Join us on February 21st for a networking event and panel discussion on the current state of middle market M&A and the financing marketplace. Expert panelists will provide their insights into factors driving M&A and financing activity, and the outlook for 2013. Our forum will examine recent trends and developments impacting transaction levels, structure and valuation, as well as which sectors of the economy may be the most active in the coming year. We hope you will be with us for what promises to be an engaging evening of education, inspiration and participation.
Event Details
A surging stock market, low interest rates and record cash available for acquisitions by private equity and strategic buyers should create the ideal environment to drive higher levels of mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and financing activity in 2013. But where are all the deals? The visible M&A pipeline for 2013 so far appears light and many arrangers believe the robust pace of refinancings and recapitalizations that occurred in the fourth quarter in advance of the tax law changes may slip in the first quarter. Is pervasive economic and policy uncertainty combined with a U.S. economy that surprisingly contracted last quarter for the first time in three years to blame?
Program
6:00 PM-6:30 PM: Networking and Beverages
6:30 PM-7:30 PM: Panel Discussion
7:30 PM-8:00 PM: Panelist/Audience Q&A
8:00 PM-9:00 PM: Networking and Discussion Location
Speaker Profiles
Eric D. Malchow (Panelist)
Managing Director and Co-President, Lincoln International
http://www.lincolninternational.com/
Eric joined Lincoln International during its founding in 1996. He is a member of the firm's Management Committee and co-heads the Global Industrial Group.
Additionally, he is very active in coordinating the firm's activities with the private equity community. Eric manages key client relationships, leads global deal teams and is active in marketing the services of Lincoln International.
Eric has approximately 20 years of transactional experience focused in middle-market mergers and acquisitions assignments. Eric's clients include leading private equity groups and publicly-traded corporations. His experience includes advising on the sale and acquisition of companies which are market-leading, overleveraged, distressed or proceeding through the bankruptcy process. His experience includes advising on numerous cross-border transactions. Eric's intense client focus and passion for mid-market transactions has led to deep long lasting client relationships and numerous repeat clients. Prior to founding Lincoln. Eric worked as an Associate for two years with Peers & Co., an international mergers and acquisitions advisory firm.
Prior to Peers, he was an officer at Heller Financial, Inc.'s (now GE Antares) Corporate Finance Group. At Heller he concentrated on leveraged buyout financings of middle-market companies on behalf of private equity groups. Eric earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa.
Thomas Mills (Panelist)
Managing Director, FocalPoint Partners
http://www.focalpointllc.com/
Tom joined FocalPoint in 2011 to launch the firm's Chicago office. He has spent his career working with middle market business owners and private equity groups on raising capital to support buy-outs, refinancings, and recapitalizations.
Prior to joining FocalPoint, Mr. Mills was Head of Debt Capital Markets for Livingstone Partners, an international boutique investment banking firm, where he executed numerous successful transactions across a variety of industries.
Earlier in his career, he worked in middle market commercial finance with Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, where he originated and structured both asset-based and cash flow commercial loans. Mills holds a MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from DePaul University
Jack Steidle (Panelist)
Managing Director, GE Antares Capital
http://www.geantares.com/home
Jack has nearly 20 years of experience in middle market and large cap leveraged lending. He is currently a GE Antares team leader, responsible for structuring, underwriting and documenting of sponsor-backed leveraged loan transactions.
Jack is also the senior credit officer for GE's $7 billion senior note facility which supports the GE / Ares Capital Senior Secured Loan (unitranche) Program.
Prior to GE, Jack served as a Naval Officer on board submarines. He earned a BS in Economics from the United States Naval Academy, an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a certified Navy Nuclear Engineer.
Brian Olenicak (Moderator)
Corporate Finance, William Blair
Brian joined William Blair & Company in 2011 as a member of the Financial Restructuring Group. Brian has approximately 8 years of experience advising companies in restructurings, recapitalizations, financings, capital raises, and distressed mergers and acquisition transactions across a broad range of industries. He has advised public and private companies, private equity sponsors, hedge funds, secured lenders, and creditors' committees. Prior to joining William Blair & Company, Brian was a Vice President in the consulting practice of Mesirow Financial. Brian holds a JD/MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a BA in History from the University of Notre Dame.