Business Advisory, Management & Investor Network
The Advisors Group serves as a valuable resource providing a wealth of practical advice on strategic, operational, financial, and sales and marketing issues as well as a trusted source of client opportunities, transaction-oriented events, and investor leads. Depending on the client need and the nature of the project or transaction, the advisors could actively work with the client as an integral part of the Bison team. Bison considers the Advisors Group as a proactive extension of its core team capabilities and an important part of its professional community network.

Phil Comerford—Managing Director / Head of M&A, ING Capital
Senior M&A investment banker focused on middle market transactions. Formerly with WestLB Merchant Bank, BHF Bank, and Citibank.

Jim Cook—Managing Partner, Silverhawk Capital Partners LLC
Senior private equity professional, Board member and investment banker. Co-Founder of Silverhawk Capital Partners, a private equity firm investing in middle market manufacturing, service and distribution businesses. Formerly a Partner of First Union Capital Partners; Vice President-Investment Banking at Kidder Peabody & Co.; Vice President-Corporate Banking at The Bank of New York.

Jim Cornell—President, Praxiis Business Advisors
Senior operational and general management executive with extensive experience in business and organizational development, strategic planning, turnarounds, M&A, contract negotiations and business valuations. Expertise in the security services, government contracting and real estate management industries. Formerly COO and CFO of National Security Corp., a publicly traded security services company; Special Advisor to the Board of Pinkerton Government Services, a government protective services company; Director of Business Operations/Contract Administration of DynCorp, a government contract management company. Mr. Cornell is the author of 3 books on turnarounds, corporate performance management, and business operations analysis.

Scott Fabricant—CFO, Precision Resource Inc
Senior operational manager, financial executive and business consultant. Extensive experience as an interim CEO, COO, and CFO for a number of small to middle-market companies; an advisor to private equity funds’ portfolio companies; a domestic and international sales and marketing consultant; a private equity fund manager; an M&A and investment banking advisor; a joint venture/partnership/strategy consultant; and a turnaround/restructuring specialist. Formerly a Managing Director of Centerprise Advisors, a middle market accounting/advisory firm; Cofounder of a private equity fund; President & CFO of Nucleotech LLC, an international biotechnology company; Partner of Price Waterhouse.

Ben Giess—Partner and Co-Founder, Anvil Capital
Senior private equity professional. Co-Founder of Anvil Capital, a private equity firm investing in manufacturing, service and distribution businesses in the lower end of the middle market. Formerly a Partner & Co-Founder of Hampshire Equity Partners, a member of the Corporate Finance Group at GE Capital and a Credit Department Manager for the Boston branch of Algemene Bank Nederland.

Parker Gilbert—President, Brand Building Ventures LLC
Senior marketing/brand management executive with major consumer brand companies in the personal products, food and pharmaceuticals segments and private investor. Formerly VP-Marketing at Playtex Products, Inc. for Banana Boat hair and skin care products; Marketing Director/Senior Product Manager at Playtex Products, Inc. for feminine and baby care products; Marketing Manager at Campbell Soup Company for the Pepperidge Farm product line; Product Manager at American Home Products Corporation for the Whitehall Laboratories Division; Corporate Bond Trader at Salomon Brothers.

Pat Guerin—President, Guerin Consulting Group International LLC
Senior management consultant, restructuring advisor, corporate interim executive and senior banking manager/credit officer with experience in the construction, real estate, banking/financial services, waste management, energy and food industries. Significant experience in privately-held and family owned companies involving strategic planning, analytical financial and operational assessment and hands on management of underperforming middle market companies in workout/turnaround situations. Expertise in business development in US, European and Asian markets including ten years residence in Asia. Managing Director, Kestrel Consulting LLC and former Managing Director, Grammar & Co.; CEO & Chief Credit Officer, Banque Arabe et International D’Investissment (acquired by Banque Nationale de Paris); SVP, Bank of America (NY Office); VP, Citibank (US, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea).

David Kratovil — Partner, KN Associates
Senior corporate finance executive with over 25 years of experience in leveraged finance, corporate banking and international capital markets. Industry experience includes auto and transportation, consumer products, diversified manufacturing companies and precious metals both in private and public company sectors. Mr. Kratovil is a partner of KN Associates, a private merchant bank, and was formerly a SVP & Director at Credit Suisse First Boston’s Leveraged Finance Group and a VP at Chemical Bank’s Corporate Banking Group.

Steve Limpe—Former CEO, Petro-Chem Development Co.
Senior corporate executive and entrepreneur with experience in senior corporate management, private equity/merchant banking and investment banking. Formerly President, CEO & CFO of Beenz.com, a leading online currency, rewards and loyalty program provider; President & CEO of Acoustiguide Corp, a leading worldwide provider of audio tour services to museums, historic sites and tourist attractions; SVP & Principal of Gefinor (USA), Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of a German merchant bank; Cofounder & Partners of Vestrock Partners, private equity investor in and financial advisor for lower middle market companies; Associate of Investment Banking Division at Merrill Lynch.

