Middle Market Musings

Les Alexander takes MMM on a picaresque back-and-forth between the lowlands of Louisiana and the rolling hills of Virginia. Childhood in New Orleans, college at UVA, a private equity and business career back home, then a return to Charlottesville as an endowed professor. The lively discussion covers such critical questions as the right way to say “New Orleans,” the best restaurant in Charlottesville, the lineage of the hot sauce industry, and what makes someone an effective teacher, as distinguished from all of the practiced good talkers in the deal business.

Another episode, another chat with a Navy pilot / SEAL team member / US-Senate candidate / private equity star / private company CEO….Gabriel Gomez stops by to talk about his boyhood in Washington state, his extraordinary military service, and his post-HBS success in business, including his most recent venture as CEO of O2X Human Performance, which provides science-backed training programs to hundreds of public safety departments nationwide, federal agencies, and the military. Falfurrias Capital invested in O2X in early 2024. This one does not lack in memorable moments, but Gabriel’s “you are there” account of how you stick the landing on an aircraft carrier is a particular highlight.

Jeff Giles is the latest deal professional to run out of excuses and end up in the MMM studio. He is Executive Vice President for Corporate Development at Core & Main, a St. Louis-based publicly traded specialty distributor focused on water, wastewater, storm drainage and fire protection. Andy and Charlie join Jeff in recounting his days as a private equity newbie. Since joining Core & Main in 2018, Jeff has completed more than 30 acquisitions, deploying approximately $1.6 billion of capital. A lively conversation charts the evolution of Jeff’s childhood in St. Louis and his love of hockey, his early career progression, the table stakes for being a successful strategic buyer, and the St. Louis Blues’ earthshaking 2019 Stanley Cup win.

This episode features: a University of Missouri starting quarterback who tackled Brian Bosworth, a hardworking youthful entrepreneur, a standout networker in the M&A industry, a pioneer podcaster and a leader in the field of insurance / due diligence. Not five guests! Just one – Jeff Henningsen, President and CEO of Lockton Companies – Texas Series. A veritable Ben Franklin. The episode contains the standard animated discussion that seasoned listeners come to expect from Andy and Charlie. In a varsity move, Jeff refuses to get drawn in to the heated debate over who was responsible for the “lost” first taping attempt of this episode. To seasoned MMM listeners, the answer is obvious…

Steve was the one “first time, long time” guest in the DealMax extravaganza. Even so, he is as cool as the other side of the pillow in recounting his activities as TM’s head of sponsor coverage and the firm’s recent acquisition by Janney Montgomery Scott. Steve and Andy trade friendly competitive observations on the Braves and Phillies while Charlie – totally not influenced by current Red Sox fortunes – declares baseball passé.

If this were a Friends episode, it would be “The One Where Gretchen Shows Up With a Glass of Wine.” Gretchen blows the doors off with insights into Avance’s deal activity, the current temperamental condition of the M&A market, and her own turn as DealMAX conference chair a few years ago. A discussion of her “walk on” music at that event leads to Charlie, Andy and Gretchen all singing at different points in the episode. “Must See TV,” for sure.

Brent returns to the big stage for his first DealMax conference since assuming the reins as ACG’s CEO. He shares some impressive numbers on this year’s event – more than 3,000 attendees and an estimated 35,000-40,000 meetings. Then interesting discussion on how ACG is keeping pace with the industry’s desire for more informed and qualified interactions. In “Gifford or Greenberg,” Brent asserts his own superiority in cooking (uncontested) and musical tastes (heavily contested).

Christina Pai is a partner at Fort Point Capital, a Boston-based private equity firm focused on service businesses with high growth potential. This episode begins and ends with Christina and Charlie swapping captivating Boston sports insights. In between, she charts her Massachusetts childhood, college at Dartmouth, and path to her current role at Fort Point. Discussion ensues around the strengths and appetites of the family office, the fundless sponsor, and the LP-based fund. Andy attempts to get in on the Boston mojo with an origin story that sounds suspiciously like the opening of Good Will Hunting. Christina and Charlie (to no one’s surprise) see through the ruse.

Mark Chesen is a founder and managing partner at SSG Capital Advisors, a special situations-focused investment bank that has completed more than 400 transactions since its founding in 2001. Mark zips through growing up in Iowa, college at the University of Texas and an early stint in public accounting before turning to the wide world of investment banking. He and the hosts chart SSG’s growth, its sale and repurchase by the founders, and the unusual continuity Mark and his partners have maintained over 23 years. There’s also some interesting discussion about the DNA of the special situations banker and how Mark both uses and plays off of his own good nature. This ones goes smooth “like buttah.” (If you get the dated SNL reference – you are in the core MMM demographic.)

The Middle Market Musings tour bus rolls into southwestern Ohio for a discussion with Ashley Hess, Partner-in-Charge of Baker Hostetler’s Cincinnati office. Ashley draws vivid stories out of a succession of stops in his journey: Western Virginia boyhood, school at UVA and Washington & Lee, marriage and life as a young connector in the Cincinnati community and, finally, a demanding and varied corporate law practice. Ashley’s clients include multi-national firms like Toyota and buyers/sellers in the middle market deal space. He talks with equal verve about trends in the automotive industry and his enthusiasm for blues music. One of the MMM hosts springs to life at the chance to talk about the blues, while the other struggles awkwardly for on-point references.

