learning more about PNC’s family wealth services should contact John Ravalli, a Senior Vice President and Managing Director focusing on Portfolio Strategy, Risk Management and Quantitative Analysis for Hawthorn, PNC Family Wealth®, a business dedicated to serving the needs of individuals and families with investable assets in excess of $20 million. As Managing Director, John manages or advises $2.5 billion in client assets, provides investment strategy to all of Hawthorn, and manages a team that is a resource for all of Hawthorn. He can be reached at john.ravalli@hawthorn.pnc.com.

Jyothish Daniel joined Portadam in 2015 and has been responsible for executing the company's turnaround, leveraging past experience in building great teams and developing talent.  Steering the company into new growth arenas such as Flood Mitigation, he has implemented best practice systems and processes to drive both cost reduction and improved quality of earnings while driving culture change throughout the organization.  Prior to joining Portadam, Mr. Daniel’s career included roles as COO at operating and start-up units of the infrastructure firm The Conti Group and Turnaround/General Management roles at Blinds To Go, Mackie Automotive and General Motors.   

Mr. Daniel earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree (Mechanical Engineering), with Honours, from the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) and an MBA from the Harvard Business School (Boston, MA). 

Jim co-founded Lion Equity Partners in 2007.  Lion Equity Partners is a Denver-based private equity firm focused on acquiring non-core divisions from larger companies.  Jim manages all aspects of the firm, including M&A, strategy, fundraising and portfolio company operations.  

Prior to Lion Equity, Jim spent seven years at Platinum Equity, most recently as a Principal of the firm. Jim joined Platinum in 2000 and was responsible for the structuring and execution of some of Platinum’s most important acquisition and divestiture transactions. Jim served on the Board of several of Platinum’s portfolio companies, providing operational and strategic guidance.

Currently, Jim is a Board Member for Linen Holdings, Vivabox Solutions and UE Compression. Jim received a BA in Economics from Northwestern University and a MBA from the Anderson School at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Lance is a dedicated member of EY’s Divestiture Advisory Services (DAS) practice with over seventeen years of business experience. In DAS, Lance advises clients on SEC reporting issues and technical accounting matters throughout the entire life cycle of transformational transactions.

More than 20 years of operational, project management, and client relationship experience across a variety of industries

Specializes in supporting companies experiencing rapid growth scale their systems and processes

Helped grow Globalization Partners to be the No. 1 fastest-growing women-led company in America, and has helped two different companies achieve the honor of No. 1 fastest-growing private company in Massachusetts — including Globalization Partners in 2017

Kathryn Mulligan is ACG Global’s editor-in-chief. In her role, she oversees Middle Market Growth magazine and its companion website and multimedia assets, including the biweekly Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast. Her prior experience includes roles at a manufacturing technology nonprofit in Chicago and a New York-based private equity firm.

Larry Naughton is a seasoned corporate attorney and business advisor with a multifaceted global practice that focuses on representing vibrant, high-growth businesses and the venture capital, mid-market private equity, and other investors in those companies.  He has extensive experience working on M&A, cross-border, venture capital, and private equity transactions.  He regularly advises mid-market private equity and venture capital funds on their various business needs, including acquisitions, dispositions, recapitalizations, and minority and growth equity investments. 

Larry has uniquely extensive experience working on cross-border matters, as a key portion of his practice entails advising non-US clients in connection with their US activities. In this capacity, he has served as an adviser and resource to dynamic companies, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and government agencies located outside the United States. He guides these clients on a wide range of their US legal needs, including structuring US expansions, capital raises, M&A deals, strategic partnerships, and other projects.
 

Ellen has been the CFO of five different PE or VC backed companies over the past twenty years. She is currently the CFO of Office Practicum, a leading SaaS company providing pediatric and behavioral health specific EHR, practice management and revenue cycle management services.

Prior to gaining her M&A experience in PE backed companies, Ellen the beginning of her career at Rohm and Haas, where she held multiple financial, sales, and market management positions.

Ellen is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a B.S. in Economics, majoring in finance and international business. She later earned an M.B.A. in management strategy and marketing from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. 
 

Jeff has 20+ years of operational improvement, turnaround advisory and merger and acquisition experience and has assisted corporate and private equity sponsors throughout the deal cycle, from pre-acquisition due diligence and pre-close planning to post-acquisition performance improvement. Jeff is the EYP National Supply Chain Leader, addressing clients needs across the PLAN-SOURCE-MAKE-DELIVER continuum. Prior to joining EY, Jeff spent over seven years as a Managing Director and Executive Committee member for Alvarez and Marsal’s Private Equity Performance Improvement Group. Prior to that, Jeff was a Principal with KPMG LLP leading the Business Due Diligence Practice.