Jeff Marks—CEO, CEO Growth Advisors
Senior management executive with over 25 years of experience in assisting early stage and middle market businesses in developing business strategy and alliances, marketing new products and services, arranging growth capital financings, recruiting management personnel and advising the senior executive team. Mr. Marks was the founder of the Westchester Business Accelerator (WBA), a management and business consultancy serving the strategic/business planning, sales/marketing and financing needs of middle market companies primarily in the metro New York region. Prior to WBA, Mr. Marks founded JDR Marketing, a direct marketing and telemarketing company serving Fortune 500 customers, and sold the business to NCO Group. He has provided business mentoring services for early-stage companies and has assisted in the venture financing process frequently serving as an angel investor in seed stage companies.

Charles McGill— Adjunct Professor of Finance, NYU's Stern School of Business and Managing Partner, Sagamore Partners
Senior corporate executive with domestic and international expertise in M&A, joint ventures and strategic alliances, corporate strategic planning and restructuring with significant experience in the consumer products, restaurant/food service, and information services industries. Formerly a senior management executive with W.R. Grace, Ogden Corporation, The Pillsbury Company/Diageo PLC, Dun & Bradstreet and Fortune Brands.

Don McGuire— Managing Partner, DMM Advisors
Senior financial and general management advisor with over 30 years of experience in financial services, operations management, strategic business development and organizational transformation in both domestic and international markets. His firm, DMM Advisors, provides strategic , fundraising and operational services to middle market companies as well as interim management services to growth oriented companies. Mr. McGuire was formerly President, CEO & Chairman of Metastatin Pharmaceuticals, a development stage bio-pharmaceutical company, President, CEO & Director of Beenz.com, a global internet company with unique marketing/currency features and Managing Director & COO of ING Barings/Furman Selz’s Americas Corporate Finance group with operations in the US, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Prior to ING, Mr. McGuire was VP-Corporate Finance at UBS Securities and held investment banking and investment roles at BZW Securities, GE Capital, Prudential-Bache Capital Funding and Government Investors Trust. He also served on the staff of Henry Kissinger. 

Peter Ness — Partner, KN Associates
Senior merchant banking, corporate development and corporate counsel with over 40 years of experience working as an investor, investment banker, senior advisor and legal counsel with large public and middle market private companies. Mr. Ness has expertise in institutional financial markets, private equity investing and corporate acquisitions, business strategy and operations and corporate governance issues. Mr. Ness is a partner of KN Associates, a private merchant bank, and was formerly a CEO of a CT-based merchant bank, a Managing Director of Chase Investment Bank, a Corporate Development Executive at Thyssen Bournemisza Group, a Corporate Development Officer at General Foods Corporation, a VP & General Counsel at Continental Can Company, an Associate General Counsel at Dun & Bradstreet and an Associate Attorney at Shearman & Sterling..

Tom Opladen—President, The River Group
Senior management consultant, corporate interim executive, restructuring advisor, Board of Directors member, and senior investment banker with experience in the consumer products, medical, construction, power generation, and financial services industries. Managing Director, Kestrel Consulting LLC and former Managing Director, Grammar & Co. and current President of The River Group which are management consulting, investment banking, and financial advisory firms; Chairman and CEO of Graham Field Health Products (Chapter 11 restructuring); SVP of the Investment Banking Group, and Director of the Corporate Finance and Private Placement Groups at Bank of America; VP, Corporate Finance at Shearson Loeb Rhoades.

Stephen Oster—Chairman, The Oster Group, Inc.
Senior corporate executive, management consultant, and private investor with expertise in turnarounds, crisis management, financial restructurings, acquisition and divestiture programs, and corporate advisory services. Formerly Chairman and CEO of A.J. Oster Company, the largest brass mill products manufacturer and distributor in the U.S. and the largest pewter metal manufacturer in the world, which was sold to Cookson Group PLC; President of Oster Industries, a real estate investment and venture capital company focused on the alternative energy, technology, and bio-medical sectors; affiliation with the consulting group of New York-based merchant bank Carl Marks & Co.

Van Parker—Managing Director, Centre Capital Advisors
Senior management consultant, credit executive, and interim manager. Formerly Principal of the Halyard Restructuring Group,  interim COO of Avienda Technologies, Inc., a provider of advanced Internet-based communications systems and networks; Senior Credit Officer of Xerox-Corporate Finance Division, provider of leasing, secured/unsecured financing, real estate investment, and technology-based funding for domestic and international companies; VP-Project Finance at Kidder Peabody & Co.; senior credit officer at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company.

Phil Smith—Managing Director, Novahill Partners LLC
Senior financial advisor and corporate banker focused on restructurings, corporate finance, and international M&A and project finance for middle market companies.Mr. Smith was formerly with Centre Capital Advisors, a middle market corporate finance advisory firm and was Principal of the Halyard Restructuring Group, Managing Director of International Strategy Services, Inc., an advisory firm specializing in M&A, restructurings, project finance, and JVs in Latin America and Europe, and SVP, New York Corporate Division of The Bank of New York.

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