ACG Tampa Bay EP - Fast-Tracking M&A Success: Strategies for Reducing Deal Times

Jay is a Co-founder & Partner in Supply Chain Equity Partners and he brings to SCEP almost 30 years of combined business operating and corporate finance experience. At SCEP, Jay is responsible for sourcing, analyzing, structuring, negotiating and executing investments in distribution and supply chain-related companies. In addition, he leads the development of strategic & tactical planning and execution initiatives.

Uniquely, Jay combines his finance background with over two decades of extensive experience in the manufacturing, marketing, applications, sales and distribution of a wide variety of products and services. He has developed and managed three North American distribution channels and sales organizations and his broad industry experience encompasses business development, sales, marketing, product management, engineering, operations, turnaround management, and general management.

Prior to co-founding Supply Chain Equity, Jay established and led the Engineered Products and Automation, Controls & Electrical (‘ACE’) practice groups at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company, a regional investment banking firm, and served as the global practice leader within the Global M&A organization. Jay has served public corporations such as Cookson Group plc, Corrpro Companies, Eaton Corporation and US Auto Parts; and privately held businesses in industries ranging from ACE-related markets to his current focus on wholesale distribution.

Valentine Nsofor is the Co-Founder of SV Growth Partners, an investment and operating platform that owns SV Environmental Holdings, the parent company of SOS Septic & Sewer and Englewood Environmental. He currently serves as CEO and President of the SV Environmental portfolio, where he leads strategy, operations, integration, and capital allocation across environmental services businesses.

Valentine is also the Founder and Managing Director of Silva Virtus Partners, a lower-middle-market M&A advisory firm. Through Silva Virtus, he advised on the acquisitions of SOS Septic & Sewer and Englewood Environmental and currently advises the platform on strategic growth initiatives. His work focuses on environmental services, infrastructure-adjacent businesses, and asset-heavy operating companies.

Previously, Valentine worked in investment banking at Houlihan Lokey, Mizuho, and Wells Fargo Securities, advising on M&A, capital markets, and strategic transactions. Earlier in his career, he held operational and civil engineering roles within Intertek’s Building & Construction division, giving him a hands-on operating background that informs his current approach as an owner-operator.

Valentine also serves on the board of Babies and Mothers Alive, a nonprofit focused on improving maternal and newborn health outcomes, where he is Chair of Fundraising.

Dara Shareef is a Managing Partner with Benchmark International, where he helps lead the firm’s sellside Middle Market Team. With extensive experience in deal execution, analysis, and strategic growth, Dara guides clients through complex transactions, ensuring optimal outcomes. His leadership and expertise helps drive Benchmark International’s success, helping businesses owners achieve their goals with personalized, results-driven solutions.

Mr. Koeppel is a Partner and the Team Leader of the firm’s Private Equity and Independent Sponsor Practices. He is a corporate lawyer who has successfully structured, negotiated, and closed over 250 transactions in the past 25+ years, which typically involve mergers and acquisitions, fund formations and investments, and various private equity transactions (including co-investments, venture financings and cross-border deals). He also works with clients on reviewing/ structuring their Qualified Opportunity Zone and Qualified Small Business Stock investments. 

Mr. Koeppel acts as counsel to a number of leading funds, independent sponsors, middle market companies, institutional investors, family offices, and high net worth investors focused on buy-out, growth, venture, real estate, intellectual property, energy, debt, fund-of-funds, co-investments, secondaries, and other strategies. He also often acts as US counsel to non-US clients on their US acquisition and private investment transactions. He also serves as a director for several private equity-backed companies. 

On the M&A/ private equity transactions side, Mr. Koeppel has advised on deals from $5 million to $250 million+ in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, technology, consumer goods, food, distribution, business services, cleantech, and medical/ health care.