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Adams Room - 6th Floor Session A

Transaction Preparedness: Checking the Boxes on Deal Readiness

Presented By: CLA & BMO Harris Bank

No matter what type of M&A you and your company are involved with, success means being ready for the deal to go down. A group of veteran dealmakers discuss what you should know, common missteps and practical advice — including how to manage the emotional side of transactions.

Moderator:

Caroline Gardner
Managing Director, Financial Advisory Services Group
BMO Harris Bank

Caroline is a managing director and leads the Financial Advisory Services Practice at BMO Harris. She serves as a strategic adviser to owners and boards of family-owned businesses on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder buyouts, recapitalizations, ESOPs, ownership transitions, valuation and liquidity events. She has over 12 years of experience in investment banking, business development, strategic planning and consulting.

Panelists:

Joseph Baez
Principal, Private Equity
CLA

Joe is a private equity principal with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) and has been with CLA since 2001. He has 18 years of assurance and consulting experience, which includes working with a wide range of closely held companies as they deal with the challenges of mergers and acquisitions.

Desiree Rogers
CEO
One Brown Girl, LLC.

Desiree is a leader, communicator, strategist and connector. Her expertise includes building stellar teams, delivering positive financial results and creating sustainable brand strategies. She positioned Chicago as a tourist destination through a worldwide digital campaign, and in 2018, Chicago was named the No. 1 “Big City Destination” by Conde Nast Traveler.

Brian Spaly
Founder; Founder; Chairman
Bonobos; Trunk Club; Tecovas

Brian is executive chairman at Tecovas, a direct-to-consumer western boot brand based in Austin, Texas. Until January 2017, he was founder and CEO of Trunk Club, where he focused on making it easy to acquire clothing without the hassles of the traditional shopping experience. Nordstrom acquired Trunk Club in 2014 for $350 million. Previously, he founded Bonobos, a men’s clothing. Bonobos was acquired by Walmart in 2017. 

Conference Location

17 East Monroe Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Tel: 312.726.7500