John is a Partner at MiddleGround where he is responsible for overall management of the firm and management of the Investment Team with Lauren Mulholland. John started his career as an hourly line worker at Toyota Motor Corporation and held numerous management and executive positions over an 18-year career. John made the move to private equity in 2007, joining Monomoy Capital as an Operating Partner. In 2010, John was named the Head of Operations and built out the Operations Group over the next six years with Scot Duncan. In 2016, John became a Partner. Throughout his career, John has worked on numerous transactions and served on the Board of Directors of nearly 20 businesses across both middle market and Fortune 100 companies.  John is the author of the Toyota Kaizen Continuum: A Practical Guide to Implementing Lean.

Thomas A. Stewart is the Former Executive Director of the National Center for the Middle Market, the leading source for knowledge, leadership and research on mid-sized companies, based at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Stewart is an influential thought leader on global management issues and ideas: an internationally recognized editor and publisher, authority on intellectual capital and knowledge management, and a best-selling author.

Before joining the National Center for the Middle Market, Stewart served as Chief Marketing and Knowledge Officer for international consulting firm Booz & Company (now called Strategy&), overseeing the firm’s intellectual agenda, major research projects, and strategy + business magazine. Prior to that, he was for six years the Editor and Managing Director of Harvard Business Review, leading it to multiple finalist nominations for a National Magazine Award. He earlier served as the editorial director of Business 2.0 magazine and as a member of the Board of Editors of Fortune magazine.

His new book, Woo, Wow, and Win: Service Design, Strategy, and the Art of Customer Delight (co-authored with Patricia O’Connell), was published by Harper Business in November 2016. He is also the author of Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations and The Wealth of Knowledge: Intellectual Capital and the Twenty-first Century Organization, published by Doubleday Currency in 1998 and 2003, respectively. He has contributed chapters to four other books and published articles in Harvard Business Review, strategy + business, Fortune, Business 2.0., Inc., Financial Times, The Hill, Industry Week, Ad Age, and elsewhere. A twelve-time participant in the World Economic Forum, he has delivered lectures and seminars across the U.S. and in more than two dozen countries worldwide.

Stewart is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College and holds an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Cass Business School, City University London.

Mr. Watkins has close to 30 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience.  He has completed a range of financial advisory assignments including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and capital raises on behalf of private equity firms and public and private companies in several industries.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Watkins was a managing director with National City Capital Markets Investment Banking Group, where he provided investment banking services within the Industrial Group.  Mr. Watkins’ previous experience also includes mergers and acquisitions advisory with Piper Jaffray, as well as leveraged finance and general capital raising with Heller Financial’s Corporate Finance Group and Bank of America via its acquisition of Continental Bank.  Mr. Watkins earned an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Operations Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Business from Indiana University, Bloomington.  He is a board member of Achievement Centers for Children, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, and Association for Corporate Growth-Cleveland Chapter.  Mr. Watkins lives in the western suburbs of Cleveland with his wife and two children.
 

Tony has nearly 30 years of experience with senior leadership and practice development success in the financial and accounting professions. He is currently a leader of RSM’s private client services practice. He also serves as the director of growth strategies for RSM multi-family office services. His responsibilities include improving the client experience by developing tax and advisory solutions for the specific needs of business owners of highly successful privately held businesses, single-family office and ultra-high net clients.

In his role, Tony focuses on building continuity and structure between the private client services and multiple RSM practices. Through his ongoing leadership, Tony fosters a consistent client experience and delivery model so RSM advisors and client service coordinators can serve clients’ needs holistically, promoting a clear understanding of the connection and integration of all RSM service offerings. This approach entails collaboration among the RSM US tax professionals, consultants and advisors who complement each other, and work together in the design, execution and implementation of financial and business planning.

Prior to joining the firm, Tony guided many of the top U.S. accounting firms, financial services firms, private banks, and law firms in re-engineering business models, creating national platforms, enriching business development and marketing techniques, and devising new distribution channels to serve clients.

Jeff is currently the Americas Strategy Leader for EY-Parthenon.  Previous to this role Jeff was the Global Consumer Industries leader for EY’s Transaction Advisory Services. He has over 20 years experience developing strategy and driving large scale operational change primarily in consumer products categories involving the entire consumer product value chain:  beverages; foodservice; packaged foods, personal care and apparel.

Jeff has significant global client experience in North America, China, South America and Western Europe. Prior to joining Parthenon, Jeff was a Partner and Managing Director at the Boston Consulting Group where he was a member of the Consumer Products and Operations Practices.