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Managing Director Jim has over 20 years of investment and merchant banking experience and has completed over $35 billion of advisory and financing transactions. Jim founded The Mercanti Group in 2001 after leaving Credit Suisse First Boston/Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ) where he was head of its Consumer Group specializing in branded products. Prior to joining DLJ, Jim was Head of Investment Banking at Dain Rauscher. Before joining Dain in 1997, Jim was a partner with William E. Simon/Aurora Capital, a leveraged buyout firm based in Los Angeles. He also held investment banking positions at Drexel Burnham Lambert and E.F. Hutton and was chief financial officer of a $14 billion investment and lending firm. Jim has worked with clients such as Cabela’s, Caribou Coffee, Chronimed, Eagle One, Elizabeth Arden, Empi, Graham Webb, Gucci, K2, Norwest Equity Partners, Pulmonetic Systems, Rural Cellular and Weston Presidio. Jim received a BBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Managing Director Randy joined Mercanti in 2003 and currently oversees the firm’s Los Angeles office. Randy has more than 17 years of domestic and international investment banking experience and has significant transaction experience in all areas of investment banking including buy-side and sell-side M&A, raising public and private debt and equity securities. Prior to joining Mercanti, he worked at Credit Suisse First Boston, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (where he co-founded DLJ’s Consumer Products Group), BT Securities and Drexel Burnham Lambert both domestically and in Asia. Randy has significant transaction experience in all areas of investment banking, including domestic and cross-border M&A, restructurings and capital raising including IPOs, follow-on equity offerings, PIPEs, convertible debt, investment grade debt, high yield debt and bank debt. Randy has worked with clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small private companies, including Clorox, Costco, Freeman Cosmetics, GameTech International, Graham Webb, Harveys Casino Resorts, Helen of Troy, Mattel, Rental Services Corporation, StarTek and Water Pik Technologies. Randy received a BA in Economics and Mathematics from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Randy also is a Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Bureau of Southern California, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse.
Cynthia Johnson – Minneapolis Cynthia joined Mercanti in 2001 as General Counsel. She serves not only as General Counsel but also as Corporate Secretary and Director of Business Operations. Additionally, she oversees Mercanti’s broker-dealer arm, Mercanti Securities. Cynthia is admitted to practice in the state courts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh and Eighth Circuits, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior to joining Mercanti, she served for more than 25 years as the Commissioner (Chief Legal Officer) of the Minnesota Supreme Court, participating in the resolution of more than 30,000 cases or petitions presented to the Court, including overseeing the case flow, proposing disposition solutions to complex legal questions, assuring as prompt a resolution as possible, assigning the cases to an individual justice for authoring, and assisting the court as otherwise necessary. She also managed a considerable staff of career and temporary attorneys and other legal personnel; designed and implemented a series of procedures relating to the management of the Supreme Court and the establishment of the Minnesota Court of Appeals system; served as the Court’s liaison to the trial courts and attorneys practicing state-wide; and served for over 20 years on the Supreme Court Advisory Committee for the Rules of Civil Procedure, Rules of Civil Appellate Procedure and Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Director Dave provides clients with financial and strategic advice across all areas investment banking including buy-side and sell-side M&A, public and private equity offerings and debt placements. Dave has worked with domestic and international middle market public, private and family-owned companies in the personal care, sporting goods and leisure equipment, apparel, automotive aftermarket, health club, restaurant, direct marketing and specialty retail sectors. He joined Mercanti in 2001 after he left Piper Jaffray, where he was a member of the Consumer Investment Banking group and worked on a variety of financings and advisory assignments for middle market companies in the consumer industry. Dave has worked with clients such as K2, Sevylor, Thymes, California Pizza Kitchen, J. Jill Group, Ares Management, Linsalata Capital Partners and Empire Beauty Schools. He is a graduate from the University of Notre Dame, where he received a BBA magna cum laude with a major in finance and a minor in accounting and completed the University’s Honors Program.
Director Brian joined Mercanti in May 2007 to further strengthen the firm’s investment banking presence in Health & Nutrition, Gaming and Consumer Products sectors. Prior to joining Mercanti, Brian worked at Seidler Capital where he advised middle market companies on a broad range of corporate finance transactions including buy-side and sell-side M&A, private and public capital raising, PIPE’s, debt recapitalizations and fairness opinions. While Brian has advised a diverse group of entrepreneurs and family-owned companies, his primary specializations are in health and nutrition and gaming with clients including ReNew Life Formulas, Champion Nutrition, NutriSystem, Reliv International, NDS Nutrition, Summit Gaming, Acres Gaming and PDS Gaming. Prior to Seidler, Brian worked in Enron’s Global Finance division providing corporate development strategy and transaction structuring for Enron’s numerous broadband initiatives. Brian received a BBA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Georgetown University, where he graduated Beta Gamma Sigma.
