Gerald is a financial manager, management consultant, and M&A Specialist providing advisory services to Clients on M&A, asset sales, financial and operational restructurings, and valuations. Gerald has advised management teams, equity holders, lenders, and numerous unsecured creditors. He provides comprehensive insights and guidance for Clients through deep analysis of historical and forecasted financial performance and cash flows using dynamic Excel modeling and databases. He also has substantial experience with business plans, management presentations, CIMs, LOIs, term sheets, complex negotiations, QOE, sale and purchase agreements, and other investment offering documents. He has significant experience in a variety of industries including commercial real estate, oil and gas, leisure, airline, consumer products, and not-for-profits. Gerald began his career at Ernst & Young advising and performing extensive due diligence for investment banks. (B.S., Finance, Louisiana State University)
Management Level: DIRECTORS
Jerry Watson, Ph.D.
Jerry is a Consultant who during his career has employed Industrial Engineering techniques to reduce direct and indirect labor costs, improve throughput, reduce transportation costs, and lower the costs of purchased materials. Results were achieved by applying value stream mapping, productivity improvement teams, Kaizen events, implementation of incentive systems, cellular manufacturing, lean manufacturing, development of standard cost systems, and installation of manufacturing integrated computer systems. Jerry’s corporate career includes U.S. Plywood, Paxar, Haworth, Matrix, and Star Paper Tube. His service in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant resulted in the Bronze Star and Air Medal. He has authored or co-authored four publications and ten conference proceedings. Jerry holds the following certifications: Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma White Belt. (B.S., Industrial Management, Georgia Institute of Technology; M.S., Industrial Management, Georgia Institute of Technology; Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, North Carolina A&T University)
Steve Swidarski
Steve is a CEO and C-level sales executive specializing in business-building strategies. His experience includes formulating growth strategies, mission-critical sales and marketing plans, new product launches, transformations, transitions, start-ups, and turnarounds. He has performed turnarounds and re-launched companies multiple times over a 35-year career in business. His expertise is in improving sales performance, working with national and “big box” accounts, and accelerating revenue growth. Steve served as President of a Division of Hunter Douglas. His corporate career includes Consolidated Foods, Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, Inc., Beatrice Foods, and CSI Donner Hardware. (B.S., Business Management, John Carroll University)
Mike Seals
Mike is a C- level financial executive with over 35 years of accounting and business leadership experience in the lower middle market sector where he has served as President, COO, CFO, Board member, Advisor, and investor. Mike’s journey includes numerous C-level positions and engagements such as senior executive for a Top 100 construction contractor, a transportation and logistics company, a large tourist destination restaurant, food industry, building products as well as equipment rental and leasing. His expertise incorporates business plan development and execution coupled with accounting systems knowledge across development, implementation and setup as well as migration. Mike’s financial grasp also encompasses elaborate but practical and straightforward cash flow and forecast models, budgeting applications, business intelligence and providing executive leadership support in day-to-day operations. He has a deep knowledge of EXCEL combined with many years of experience on a range of accounting platforms and is able to quickly adapt to new applications, enhancing his value and delivery of services. Mike is also CEO of CFO Performance Group, LLC where he provides specialized financial advice primarily to founder-owners. Certifications include CPA. (B.B.A., Business Administration, Middle Tennessee State University)
Mike Schwartz
Mike is a CFO and seasoned C-level financial executive whose international experience includes Canadian, Asian, European, Mexican, North African, Caribbean, and Central American operations. Mike specializes in: providing CFO services, directing financial functions for defrauded businesses, forensic accounting, uncovering insider transactions and recovering millions from ponzi operations, designing and implementing systems to quickly and accurately make distributions to fraud victims, interim financial management, profitability analysis, budgeting, financial planning, and financial modeling. He has experience providing CFO support and forensic reviews in numerous businesses for a court-appointed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Trustee. In addition to assisting the Trustee recover millions from ponzi operations, Mike managed recovery distributions to defrauded investors, distributing in excess of $250 Million without a single exception. Mike’s 30-year corporate career includes Lockheed Martin, Sara Lee Corporation (Hanes Brands) and Ocean Apparel, Inc. (B.S., Accounting, University of Maryland; M.B.A., Appalachian State University)
Steve Powell
Steve is a PEG-experienced President, CFO, Controller, Treasurer, and CPA across a variety of industries in both public and private companies. He has successfully led domestic and international management teams to deliver results for increased profits, cash flow, and added value. Steve’s skill set includes significant Board participation as well as Board reporting; mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and due diligence expertise coupled with a serious grasp of integration issues; P&L ownership and management; debt financing and bank negotiations and relationship management; cash flow and profit analysis and improvement; internal and external financial reporting; global strategic business planning; and, turnaround and distressed situations. He has diverse international experience in Europe, Central and South America, Canada, and Asia Steve’s strengths include margin management, pricing strategy, project management, AR and cash management, organizational structure and development, as well as SEC filings. Additionally, he has worked as a PEG manager in early stage, growth, project management, and turnaround situations with revenues up to $600 Million. Steve’s corporate experience includes Propex, Morris Capital Management, Tandus Group, Chattem, Inc., Brach Confections, and Decosimo CPA. (B.S. Accounting, University of Tennessee Chattanooga)
Dave Penson
Dave is a COO and Vice President Engineering level executive with over 40 years’ experience in all operational functions, including over 25 years as a Management Consultant. His experience includes global operations and supply chain optimization. As an owner and Chief Operating Officer, Dave grew a start-up to $15 Million in revenue and sold it to a strategic buyer. He has managed operations and manufacturing projects in over 30 U.S. states and 27 countries to include operational evaluation and improvement, sourcing, import/export, and continuing development of resources. Dave has a working knowledge of Spanish and lived and worked three years in the Dominican Republic. His industry experience includes Plastics, Apparel, Textiles and Electronics and his corporate career includes DuPont, Sara Lee, VF Corporation, and MicroPore Plastics. (B.S., Textiles, Georgia Institute of Technology; M.B.A., International Business, Georgia State University)
Bob Latham
Bob is an M&A Lead Advisor as well as a CEO and COO-level Operating and Turnaround Manager with a distinguished background in operations, marketing, and finance. He holds designations of Certified Business Intermediary and M&A Master Intermediary. Bob has held leadership roles in many buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions across an array of industries including Manufacturing, Construction and related trades, IT, Motorsports and Agricultural Equipment, Marine Services, Healthcare, Continuing Education, and Advertising. He possesses strong credentials in construction, manufacturing products, aerospace structures, plastic goods, engineered products, natural gas transmission, industrial services, product management, and process engineering. Bob’s skill set includes business process mapping and improvement, manufacturing strategies, ERP systems, and ISO9000. His background includes Owner/Founder of a construction company while his corporate experience includes LTV Aircraft Products, SONAT (natural gas transmission), Rimnetics (custom plastic molding), Reflange (engineered piping products) and ATG Group (plastics contract manufacturing). (B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University; M.B.A., Columbia University)
Alton Kornegay, Ph.D.
