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M&A Masters Podcast
with Patrick Stroth
Master the clean exit! Discover secrets of M&A Masters. You’ll hear inside interviews with M&A advisors, attorneys, investment bankers, private equity players, and the entrepreneurs themselves. If you ever want to sell your business this is a must-listen podcast.

Lorraine Wilson | Novata: Your On-ramp for the ESG Data Evolution
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Lorraine Wilson, Chief Impact Officer and Head of ESG Methodology at Novata. Novota’s mission is to empower general partners in the private market to collect, analyze, and report relevant ESG data. Lorraine says, “ESG is evolving. Novata offers a standard process for analysis… using metrics most applicable to the private market.” As ESG begins permeating the private sectors, it’s becoming top of mind for investors and in the boardroom. Listen as Lorraine walks us through: How Novata assists general partners and private companies in collecting, analyzing and reporting relevant ESG data The reporting on-ramp Novata has created – a technology platform which includes a library of metrics and guidance, where GPs can select the most relevant disclosures for their portfolio companies What she believes will be the biggest focus of data analysis for 2022 (Hint: ESG isn’t going away) And more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Novata Lorraine’s LinkedIn TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there. I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority in executive and transactional liability, and President of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services. Now a proud member of the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Network. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here. That’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today, I’m joined by Lorraine Wilson, Chief Impact Officer of Novata. Novata is an ESG platform built specifically for private markets. Formed by unique consortium of leading nonprofit and for profit organizations, Novata empowers general partners and private companies to collect, analyze, benchmark and report relevant ESG data. And as an approach for investing ESG has gone from fringe to core top of mind, both among investors and in the boardroom. So I’m very excited to have

Kresimir Peharda | Cannabis: Advice for First-Time M&A Buyers in the Market
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Kresimir Peharda, corporate and M&A attorney with YK Law. Kresimir is the Chair of the firm’s Cannabis Practice. As federal legalization inches ever closer, we invited him on the show to discuss the ins and outs and the rise of M&A in the world of cannabis. Listen as he walks us through: Improvements are happening and usage is up, but what challenges lie ahead for M&A in the cannabis industry How cannabis regulations affect deals and why buyer/seller trust is everything What trends he sees coming in the cannabis M&A market for 2022 and beyond and his advice to first-time buyers in the market And much more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: YK Law Kresimir’s Email TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there. I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority in executive and transactional liability and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services. Now a proud member of the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Network. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here. That’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today I’m joined by Kresimir Peharda, partner and chair of the cannabis practice at YK Law. With offices in New York, Texas and California, YK Law describes itself as the gravity and prestige of big law with the flexibility and efficiency of a solo. And I asked Kresimir to come on today because in the news, we’ve got legalization on a federal level with cannabis that’s imminent, it always seems to take a little bit longer. But I thought now’s the time before that federal federal stuff gets passed, that maybe we start looking at the ins and outs of mergers and acquisitions in the world of cannabis. So Kresimir,

Michael Kornman | Navigating M&A Deals with Founders and Family-Owned Businesses
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Michael Kornman of NCK Capital. NCK Capital acquires controlling interests in lower-middle market companies and takes them to the next level with “right-fit” capital structures, inspiring management incentives, and nurturing support. Michael says, “We love the lower middle market. It’s a great place to build value…” Listen as he walks us through: Why NCK Capital loves the lower-middle market, their unique perspective and target markets Three rules to ensure success in lower-middle market deals Their secrets for fostering organic growth, and (long term) focused wealth creation And much more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: NCK Capital TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority in executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services, now a proud member of Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, a nationwide network of specialized insurance brokerages. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here, that’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today, I’m joined by Michael Kornman, managing partner of NCK Capital. Based in Dallas, NCK Capital acquires controlling interests and lower middle market companies and takes them to the next level, with right fit capital structures, inspiring management incentives, and nurturing support. Michael, I’m really looking forward to this conversation today. Thank you for joining me. Michael Kornman: Thanks for having me, Patrick. Patrick: So, Michael, before we get into NCK Capital and what you’re doing, which I think is next level, with transitions and so forth, which our audience is really going to enjoy. Let’s set the table, we’ll start with you. What brought you to this point in your career? Michael: Yeah, so I you know, my brother and I founded in NCK Capital

Gina Cocking | Reps And Warranties Insurance: Why It’s Essential In Today’s Climate
Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Gina Cocking, CEO and Managing Director of Colonnade Advisors LLC. Colonnade Advisors is a boutique investment banking firm that specializes in merger and acquisition advisory services, providing financial advice to business owners interested in selling their companies, buying competitors, and raising capital. Gina was employee number one at Colonnade, then left to pursue other interests. She returned to Colonnade Advisors as a Managing Director in 2014. Despite overlap between our practices, there are a lot of parallels going forward and I think you will greatly benefit from this episode. Listen as we talk about: The critical element to managing expectations The truth behind valuation and how to get the best price for your company Gina’s take on the new reps and warranties offerings and what’s coming for 2022 in the industry And much more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Colonnade Advisors LLC Gina Cocking on LinkedIn Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions Podcast TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority on executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services. Now a proud member of Liberty Company Group of Insurance Brokers. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here, that’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today I’m joined by Gina Cocking CEO and managing director of Colonnade Advisors, LLC. Based in Chicago, Colonnade is a boutique investment banking firm that specializes in merger and acquisition advisory services with exceptional strength in serving the clients in the financial services sector. Now while there’s been little overlap between our respective practices up up to date, there are a lot of parallels with what we’re seeing going forward and Gina and I’m