Principal 310.444.0130 x 229 Eric joined Mercanti in May 2007 as a Principal. Previously, Eric worked at Seidler Capital on a range of M&A, capital raising and strategic advisory assignments with a focus on the health and nutrition, gaming and consumer products sectors. Eric has extensive transaction experience involving both public and private companies, with recent client engagements including Summit Gaming sale to GameTech International; Electra Bicycle Company recapitalization by Caltius Equity Partners and Reliv International, Inc. $25 million equity capital raise. Prior to joining Seidler in 2003, Eric was with the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at CIBC World Markets and he began his career as a Corporate Finance Analyst at Prudential Volpe Technology Group. Eric graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a BA in Economics.
Principal Edgar joined Mercanti in 2005 after spending more than six years working with Gateway, Inc. Edgar is focused on covering targeted industries including baby/juvenile products, pet products and services, housewares and appliances, personal care products, software as a service, internet media, computing/electronics and enterprise applications. His recent client transactions have included the sales of a small appliance division, a software as a service company, a retail entertainment business, a gaming equipment manufacturer and a wholesale plumbing distributor. While at Gateway, he led various transactional and finance efforts, most recently with Gateway’s Consumer and Small Business Sales division. Prior to that, he was Gateway’s Assistant Treasurer, a director in the Corporate Financial Planning group, head of finance for the Mobile Products division and a key member in both the Strategic Outsourcing operations and Corporate Development areas. While in corporate development, Edgar was responsible for assisting in the management, valuation and due diligence activities for Gateway’s $300 million strategic investment portfolio consisting of both private and public companies, including AOL, eSoft, OfficeMax, ProAct Technologies, Rentway and Transmeta. Prior to joining Gateway, Edgar spent more than four years as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch and Co. working on both M&A and capital markets activities for clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small private companies. He worked on advisory engagements for clients such as Allied Waste Industries, Brylane, Hilton Hotels, Litton Industries, MedPartners, Mossimo, Oakley, Safeskin Corporation and Tenet Healthcare. Edgar received a BA in Business Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Associate Paul joined The Mercanti Group in 2006. Before joining Mercanti, Paul worked in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of K1 Ventures Limited, a private equity firm headquartered in Singapore. Based in K1’s Los Angeles office, Paul was responsible for assisting in the management, valuation and due diligence activities for K1’s investment portfolio as well as for developing crucial new investments. While at K1, Paul distinguished himself during the acquisition of Helm Holding Corp. – the largest transportation leasing industry acquisition in the firm’s history. Paul brings extensive expertise working on a wide variety of buy side assignments in the consumer services, industrial goods, food and beverage, real estate, hospitality, transportation leasing and energy sectors. Prior to K1, Paul spent two years with Eastdil Secured (previously Secured Capital Corp.) on their commercial mortgage trading desk. Paul received a BS in Communications from Boston University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California Marshall School Of Business.
Adeel Ahmad - Minneapolis Adeel joined The Mercanti Group in July 2008. Before joining Mercanti, he was an analyst with Banc of America Securities in the Consumer & Retail group based in Chicago. Previously, he held internships at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Caterpillar and KPMG. Adeel is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he received a BS in Accountancy with high honors and a MS degree in Accountancy with a minor in Finance.
Andrew Jarrett - Minneapolis Andrew Jarrett joined The Mercanti Group in January 2008. Before joining Mercanti, he served as an analyst with Gruppo, Levey & Co. (GLC), a boutique investment bank focusing on the direct marketing industry. Prior to GLC, Andrew worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he was an Analyst in the Execution & Clearing division. Previously, he held an internship at Donna Karan where he worked alongside the business manager for menswear. Andrew graduated from St. John’s University with a BS degree in Economics.
Jennifer Liao – Los Angeles Jennifer joined The Mercanti Group as an Analyst Intern in 2006 and became an Analyst in 2007. Prior to joining Mercanti, Jennifer was an Analyst Intern at Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin where she did research and write-ups regarding multiple facets of the financial industry. Jennifer graduated from the University of Southern California with a BS in Business Administration and Finance.
Sara joined The Mercanti Group in 2006 from Piper Jaffray & Co. where she served as a marketing coordinator in the Financial Sponsor’s Investment Banking Group. She was responsible for event marketing and maintaining the private equity relationships for all investment banking. While at Piper Jaffray, Sara also worked as part of the Private Placement team. From 1999 to 2002, Sara was an account supervisor with Fleishman Hillard in their Washington, D.C. office. While at Fleishman Hillard, she managed the internal and external communications of several emerging technology companies, public companies and public affairs and government agencies. Some representative clients included Yahoo!, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, CoStar Group, U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Mint. From 1997 to 1999, Sara worked in the office of U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) as a Scheduler and Press Secretary. Sara graduated from The George Washington University with a BA in Political Communications.
Kristin Olson - Minneapolis
Devon Rusling – Los Angeles Devon joined The Mercanti Group in 2004. Prior to joining Mercanti, she worked as a Research Assistant in the Corporate Finance Department of UBS Warburg. She was responsible for analyzing both public and private companies and participated in a variety of transactions including mergers & acquisitions, public debt offerings, and public & private equity offerings. Prior to UBS Warburg, Devon was a Research Analyst at Prime Ventures, an internet-based venture capital firm in Santa Monica. Prior to that, she was a Banking Assistant / Junior Analyst in the Investment Banking Department of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in Los Angeles. Devon received a BS in Finance from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Georgina Stoyles – Minneapolis |
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