Leadership

President

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Gus Phelps
Private Capital Solutions Director
Polen Capital

Gus is the Private Capital Solutions Director at Polen Capital responsible for originating and managing the firm’s private investments. Prior to joining Polen Capital in 2023, Gus was a Partner at Summit Partners and previously was a founding partner at Seacoast Partners. Gus received his B.A. from Trinity College and M.B.A. from Cornell University.

Vice President

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Mike Alberts
Principal, Head of Business Development
Cohere Capital

Mike is responsible for managing Cohere’s new investment development and evaluation initiatives for platforms and existing portfolio companies. He joined Cohere at its inception and has well over a decade of experience working with growth stage companies in multiple roles including transaction execution, operations, and business development.  

Prior to joining Cohere, Mike was Vice President of Operations at Shields Health Solutions where he focused on strategic growth, business development, and day-to-day operations serving the company’s health system customers. Prior to Shields, Mike was a Senior Associate at Gauge Capital where he focused on private equity investments in high growth, entrepreneur-owned companies in the healthcare and services sectors. 

Earlier in his career, Mike was an analyst at Houlihan Lokey and BB&T Capital Markets where he advised clients on mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace, defense, and government services sectors. Mike received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Markets and Culture (Behavioral Economics) and English from Southern Methodist University.
 

Directors

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Katy Booth
Director, Financial Operations
Bridgepoint Consulting

Katy Booth is the Director of Financial Operations and Boston market leader at Bridgepoint Consulting. She joined the firm in 2018 as part of the Systems Integration practice in Austin, TX, where she spent three years leading NetSuite implementations across diverse industries. In 2022, she relocated to Boston to spearhead Bridgepoint’s expansion into the New England market. In this role, Katy partners with C-suite executives to drive strategic finance and accounting initiatives and provide interim leadership support.

Before joining Bridgepoint, Katy spent seven years at EY in McLean, VA. She began her career in assurance services, auditing public and private companies, before moving into the Finance Operations Improvement consulting practice, where she led large-scale strategic initiatives in the Banking & Capital Markets sector.

Katy earned her Master of Accounting from The College of William & Mary and B.S. in Accounting Control Systems from the University of North Texas. She is a former NCAA Division I soccer player competing for the University of Memphis (2005–2007) and the University of North Texas (2007–2009). Katy is a licensed CPA in the state of Virginia.

In her free time, Katy can be found staying active and exploring New England through running, hiking or snowboarding—or balancing it out in the kitchen cooking and sipping wine with her husband and their Bernese puppy.

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Drew Collina
Managing Director
Stifel

Drew joined Stifel in 2018 to lead middle- and lower-middle market sponsor coverage.  Drew brings a unique perspective and skill-set to Stifel’s private equity clients, having approx. 25 years experience within sell-side M&A, corporate buy-side, and private equity investing. Prior to Stifel, Drew was Head of N. America Sponsor Coverage for Alantra, a cross-border, internationally focused Spanish investment bank headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BB&T Capital Markets. His experience also includes Principal at Castanea Partners, as well as Director of Corporate Development and M&A at EMC Corporation (now Dell EMC). Prior, Drew held various investment banking positions at RBC Capital Markets and BancBoston Robertson Stephens.

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Sandra Mason
Senior Vice President, Capital Markets
Audax Private Equity

Sandra is a Senior Vice President of Capital Markets for Audax Private Equity, based in Boston. Prior to joining Audax in 2017, Sandra was a Vice President at Energy Capital Partners where she focused on providing flexible capital solutions to middle market energy companies. Prior to Energy Capital Partners, Sandra was a Director at Barings. Sandra received a B.B.A from the University of Michigan.

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Brigid Morrissey, CPA, MBA, MST
Partner
CohnReznick

Brigid Morrissey, CPA, MBA, MST, is a tax partner in CohnReznick’s Financial Sponsors and Financial Services Industry Practice. Based in the Boston office, Brigid works with investment management firms throughout all stages of their lifecycle from formation to wind-down, providing strategic tax planning, compliance, and structuring for both debt and equity strategies. Brigid assists investment firms and their principals in navigating the complexities of carried interest and tax allocations with an understanding of their unique investor needs, as well as addressing multi-state and international tax issues. She is active in CohnReznick’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) niche practice. Brigid’s responsibilities include client and engagement management, along with business development throughout the New England market.

Throughout her career, Brigid has worked with companies across multiple industry segments, including manufacturing and distribution, real estate, retail, international shipping, and technology, many of which are held by private equity and venture capital sponsors. She has provided closely-held corporations, partnerships, and high-net-worth individuals with a wide range of tax-related services, including selection of and changes in accounting methods, tax credit advisory services, cost segregation studies, representation before the IRS and other taxing authorities, and tax advisory services to businesses and their owners for various M&A transactions.

Early in her career, Brigid gained extensive experience within the construction industry at a regional accounting firm, providing services to nationally and regionally recognized general contractors, specialty trade subcontractors, material suppliers, and architect and engineering firms.

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Kyle Murphy
Managing Director
Hilco Global

Kyle Murphy currently serves as a managing director at Hilco Global, a special situations merchant bank headquartered in Chicago. He leads their business development & private equity sponsor coverage efforts for New England.

During Kyle’s 16 + year career in banking, he has served roles at J.P. Morgan’s Middle Market Banking Group and Wells Fargo Capital Finance.  Mr. Murphy began his career at New Stream Capital a multi strategy credit opportunity fund. He has been involved in ACG and attending events around the Northeast for over 14 years. He recently chaired the Deal Hunters committee for ACG Boston. In 2019, he was the recipient of the ACG Emerging Leader Award. Kyle’s also an active member of the Secured Finance Network and Turnaround Management Association.

Kyle graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in economics. He’s a licensed investment banker holding his Series 79 and 63 with Hilco Corporate Finance, LLC member FINRA and SIPC. Additionally, Mr. Murphy is an active committee member of the Cape Cod YMCA. He’s also an avid power boater and saltwater angler.

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Christina Pai
Partner
Fort Point Capital

Christina is a Partner at Fort Point Capital, a private equity firm focused on investing in promising, business services companies in the lower middle market. Since joining Fort Point in 2011, she has been responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing investments, as well as driving value creation initiatives for her portfolio companies in the tech-enabled business services, software and transportation/logistics industries. Christina currently serves as the Chair of the Board for AMS Fulfillment and Barrington Media Group and was the former Chair of WolfePak Software and Van Pool Transportation; she also currently serves on the boards of Eventlink and Sullivans.

Prior to joining Fort Point, Christina was a principal at Swift River Investments in Boston and an associate at FdG Associates. She started her career at JPMorgan, focusing on mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity capital raises. Christina has a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College. She is an avid Boston and fantasy sports enthusiast and enjoys traveling, fishing for bass and eating at interesting restaurants.

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Gabrielle Piasio
SVP - Sponsor Banking
Grasshopper Bank

Gabrielle Piasio is an SVP of Sponsor Banking at Grasshopper Bank.  She brings 20 years of Commercial Banking experience to the team and focuses her lending practices on lower middle market sponsor backed transactions (Private Equity, Independent Sponsor and Family Office) ranging from $1-8 million in EBITDA with a strong preference for working with Impact-focused sponsors.  Originally from Florida, Gabrielle has both her Bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Florida State University.  In 2023 she also earned an Executive Certificate in ESG Strategy from Wharton’s Executive Education program. 

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Lewis N. Segall
Partner
Sullivan & Worcester

Lew is the director of Sullivan's Corporate Department. His practice is focused on a number of transactional areas. He regularly represents public and private companies in equity and debt financings, joint ventures, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. Lew also represents financial institutions in secured and unsecured credit facilities. His clients consist of major financial institutions, private equity groups, family-owned businesses, family offices and other investors, as well as emerging and established companies engaged in a variety of industries, including renewable energy, advertising, health care, communications, manufacturing and software.

Lew is the author of Mergers & Acquisitions: A Step-by-Step Legal and Practical Guide (2nd edition) (Wiley), which he co-authored with Edwin L. Miller, Jr.

Bar & Court Admissions

• Massachusetts

Education

• J.D., Northeastern University School of Law
• B.S., Syracuse University

Community Engagement

• American and Boston Bar Associations
• Board of Directors, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG)
• Alternative Energy Committee Chair, Town of Duxbury, Massachusetts
• Former Board of Directors, College Bound Dorchester

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Anabelle Skalleberg Principal 
SagePath Capital

Anabelle Skalleberg is a Principal at SagePath Capital, where she focuses on sourcing, evaluating, and executing control investments in lower-middle-market companies, as well as supporting portfolio management and strategic initiatives across the firm’s holdings. Prior to SagePath Capital, she was a Principal at The Watermill Group. Earlier, she served on the M&A team at Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX: FLT) and, from 2012 to 2018, worked at Pine Street Capital Partners. 

Anabelle serves on the Board of Directors of United South End Settlements, a Boston nonprofit helping families achieve economic mobility. She holds a BA from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra and an MBA from Babson College’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

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Kate Soto
Partner
Mirus Capital Advisors

Kate Soto is a Partner with Mirus Capital Advisors and has over a decade of experience in mergers and acquisitions. She has advised dozens of clients on transactions in a variety of industries.  She has closed deals with global companies, middle market and multi-billion dollar private equity firms, family offices, and leading industrial and technology companies.  Her clients have ranged from closely-held and founder-owned businesses to public companies.

Prior to joining Mirus, she was employed by a middle market investment banking and valuation firm where she managed M&A and financing transactions. In addition, Kate has prepared valuation models and reports for clients, including 409(a) option valuations, purchase price allocations, and business enterprise valuations for purposes such as estate planning and litigation.

Kate received a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Management with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Economics.She is a Certified Valuation Analyst and holds Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 certifications from FINRA. Kate serves on the board of directors of the New England chapter of the Alliance of M&A Advisors.