Ron Edmonds | What You Need To Know About Lawn And Landscape M&A
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Ron Edmonds founder and president of The Principium Group. The Principium Group is one of the most recognized names in lawn and landscape mergers & acquisitions, or as I say, the Match.com of landscaping, one of those niches hiding in plain sight in M&A. This is an exciting area in the industry, so listen in as Ron walks us through: How The Principium Group joins buyers and sellers to create a more positive experience for both sides Where the biggest demand is in lawn and landscape M&A (and what is driving it) How technology is changing the industry What trends he sees coming for 2022 and beyond And much more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Principium Group Private Equity Investment in the Landscape Industry 2020 eBook What You Need to Know About Selling a Lawn Care Business eBook Ron’s Email Address TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority on executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services, a member of the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers Group. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here. That’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today, I’m joined by Ron Edmonds, founder of the Principium Group. For the past 17 years, the Principium Group has been providing M&A advisory services to business owners and investors in lawn care, landscaping and other facility services. One could say the Principium Group is the match.com of landscaping, and talk about niches that are hiding in plain sight. I’m very excited because I never would have thought about this as a specialty in M&A. Ron, it’s great to have here. Welcome to the podcast. Ron Edmonds:

Skip Maner | A Fresh Approach to Building Businesses in the Middle Market
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Skip Maner. Skip is a General Partner of NewSpring Capital and founder of the firm’s dedicated buyout strategy, NewSpring Holdings, and was recently featured in Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine. For over 20 years, NewSpring Capital has been seizing compelling opportunities and offering a fresh approach to building businesses in the lower middle market. There’s a lot more to them than meets the eye and we have just the right person to walk us through it, so listen and discover: Capital solutions across five distinct strategies NewSprings Holdings’ ideal targets Upcoming trends for 2022 and beyond And more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: NewSpring Capital TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority on executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here. That’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today I’m joined by Skip Maner, general partner of NewSpring Capital. Based in Pennsylvania, NewSpring Capital for 20 years, has partnered with high performing lower middle market companies and dynamic industries to catalyze new growth, and seize compelling opportunities. Recently featured in Mergers and Acquisitions magazine, Skip is the founder of NewSpring’s dedicated buyout strategy NewSpring Holdings. And so then there, you’re going to find there’s going to be a lot more to NewSpring than meets the eye. And we have just the person to walk us through this. So Skip, thanks for joining me today. Skip Maner: Thanks, Patrick. Happy to be here. Thanks for having me. Patrick: Now, before we dive into all things, new spring, let’s give our audience a little bit of context. And we’ll start with you. What

Angus Marshall | An Exclusive Look at M&A Insurance for Main Street
Our guest for this week’s episode of M&A Masters is Gus Marshall, Head of Transaction Liability at CFC Underwriting, Ltd. CFC is a specialist insurance provider, pioneer in emerging risk, and market leader in cyber and transactional liability. Today we are talking with Gus about CFC’s exciting new product launch, Transaction Liability Private Enterprise (TLPE).Gus says, “Reps and warranties insurance is currently Wall Street and we want to make it Main Street with TLPE.” He’ll break this new product down for us and tell us: How TLPE creates groundbreaking opportunities in micro markets 5 Key TLPE coverage highlights 3 key points to making TLPE work And more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: CFC Underwriting CFC TLPE Informational Webinar TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority on executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon m&a Insurance Services. Welcome to m&a Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here as a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today I’m joined by Gus Marshall, head of transaction liability for CFC. CFC is a specialist insurance provider and pioneer in emerging risk and market leader in both cyber and transactional liability. Gus is here today to present CFCs newest transactional liability product, which was just launched and titled transaction liability, private enterprise or TLP. Now on a personal note, M&A Masters has been doing podcast for over two years, Gus is the very first transaction liability insurance person to be here. And it’s a real key day for us because Gus is here to talk about a new product is the first time in rep a warranty for a long time that a new product has been launched. And this is a product that is designed specifically for

Jordan Tate | The Biggest Driver in Successful Private Equity Partnerships
On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Jordan Tate, Managing Partner at Montage Partners. Montage Partners, based in Arizona, is a people-first private equity firm. For 17 years they have invested in established companies across North America, helping them reach transformative growth. Jordan tells us about his path to Montage Partners, the interesting meaning behind their company name, and how it reflects both who they are and the companies they seek to invest in, as well as: Key strategies for selecting investments The biggest driver in successful partnerships Which questions you should ask to assure a deal is a cultural fit And more MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Montage Partners TRANSCRIPT: Patrick Stroth: Hello there, I’m Patrick Stroth, trusted authority in executive and transactional liability, and president of Rubicon M&A Insurance Services. Welcome to M&A Masters where I speak with the leading experts in mergers and acquisitions. And we’re all about one thing here. That’s a clean exit for owners, founders and their investors. Today I’m joined by Jordan Tate, managing partner of Montage Partners. Montage Partners is an Arizona based private equity firm founded in 2004. They manage $70 million in capital and invest in established successful companies across North America. Jordan is great to have you here. Welcome to the show. Jordan Tate: Thanks, Patrick. Good to speak with you again. Patrick: Now, we don’t see a lot of private equity activity here in Arizona. So you really caught our attention. Before we get into Montage Partners, let’s let’s start with you. How did you get to this point in your career, and then maybe trace, you know how you landed in Arizona? Jordan: Sure. So a little bit of background, I’m 40 years old, I started my career as an investment banking analyst at Merrill