Managing Director
Prairie Capital Advisors
PRESENT POSITION
Terrel Bressler joined Prairie Capital Advisors in 2012 and is a shareholder in the firm. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and capital advisory engagements. In this role, Terry assists middle market business owners in understanding and assessing their strategic business alternatives and then developing and executing transaction solutions to meet the owner’s objectives. He works with family, management-owned and private equity-owned businesses and helps these clients address their growth and ownership transition issues, including executing recapitalizations, M&A, company sales and ESOPs.
Terry frequently speaks on and writes about M&A and financing topics. He also authors Prairie’s quarterly M&A and financing topics newsletter, the Prairie Middle Market Perspective. Terry was announced as a 2017 Thought Leader of the Year Finalist by the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
During his 30-year investment banking career, Terry has originated and executed a wide variety of M&A and capital raising assignments for middle-market companies and their shareholders. Terry has developed expertise working as an advisor with clients in many different industries. During his career, he has raised nearly $2.0 billion in debt, mezzanine and equity capital and has assisted in the sale of companies with valuations as small as $10.0 million and as large as several hundred million. To date, Terry has completed over 80 investment banking transactions.
Prior to joining Prairie, Terry held Managing Director positions with boutique investment banking groups including Stout and Cleary Gull. He was also an investment banking Partner with William Blair & Company and held senior investment banking positions with McDonald & Company (now part of Key Bank) and First Chicago Capital Markets (now JP Morgan Chase). In addition, Terry spent several years in the private equity community working as the Director of Originations and Business Development for William Blair Mezzanine Capital Partners (now Merit Capital Partners), a $1.0 billion investment fund advisor. Before starting his investment banking career, Terry was a CPA in Arthur Andersen & Company’s Small Business Advisory Division.
While a company’s M&A valuation is generally derived through an academic mathematical exercise, that valuation is only the starting point in finding a market clearing price for a company in a sale. In addition, looking beyond the numbers and at the non-financial characteristics is often critical in achieving higher sale valuations. What the buyer actually pays for a company is frequently quite different from the mathematical market valuation. Join us as we discuss the key considerations and techniques used to maximize the selling price of a company in a competitive M&A sales process.
Global Managing Partner and Global Head of M&A
Shearman & Sterling LLP; Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania Law School and regular lecturer at L’Université de Paris I Sorbonne
George Casey is Global Managing Partner of the firm and also serves as Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Head of the Corporate Business Unit, while continuing his full-time practice.
He has extensive experience in U.S. domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, ranging from public company acquisitions to complex carve-out sales, strategic investments and joint venture transactions, representing many of the largest U.S. and non-U.S. corporate and investment banking clients. In addition, he regularly advises Boards of Directors and management on corporate governance and shareholder relations issues. He combines a very diverse transactional experience with a deep understanding of clients’ businesses across the chemicals, healthcare, mining and metals, media, cable, technology and telecommunications industries.
George regularly represents multinational corporate clients, including Anglo American, Dow Chemical, GlaxoSmithKline, LANXESS, Liberty Global, LyondellBasell, Nokia, Novartis and Thomson Reuters as well as sovereign wealth funds.
In 2016, The American Lawyer named George a “Dealmaker of the Year” and “Transatlantic Corporate Dealmaker.”
In addition to his work with clients, George is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he teaches a course on mergers and acquisitions. He is also a regular lecturer on U.S. M&A at L’école De Droit De La Sorbonne – Université Paris I.
Everyone wants to get to a “Yes” — but how you do it is everything. More value is created or given up in this part of the process than perhaps any other, and this freight-train environment makes it even more essential to get things right. In this interactive masterclass, George Casey, Global Managing Partner, Shearman & Sterling, to whom major companies turn to negotiate their deals in all corners of the world, will make you a smarter strategist, reviewing the essential levers of transaction success, where deals really fall apart and how you can ensure that you’re in the driver’s seat throughout the process — and not being taken for a ride.
Founder and Chairman
STS Capital
Rob is driven to helping entrepreneurial business owners achieve maximum value when the right time comes to sell. He has a passion for helping people live their vision and wants to help other entrepreneurs achieve full value for their business.
Today, Rob has been involved with or led over a thousand M&A transactions, with a total transaction value of over $100B.
As well as being CEO and Founder of STS Capital Partners, Rob is also the founding Chairman of Altruvest Charitable Services, a Canadian charity that provides training and tools to improve the performance of charitable organizations so they can give more to their causes. In 1998, Rob received the Top 40 Under 40 leadership award for the work he had done in creating 1,000 new jobs in Canada, as well as founding and growing Altruvest Charitable Services which has now contributed over $10 million since its establishment.