Alton is a Consultant with more than 30 years of production management, electronics, and engineering experience in three Fortune 500 companies. His corporate career includes John Deere, McDonnell Douglas, and Wagner Electric (Automotive Brake Division). He provides transformational manufacturing, systems, and operating consulting services. These services include process efficiency, productivity improvement, lean manufacturing, incentive systems, quality control systems, cellular manufacturing, engineering, and Kaizen events. Alton played a key role in the Lean Six Sigma implementation at John Deere and was a founding partner of the Annual John Deere Lean Academy. He served in the U.S. Airforce, Avionics Division. (B.S., Electronics Technology, Savannah State University; M.B.A., University of Iowa; Ph.D., Industrial Education and Technology, Iowa State University)
Doug King
Doug is a CIO, COO, and CAO-level executive who provides IT assessment, advisory, and implementation services. He specializes in IT strategy development, due diligence and integration, organizational assessment and design, Cybersecurity, and management of IT transformation initiatives. Doug’s background also includes oversight, design, and development of cloud-based custom software applications, including IoT-based solutions enabling the monetization of customer data. He has directed over 20 enterprise-wide system implementations and transformation efforts. Doug has over 25 years of experience spanning numerous industries including manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, construction products, publishing/media, and aerospace. His corporate background includes Booz-Allen and Landauer. His operational leadership roles also include Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Corporate Vice President of Operations, Director of Supply Chain Management, and Program Office Director, along with consulting positions at Arthur Andersen. (B.A., Economics and Mathematics, Northwestern University; M.B.A., Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University; Masters Manufacturing Engineering Management, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University)
John Kelly
John is a CEO and COO-level executive who has a Fortune 500 manufacturing and global supply chain management background. He has recently served as CEO for a specialty packaging company as well as Executive Vice President and Director of Operations for a U.S. start-up owned by a firm headquartered in China. John has managed up to eight U.S. and offshore manufacturing operations with more than 3,000 employees. His corporate experience includes Ithaca Industries, where he was a major shareholder in their first, highly successful divestiture, and International Playtex. He served in the U.S. Army, Special Forces as a Demolition Specialist and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals. (B.S., Industrial Management, University of Alabama)
Steve Giordano
Steve is a C-level Sales, Marketing and general management executive with expertise in tactical and strategic marketing, business development, turnaround of top-line performance, P&L management, A.I. technology, sales organization analysis and restructuring. His experience includes existing and new business development, territory analysis and alignment, mass market initiatives, internet presence and growth, tier 1, 2 and 3 account management, brand expansion and global products sourcing. Steve is an authority on strategic alliances and acquisitions from a business development and revenue synergy perspective. He oftentimes serves as an interim sales executive such as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a national cellular technology company. Steve is an insightful business builder and consummate people person. His corporate career includes Levolor, Kwickset, Delta Creative, Media Arts Group, Proctor and Gamble and Applause Dakin. (B.S., Marketing with Minor in Management, University of Maine)
Alfredo Castillo
Alfredo is a COO and General Manager-level International Manufacturing, Operations, and Distribution executive whose expertise includes cutting-edge use of manufacturing techniques to achieve world class and sustainable operating performance as well as management of joint ventures. He has managed operations in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, and Mexico with workforces in excess of 3,000 employees and is fluent in Spanish. Alfredo held functional responsibility for International Engineering in Spain, France, Scotland, Italy, Mexico, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. His skill sets include advising companies that perform work for U.S. government agencies, lean manufacturing, and process engineering. Corporate background includes Bristol-Meyers, International Playtex, and Sara Lee. (B.S. and M.S. Mechanical Engineering, City College of New York)
Phyllis Bishop
Phyllis is a C-level Global Marketing Manager and Retail Specialist who has a general management, M&A, and turnaround management background. She was responsible for the internationalization of a privately-held $2.7 billion company. She has expanded new businesses into China, Turkey, India, Australia, Eastern Europe, UK, Holland, Portugal, and Argentina via acquisitions, joint ventures, and start-ups. Phyllis resided in Paris for a number of years and is fluent in French. Her corporate career includes Bristol Myers, Estee Lauder, Playtex, Benckiser, and Giorgio Beverly Hills. She has also represented companies to the U.S. Department of Justice as well as French labor officials and unions. (B.A., Psychology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville; M.B.A., Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration)