Common Contentious Valuation Issues in Transactions: The Differing Perspectives of Buyers and Sellers

Mike became an Advisory Director to Berkshire Partners in 2016.  He currently serves on the boards of the Baptist Health System, SRS Distribution, Inc., Access Information Management, Inc., and Sterling Talent Solutions, Inc.  Mike also served a term on the board of directors of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.  Previously, Mike served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Interline Brands, Inc., now a division of The Home Depot.  Before joining Interline, he was a Group Vice President with Airgas, Inc. and President of IPCO Safety, Inc.   Mike served as an Officer in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Don  (D.B.A., ASA, CVA, CPA/ABV, CEPA) is president and a principal of Heritage Capital Group, Inc., a middle market investment banking firm headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. His primary focus is on merger and acquisition transactions in the U.S. and abroad, as well as conducting valuation, strategic planning, and value enhancement analysis for clients.

Don is also a Professor Emeritus of Accounting and Finance at the University of North Florida, and has wide-ranging academic and consulting experience in business valuation, corporate finance, accounting, and computer-based financial modeling.  He received his B.B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from Georgia Southern University and a D.B.A. from Louisiana Tech University in 1976, and has been published in such journals as Valuation, Business Valuation Review, Financial Analysts Journal, and Management Accounting.  Before coming to Jacksonville, Don taught at Clemson University for nine years and has also conducted numerous executive development and training programs for business, government, the health care industry, and professional associations.

Don has over 30 years of experience advising clients regarding a variety of M&A and financing transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, sales and divestitures, capital placement, value enhancement, exit planning, and related corporate finance.  He has advised international and domestic companies and successfully led transactions in many industries including business services, healthcare, distribution and logistics, and manufacturing.  Don currently serves as the Chairman of Oaklins, a global investment banking group.

Don has conducted more than 2,000 valuations of closely-held companies and has consulted with large companies such as Modis, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, Union Carbide, Martin Marietta, Whirlpool, CSX, Sangamo-Weston, Anheuser-Busch, and Schlumberger. He has also worked with several hundred small and medium sized companies in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Mexico, Central America, and South America, including many financial institutions and local governments. He has served as an expert witness in cases involving valuation of closely held businesses and limited partnerships, portfolio analysis, and estimation of economic damages. He holds the professional designations of ASA, CVA, CEPA and CPA/ABV and is a licensed real estate broker and registered securities principal.  He has testified in the state and federal court and in arbitration proceedings before the New York Stock Exchange, The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly, the NASD), and American Arbitration Association. He has over 25 years of university teaching experience, including freshman through Ph.D. level courses in corporate finance, investments, and all areas of accounting.