Rob is a true believer in contributing leadership. He has held various roles with YPO-WYPO (Young Presidents’ Organization-World President’s Organization), including founding chapter chair; former Chair of the Global Deal Network; Founding Chair of the Executive Committee of the Social Enterprise Networks; serving on the networks committee of the international board of YPO for over five years and contributing to over 100 events as a YPO best of the best premier speaker.
Rob is also an extreme adventurer. When Rob summited Everest on May 24, 2006, he became part of an elite group of people who have climbed all Seven Summits. His adventures also include: skiing the North and South Poles; canoeing the Nahanni River in the Canadian Arctic; the first international descent of the Onon River on the Siberia/Mongolia border; completing the 250km Gobi Desert Ultra-Marathon and 110-mile Trans Rockies Challenge; and practising deeper meditation and mindfulness with Tibetan monks at the Kopan Monastery in Nepal, Tiger’s Nest Monastery and other monasteries in Bhutan.
Rob’s academic accomplishments include: BA with distinction from the University of Toronto (including RB day award for best undergraduate political science essay); LL.B from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University; certificate in Not-For-Profit Management from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College; Arbor Award from the University of Toronto as an international leader in corporate philanthropy; and MSc (Oxon.) from Oxford University’s Saïd Business School in Advanced Strategy. He was also honoured by being identified as one of the “Group of 175”: the 175 most visionary and philanthropic living graduates in the history of the University of Toronto.
The traditional financial services sector teaches us that M&A is a financial, numbers-driven business, yet exceptional sell-side deals are typically made for strategic reasons. If you’re a business owner looking to exit, selling to a strategic buyer may be the optimal way to achieve maximum value for your company. In this roundtable, we’ll help you walk through your potential exit plan: determining the right time to sell, discovering synergies to increase value, and connecting with strategic buyers who see beyond the transaction.
Managing Director
STS Capital
Andy Harris is a proven CEO with over 30 years of leadership experience and an extensive track record in growth through M&A. Within his career, Andy has personally led over 20 M&A transactions ranging from strategic acquisitions of privately-held companies and corporate carve-outs to selling to strategic buyers. His deal experience ranges from $20M to $670M, with total value exceeding $!B in transactions. He has been on both sides of the strategic M&A process and has a deep understanding of both the buy-side and the sell-side.
Andy was President and CEO of Accella Performance Materials from 2012-2017, leading Accella to grow revenue by 6x and profit by 8x in under 5 years through both organic and acquisitive growth (14 acquisitions), culminating in a strategic sale to the Carlisle Companies. Before taking the helm of Accella, Andy was the CEO of Syrgis, another specialty chemical manufacturing business, where he successfully led the business transformation, growing revenue 3x and profit 4x within 5 years, ending with a successful strategic sale of the company in 2012. Most recently, Andy was the CEO of Vantage Specialty Chemicals from 2018-2019, a global provider of naturally derived, specialty ingredients. Andy led two European acquisitions to strategically expand the business platform from North America to Europe, while leading the company’s rebranding exercise and strengthening the global corporate culture.
Andy brings significant sector expertise and domain knowledge in industrial manufacturing, B2B spaces, with an emphasis on highly technical, high value-add, specialty chemicals, ingredients, equipment, instrumentation, and services. He also has broad industry experience in chemicals, water treatment, oil & gas, personal care, plastics, food and beverage, semiconductor, pharmaceutical and biotech.
Andy holds an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. He specializes in business growth and transformation through M&A, and believes in building corporate cultures that serve as strategic drivers of success.
The traditional financial services sector teaches us that M&A is a financial, numbers-driven business, yet exceptional sell-side deals are typically made for strategic reasons. If you’re a business owner looking to exit, selling to a strategic buyer may be the optimal way to achieve maximum value for your company. In this roundtable, we’ll help you walk through your potential exit plan: determining the right time to sell, discovering synergies to increase value, and connecting with strategic buyers who see beyond the transaction.
President and CEO
Siemens, USA
Barbara Humpton is President and CEO of Siemens USA, where she guides the company’s strategy and engagement in serving the company’s largest market in the world. Siemens USA employs approximately 40,000 people serving customers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and generated $17 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2020.
Most recently, Humpton served as president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, Inc. (SGT), a leading integrator of Siemens’ products and services for federal government agencies and departments. In this role, Humpton also served as an officer/director member of the board of directors of SGT.
Prior to joining Siemens in 2011, Humpton served as a vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton where she was responsible for program performance and new business development for technology consulting in the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. Earlier, Humpton was a vice president at Lockheed Martin Corporation with responsibility for Biometrics Programs, Border and Transportation Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection, including such critical programs as the FBI’s Next Generation Identification and the TSA’s Transportation Workers’ Identification Credential.
Humpton is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Barbara is Chairman of the Siemens Corporation Board, the Siemens Foundation and of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). She serves on the board of directors of the American Heart Association Greater Washington Region, Triumph Group, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), Economic Club of Washington, D.C. and the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association. She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband David.
Navigating today’s increasingly digitally-driven business environment is no small feat, particularly for an over 170-year-old company like Siemens. The industrial and technology giant’s US CEO Barbara Humpton will discuss how the company has prepared for the future by transforming itself to best address the markets it serves across transportation, industry and infrastructure. In this exclusive session, Humpton will highlight the acquisitions and strategies deployed across the company’s largest market that are shaping Siemens’ identity for the next 170 years and beyond, and how other organizations can embrace transformation.
Founder and CEO
Align Business Advisory Services
Dena leverages nearly 20 years of success in building, scaling, and buying and selling businesses to accomplish her clients’ goals. A CPA and MBA, her career experience spans many years in “Big 4” public accounting and consulting firms, in addition to holding executive positions with Fortune 500 and hyper-growth middle market companies. As an M&A expert, Dena has facilitated over $1.5 billion of buy and sell-side transactions, including acquisitions involving companies such as Visa, Bank of America, Hewlett Packard and Google. Dena has been recognized as a leader in her field, earning distinction as a rising star of M&A by M&A Advisor Magazine and one of the top 25 Women in Mid-Market M&A by Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine. She and the firm have been featured in top-tier publications such as Fast Company, Inc, and Entrepreneur, and Align was named the best mid-market M&A consultancy in the Southeast in 2019. Align is headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, and serves clients nationwide.
After Covid slammed the breaks on 2020 M&A activity, 2021/22 is shaping up to be a blockbuster time for dealmaking. Vast caches of PE dry powder, historically low interest rates and the SPAC revolution are already fueling the fever — but will it last? And how can you best take advantage? Dena Jalbert, Founder and CEO, Align Business Advisory Services, and an expert on middle-market dealmaking, will walk you through the outlook for the year ahead to help you make the most of this time. With a specific focus on the market for manufacturing companies, she’ll have strategies, tips and insights to help you navigate — and prosper — in this time of exceptional risk and opportunity.
President and CEO
Cicoil, a division of TPC
Howard has acquired, operated, and divested several manufacturing companies since his graduation from Harvard Business School in 1986. His most recent company, Cicoil LLC, was acquired by Howard and investors in 2006, and as CEO Howard more than quadrupled the company’s sales. Cicoil was sold to TPC Wire and Cable in 2019, resulting in a 20X return to investors. TPC is a platform company owned by Audax Private Equity, and Howard is continuing to operate the company as a division of TPC.
To wrap the day, we’ll go deep on the most stressful part of any transaction — the dismount. Howard Lind, CEO of Cicoil, shares the lessons he learned — and what he wishes someone had told him — from his own journey selling his company to TPC (a rollup of wire manufacturers backed by Audax Private Equity) and staying on to help integrate and acquire additional companies. Prepare for a candid, pragmatic tutorial from a deal veteran who can help you avoid pitfalls — and stick your landing.
CEO, Navix; Author, The Exit Playbook
Patrick Ungashick is the CEO of NAVIX, which helps business owners plan for and achieve happy exits. The NAVIX system was designed out of experience seeing most business owners struggle to exit on their own terms, achieve financial freedom, and create a sustainable business legacy.
In the field of exit planning, for more than twenty-five years Patrick has provided exit advice and solutions to business owners in a wide variety of industries, from as small as several million in revenues to more than half a billion. Patrick is the author of two books helping business owners prepare for exit: Dance in the End Zone: The Business Owner’s Exit Planning Playbook, and A Tale of Two Owners: Achieving Exit Success Between Business Co-Owners. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Week and other print and radio media. He speaks to several dozen business groups per year on how to achieve successful exits.
Outside of work, even though he cannot juggle nor play a musical instrument, Patrick serves as the Head Clown for the Atlanta Distinguished Clown Corps, a group that since inception has raised more than $1 million for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the U.S. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the C5 Youth Foundation of Atlanta, a five-year leadership and college-readiness program for high-potential teens from challenging situations.
Patrick graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He is a fan of St. Louis Cardinals baseball and the University of Georgia football teams. Patrick has three boys, and lives with his wife Maggie in the Atlanta area.
Patrick Ungashick, CEO of Navix and author of The Exit Playbook, shares the strategies he employs to help owners manage and optimize their exits to achieve their specific goals. Prepare for a candid, pragmatic tutorial on the exit planning topics most often overlooked. Even if you don’t plan to exit any time soon, there are important strategic decisions you need to make for your business value growth.
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
