Sell-Side Success: Structuring the Right Deal for Maximum Value

Gene is Head of the Industrials Group with Founders Advisors based in the firm’s Dallas office. Gene has over 20 years of experience acting as both a principal and advisor to companies executing mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and debt and equity financings. Gene began his career as a process controls engineer and transitioned into investment banking at UBS in New York, where he specialized in industrial technology areas such as automation, instrumentation, sensors and electronics. Gene developed significant transaction expertise while working for Houlihan Lokey in New York and other organizations such as Cooper Industries in Houston and AZZ Incorporated in Fort Worth.

As a Principal with Valesco, Pierce Edwards’ primary role in this position includes new investment origination, financial & business analysis, due diligence, active Board Member duties, and investment process management. His responsibilities play a key role in our team’s ability to deliver on our commitment beyond capital. 

Prior to beginning his career at Valesco, Pierce spent nearly four years at Evolve Capital where he worked on originating, executing, and monitoring private equity investments. His focus was in founder-run businesses across a variety of industries that included manufacturing, industrial services, and healthcare. Pierce began his career at J.P. Morgan-Chase, where he developed his analytical skill-set managing the portfolios of ultra-high net worth individuals and family offices. As Principal, these analytical skills are integral to the success of the entire team and our portfolio companies.

Pierce received his Master of Business Administration from the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, with concentrations in Accounting, Strategy & Entrepreneurship. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Amherst College where he participated on the Amherst Men’s Basketball team and Student Senate.

Pierce remains close to his twin brother and younger, much taller brother. They spend their time playing basketball, engaging with various charities and exploring new and exciting investment opportunities.

Greg Koonsman founded VMG Health and has acted as a trusted advisor to healthcare system and healthcare services executives and boards since 1990. He founded VMG Health in 1995 to create the first healthcare services-focused valuation and transaction advisory firms in the United States. He has been responsible for directing and implementing the overall strategy and focus of the firm since 1995. He has gained a deep level of expertise working with hundreds of healthcare organizations on over three thousand engagements throughout the United States, UK, South Africa, and Western Europe. Over the last 26 years, VMG has achieved a compound annual growth rate of over 16% and the company has grown to over 200 employees. Koonsman continues to advise clients in their transaction and joint venture strategies.

Koonsman has led the company as it has expanded its service offerings into strategic consulting, financial due diligence, coding and compliance, and interim management. Between January 2017 and October 2018, he acted as interim Chief Development Officer of Envision Healthcare. During that period, Envision made over $1 billion in acquisitions and divested a $2.6 billion medical transportation business. Envision was taken private by KKR in October of 2018.

Koonsman was a co-founder and Director of Practice Performance, Inc., a physician practice management services business that was sold to Med Synergies in 2006.

Married for over 20 years to JaNelle and we have two wonderful daughters ages 14 and 11.

1999-2001 – Estimator for Control Systems International (now Schneider Electric)
2001-2011- Sales Engineer for Cohesive Automation
2011 – 2023 – Vice President (1 of 3 Principals Owners) for Enviromatic Systems (grew the business >3x and opened an Austin office in 2013)
2023 – Partnered with Audax Private Equity. Role change to Chief Revenue Officer.
2024 – The Enviromatic platform is now 4 offices and grew organically >25% in 2024.
2025 – We are excited about our continued organic growth as well as the partnerships (M&A) that we are pursuing.  

Thomas Woolsey has deep experience advising clients with mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, financings, and debt and equity offerings in transactions ranging in value from $5M to $1B+. Thomas advises clients in transactions that involve a broad range of industries, including health care, software and technology, energy, manufacturing and construction, real estate, and food and beverage. His clients include private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, operating companies, and management teams.