061125 ACG TN Lunch & Learn Knoxville

Join us at Rodefer Moss on Wednesday, June 11th from 11:30-1:00 PM (Eastern) for an ACG TN Lunch & Learn, sponsored by Fifth Third.

Come to enjoy lunch, grow your network, and hear from John McNeely of The McNeely Group.

Beyond the Deal: Lessons Learned from Selling a Company

This presentation offers a candid, first-hand account of navigating the complex process of selling a company. Drawing on direct experience, the speaker will share crucial lessons learned before, during, and after the acquisition. Attendees will gain valuable insights into preparing a business for sale, understanding key valuation drivers, managing the intense due diligence process, negotiating crucial deal terms, and finding the right buyer. Expect practical takeaways on market timing, managing expectations, and overcoming the specific hurdles inherent in successfully exiting a business in today's dynamic market environment.

John McNeely has more than 30 years of experience in the technology and cybersecurity industries and holds the CISSP industry certification. His expertise lies in developing and executing strategic plans that deliver measurable results. He has a proven track record of building high-performance teams, fostering a positive corporate culture, and developing successful partnerships with clients and stakeholders.

He is the founder and president of The McNeely Group, providing experienced guidance for business journeys. The McNeely Group provides insightful consulting and board advisory services focused on helping companies scale effectively, optimize operations, prepare for lucrative exits, and achieve strategic growth.

Prior to The McNeely Group he co-founded Sword & Shield Enterprise Security, Inc. in 1997, and under his 22-year leadership, the company won multiple industry accolades in the managed security and consulting firm categories. Designations include being named to the Inc. 500/5000 list of fast growth companies eight years in a row (2006-2013), ranking on the CRN Solution Provider 500 list (2017-2018), appearing on the Managed Security 100 category of the Managed Service Provider 500 (2017), and being named by MSSP Alert to its Top 100 MSSP’s list (2017 & 2018).

John navigated the company through the complex and rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape to become a nationally recognized security solutions provider. This culminated in the successful exit of the company with an acquisition by private equity firm Sunstone Partners in 2019.

Prior to Sword & Shield, John was a software engineering professional for the DOE research and development facilities managed by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems in Oak Ridge, TN where he received multiple technical achievement awards including the Technical Rising Star award. He also co-founded Affenix, LLC, an insurance agency specializing in cyber liability, business liability, and professional liability insurance.

John is a native of East Tennessee and places a high priority on giving back to his community. John co-founded the Knoxville Technology Council, the Knoxville region’s first member-led non-profit technology organization. He is a passionate supporter of mentoring and advising the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and currently serves on the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK) Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for the department of EE/CS and chairs the IAB for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC) College of Engineering and Computer Science. He is also heavily involved in the entrepreneurial community, having served on the board of the local Entrepreneurs’ Organization as a director and as president.

John holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee –Chattanooga (UTC) and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Tennessee –Knoxville (UTK). He is also an active member of several industry associations and frequently speaks at conferences and events.