ACG Boston | VIRTUAL Panel Discussion: Getting Deals Done - Valuations & Deal Structuring in the New Normal (Members Only)

Eric is a Principal with WhiteHorse Capital. Based in the Boston office, Eric focuses on sourcing and executing debt investments in middle market companies in a range of industries. Eric has over 15 years of experience in principal investing and investment banking in a range of industries including business services, healthcare, technology, manufacturing and specialty finance. Prior to joining WhiteHorse Capital, Eric was a Principal in the Special-Opportunity Lower Middle Market Group at Hercules Technology Growth Capital, where he focused on debt and equity investments. Prior to Hercules, Eric worked at firms including, West End Capital and Advisory, D.B. Zwirn, and The Wicks Group of Companies. Eric earned a B.A. in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

Chris Nicholas is a Director of Shields & Company. Mr. Nicholas has over 10 years of experience advising middle market companies on merger and acquisition, capital raising, and valuation assignments. Mr. Nicholas has completed transactions across a variety of industries including business services, consumer products, industrial products & services, niche manufacturing, specialty chemicals, specialty distribution, and transportation & logistics. Prior to returning to Shields & Company in 2012, Mr. Nicholas was an associate with Harris Williams & Co., a Richmond-based investment bank focused on middle-market mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Nicholas has held prior positions at BirdDog Solutions, Morgan Stanley, and began his career at Shields & Company as an analyst working on a variety of acquisition, advisory, and valuation assignments. Mr. Nicholas serves on the board of the Boston chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and is a former board member of the Bucknell Club of Boston. Mr. Nicholas earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a BA in Economics from Bucknell University. Mr. Nicholas holds Series 7, 63, and 79 FINRA registrations.

Todd is a Managing Director in the Boston office of H.I.G. Capital. Since joining the firm in 2009, he has been responsible for evaluating and executing new investment opportunities, as well as working with portfolio companies. Todd has nearly 20 years of experience investing in middle market private equity transactions and has worked on investments in a broad range of industries, including building products, business services, enterprise software, food and consumer products, hospitality and travel services, and media and marketing services. He currently serves on the boards of several H.I.G. portfolio companies. Prior to H.I.G., Todd was an investment professional at Parthenon Capital Partners in Bosotn, at GTCR in Chicago, and at The Halifax Group in Dallas, TX. He began his career as an investment banker at Lazard Frères, specializing in mergers & acquisitions advisory services. Todd graduated with Bronze Tablet honors from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Accountancy (CPA) and received an M.B.A. with honors from Columbia Business School. Todd currently lives in Wellesley with his wife Niki and 4 children (Henry, Isabel, William and Eleanor).

ynn Sommer has more than 20 years of valuation and transaction advisory service experience with both public and private companies, providing fairness opinions and solvency opinions, strategic alternatives analyses, and valuations for a variety of purposes including transactions, tax and financial reporting. Prior to joining Cabrillo Advisors, Ms. Sommer’s valuation and advisory experience spanned the Big 4 and Houlihan Lokey. In addition, she was most recently a Senior Director at Alvarez & Marsal in New York, where she was an integral senior member of the firm’s transaction opinion services practice. Ms. Sommer earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in Economics from Colgate University and an MBA in Finance and Accounting from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Ms. Sommer is a frequent speaker on valuation topics and has chaired several committees for and served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Corporate Growth in Los Angeles. Ms. Sommer is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) with the American Society of Appraisers.

• MBA, Finance & Accounting, New York University Stern School of Business
• BA, Economics, Colgate University