This time around, Chrisanne Corbett classes up the proceedings. Chrisanne is Managing Director of KPMG Corporate Finance LLC, leading the Diversified Industrials Team, and co-leading the Private Equity Coverage Team. She starts off recalling a busy, promising childhood in Minnesota and Connecticut. Andy and Charlie – rarely interested in the same thing at the same time – both come to full alert for tales of appearing in early commercials for the gum and candy company where her father worked. Chrisanne then moves on to college at Notre Dame and a career in investment banking, including the last 24 years spent at KPMG. She recounts KPMG’s current areas of focus, from the perspective of a banker versatile enough to have industry vertical responsibilities while keeping a hand in sponsor coverage.

Jon Skinner is CEO of PSP Partners, a diversified private investment firm founded by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Jon is the latest financial honcho to miss his exit and end up in the Middle Market Musings recording complex with Andy and Charlie. Jon reviews his path to his current role – childhood in suburban Boston, football and undergrad at Brown, law school at Boston College, then a storied investment banking career culminating in his tenure as a vice chairman at William Blair. Jon then reviews the investment practices and culture of PSP and concludes by sharing his interests outside of work, including serving as board chair of the Honor Foundation, which is devoted to job placement for U.S. Special Ops veterans.

Andy Souder grew up in a steel town and attended Notre Dame, but the similarities to “Rudy” end there. Andy is vice president of acquisitions at RAF Equity, a family office turned private equity fund based in suburban Philadelphia. Andy regales his old friends with stories of his own upbringing and early career in commercial banking and law, then he and Andy Greenberg trade stories about Bob Fox, RAF’s remarkable founder. Discussion then turns to RAF Equity today – new leadership and focus on higher growth industries combined with traditional values and approach. Charlie rises to the challenge of two Philadelphians by talking up the last days of the Belichick era in Boston.

Bob Whalen is CEO of HB Global, a $550-million revenues commercial specialty contracting firm based in Harrisburg, PA. Bob talks about HB’s evolution since his acquisition of the business and its transition to ESOP ownership in 2008, as well as HB Capital, a private equity vehicle formed to acquire other businesses suited to similar management and ownership. Some interesting discussion on valuations prevailing in HVAC/commercial services. Bob opens with his learnings from being a competitive D-1 college wrestler and the relevance to running HB Global. Andy and Charlie show their prowess as D-1 interviewers, as usual.

Brent Baxter is several months into his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Corporate Growth, the premier trade organization serving the M&A deal making community. Brent shares his immediate vision and priorities for serving ACG’s membership, then delves into the path that brought him to this role. Childhood in western Pennsylvania, a college-era stint as in the restaurant business that honed his people and management skills, then a business and banking career in St. Louis culminating at Nolan & Associates. Brent’s youthful experience leads to the discovery that Andy and Charlie have the same favorite Italian dish – linguini alle vongole. Who says nothing in common?

Jim Apple is partner and head of sourcing at The Sterling Group, an operationally focused private equity firm based in Houston. Jim hits the ground running with stories of a rich upbringing that included antique road shows and no TV in the house. Discussion culminates with a review of Sterling, its two current vehicles and model that includes seven drivers of value including the one Jim is responsible for – acquisitions. Before that, we hit highlights from Jim’s two earlier career stints in industrial development and investment banking. As is often the case, conversation ends up on music tastes. Jim scores with his recommendation of the Black Pumas, “an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas.”

Jim Andersen wakes up as if from a bad dream, and finds himself in conversation with Andy and Charlie. Jim is a managing partner and co-founder of Clearview Capital, a Stamford, CT based private equity fund that is often the first source of institutional capital for lower middle market owner/managers. Clearview is currently investing Fund V, an $850 million vehicle. We start off with tales from Jim’s early career experience stationed in Egypt with Schlumberger. Charlie seizes the opportunity to show off his mastery of the geography of North Africa. Jim goes on to detail Clearview’s trajectory as a fund that balances industry focus against selection of the right vehicle and management team. Conversation turns to a Middle Market Musings staple – culture. As a partner in a fund that has never had a principal team member leave, Jim brings some authority to the subject.

This time out, Rob Brown takes us inside Lincoln International LLC, one of the preeminent middle market investment banks. Rob joined Lincoln as one of its first employees in 1998, rising to become CEO in 2021. He charts his own and Lincoln’s development with great insight and good humor. Stick around for the second half, in which Rob, Andy and Charlie have an extended discussion about the “science of the pitch,” particularly as it bears on and channels the development of younger team members. The guitar on the wall in Rob’s Zoom background leads to an even more animated conversation – where each of the combatants list their top three greatest living guitarists. The responses are equal parts cringe-worthy and enlightened, depending upon your perspective.

Hollywood settles the writer’s strike, the vast creative team supporting Middle Market Musings swings back into action, and we launch our third season with a standout guest! Nishen Radia is Senior Managing Director and Co-Head of M&A at B. Riley Securities. Nishen starts off with a panoramic tour of his well-traveled boyhood, including a stint selling (and wrecking) cars at his father’s London car dealership. Andy and Charlie then delve into an M&A career highlighted by the 20-year run of FocalPoint Partners, the M&A firm founded by Nish and Duane Stullich in 2002 and the integration of that firm into B. Riley Securities in 2022. This one is packed with business insights, but still makes room for the infamous Bollywood wedding video.

Chris Burbach draws the black marble and finds himself on the podcast with Andy and Charlie. Chris is Co-founder, Partner and CEO of Fundamental Income, an institutionally backed firm that offers efficient real estate-based capital to business owners and buyers, and access to net lease real estate to investors. Chris explains when and how thinking about the monetization of real estate makes sense for a buyer in the capital structure of a contemplated transaction. Before that, Chris shares an entertaining origin story – growing up in Phoenix, getting exposed to real estate value through his parent’s charter school business and having a low ceiling on the basketball court at Santa Clara University.