Strategic partner to Fortune 500 clients' C-suite, advising on M&As, shareholder activism and raid defense, contested and hostile M&As, and providing shareholder insights and analytics for cross-border M&A and capital allocation decisions. Sourced and analyzed potential M&A targets aligned with clients' strategic directions, financial positions, and growth goals; managed deal negotiations and execution. Supported clients in proactively addressing shareholder concerns and pre-empting challenges to aggressively deter activist attacks. Served as Recruiting Captain (since 2015) for acquiring summer investment banking associates from Chicago Booth School of Business.
* Created a world leader in clinical development/commercialization. Steered ICON’s $12B acquisition of PRA Health Sciences.
* Aided LVMH, the world’s leading luxury products group, to transform its watches and jewelry division by spearheading its $17B acquisition of iconic jeweler, Tiffany & Co.

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* Positioned Disney to elevate its content and entertainment, grow the international footprint, and expand direct-to-consumer offerings by leading its $71B acquisition of 21st Century Fox.
* Added $2B in sustainable, incremental run-rate revenue for Broadcom and generated ~$1.3B in pro forma EBITDA while extending its software footprint by driving the $11B acquisition of Symantec Enterprise Security.
* Averted value-destructing M&A, leading Freenet’s opposition to Sunrise’s $4B acquisition of UPC and its related capital raise.
* Protected numerous companies from shareholder activists. Defended Big Lots against Ancora and Macellum, Encompass Health against JANA, Berry Global against Ancora, Mercury Systems against JANA and Starboard, and several other clients in undisclosed roles in public and private campaigns.

Consulted with top-ranked, multinational industrial corporations to drive corporate development through M&As, provide defense against shareholder activists and hostile takeovers, and navigate contested M&A situations. Recruited summer investment banking associates and hired, trained, and coached junior team of high-potential talent for Shareholder Advisory Group.
• Built foundation to advance 500+ worldwide investment bankers' ability to secure client mandates in cross-border M&A transactions. Steered delivery of advanced Shareholder and M&A analytics, guiding a team of investment bankers and data scientists in 6-month project. Leveraged interaction with key clients to generate novel analytics solutions.
• Selected to a group of Sustainability Champions for North America, a small team of mid-level bankers, envisioning and driving innovative sustainability solutions.
• Built and retained a team of ~15 analysts and associates for the Shareholder Advisory Group

Worked closely with iconic companies, providing buy-side and sell-side advisory services. Managed a team of 16 analysts in the Chicago office, leading staffing, training, and career development. Pitched and executed M&As, debt and equity transactions for clients in diversified industrial, capital goods, automotive, paper and packaging, metals and mining, and life sciences industries.
• Enabled John Deere to sharpen its competitive edge, becoming the first manufacturer with crushing, screening, and mobile equipment all under one company. Drove negotiation and execution of John Deere's largest deal in its 180-year history, the $5.2B acquisition of Wirtgen (6x greater than its 2nd-largest deal at the time); deal was featured in Citi's Annual Report. Advised and guided John Deere through negotiations.
* Prepared General Motors to improve financial performance and de-risk its balance sheet by advising on ~$2.2B sale of European operations, Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary, to French automaker PSA

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* Paved the way for generating growth capital for Contura Energy and elevating the company profile, as lead advisor on the unconsummated IPO of the diversified coal mining company.
* Generated billions in capital for Tesla by orchestrating ~$1.4B equity follow-on and convertible debt offering.
* Extended specialty pharma company into biotech, as buy-side advisor for unconsummated biotech company acquisition.
* Identified M&A and capital markets opportunities for a specialty pharma company for its review of strategic alternatives.

Steered corporate development and transformation engagements for industrial clients, sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and leading execution of M&As, joint ventures, and company sales.
* Developed and presented recommendations on acquisition opportunities to senior management of the transportation business of major U.S. industrial conglomerate. Performed strategic and financial M&A due diligence of target company’s project portfolio, financial position, financial projections, and alignment with business growth strategy.
* Assessed strategic fit of two railway manufacturers for a joint venture/merger. Analyzed total shareholder return performance, key operational/financial drivers, and options based on projects, market coverage, and market overlap.
* Navigated an automotive component supplier through sale to a leading Asian automotive component/machining tool manufacturer. Conducted M&A sell-side due diligence, assessed and challenged business plan and long-range projections

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* Supported a PE-owned multinational toy manufacturer/retailer to optimize financial performance. Advised Head of FP&A and led 20+ client resources in outlining annual plans for $1.3B in revenue and creating financial models for analyzing variance of each business line and 10 geographies from prior plans. Presented plans to client’s President and CEO.
* Reduced materials costs 15% and manufacturing costs 10% for an Italian rolling stock manufacturer’s $600M metro rail project. Advised business head and instituted an analytical planning/monitoring methodology for 20+ client team members.
* Prevented cost overruns and delays on a $2B program to produce the next generation of Italian high-speed trains. Created visual reporting tools for executives and steered 30+ client team members in weekly program monitoring.