ACG Partners' Biographies

Ben Howe: Co-Founder, CEO

Ben is a Co-Founder and the CEO of AGC Partners

In over 35 years as an investment banker, Ben has completed more than 450 transactions

Prior to AGC, he served as Head of Technology Investment Banking for the East Coast and Europe at Montgomery Securities, and as Managing Director, Head of M&A and Executive Committee Member at SG Cowen Securities

Ben started his investment banking career in New York City with First Boston and Smith Barney

He serves as Chairman of Excel Academy, which has four charter schools in East Boston, and served on the board of Portsmouth Abbey and the advisory board of Trinity College

For his first entrepreneurial endeavor, Ben owned and operated a 45-acre sweet corn farm in Concord, MA.

A Certified Public Accountant, Ben holds a B.A. in Economics from Trinity College and an M.S. in Accounting from The Stern School of Business at NYU

Maria Lewis Kussmaul: Co-Founder, Partner

Maria is a Co-Founder of AGC Partners and is a Partner in the Investment Banking Group leading the firm’s cyber security practice

Working for more than 40 years as a sell-side equity analyst, venture capitalist and investment banker, Maria has advised on 100s of telecom equipment, networking, internet and security transactions

Maria’s early Wall Street career spanned three firms – Smith Barney, Shearson Lehman and Cowen & Co., culminating as global head of Cowen’s Data Networks & Internet investment banking activities

Previously, she was named to the Institutional Investor All-American Research Team for 13 consecutive years

Maria serves as a Trustee of the Museum of Science, Boston and on the advisory board of The Children’s Room, a Center for Grieving Children and Teens in Arlington, MA

Maria holds a B.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of Business and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation

Jon Guido: Partner, COO

Jon is a founding partner and Chief Operating Officer at AGC Partners, with a focus on C-Suite Solution SaaS businesses

He has completed over 150 transactions in his 20+ years as an Investment Banker

Jon helped found AGC in February 2003, coordinating the infrastructure build, capital raise, and recruiting effort

In his role as COO, he works on developing and implementing the firm’s financial, operational, and business development strategies

Prior to joining AGC, Jon worked in SG Cowen's Mergers and Acquisitions Group

He received a B.A. with honors from Colgate University

Rob Buxton: Partner

Rob is a Partner at AGC Partners and is based out of the firm’s Silicon Valley office, where he focuses on the Software and Communications sectors

Before joining AGC, Rob was Managing Director and Co-Head of Technology Investment Banking for CIBC World Markets from 1999-2008

Rob was most recently Managing Director and Head of Technology, Media, and Telecom at Yorkville Advisors, a $1-billion fund focused on structured finance investments

Rob began his career on Wall Street with Dean Witter Reynolds and later moved to Oppenheimer/CIBC; he has more than 25 years of experience, having completed over 250 financing and M&A transactions.

Tim Clarke: Partner, CAO

Tim is a Partner and the CAO at AGC Partners. Previously, he held leadership positions at several investment firms both big and small

As a Managing Director at Citigroup and then at Morgan Stanley, he worked primarily within the equity and fixed income divisions running business units or building new product platforms for over 20 years

He served as Head of European Equity Strategy in London, Head of Middle Market Institutional Sales in New York, and Head of EMEA Private Equity/Alternative Investment Sales in Geneva and London. Most recently, Tim served as Director of Research and Sales at Longbow Research, an equity research boutique serving institutions

Tim received his BA in English Literature from Trinity College

Eric Davis: Partner

Eric is a Partner in the Investment Banking Group at AGC Partners specializing in Cybersecurity. He has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry focusing on acquisition financing, capital raising, and early-stage equity investing

Prior to joining AGC as a Principal, Eric was a Vice President in Citigroup’s TMT and Infrastructure & Energy Finance groups

He also previously worked as a Vice President of Project Finance and Investments at eleQtra, Inc., an emerging markets infrastructure development and investment fund

Eric holds a M.A.L.D. with a concentration in International Business from the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a B.A. in Political Science from Middlebury College

Linda Gridley: Partner

Linda is a partner in the NY office where she focuses on Internet/Digital Media

Before joining AGC, Linda was the founder and CEO of her own Digital Media boutique firm—Gridley and Company LLC—from 2001 to 2014

Linda started her career at Lehman Brothers and held leadership positions at Furman Selz and ING Barings. Her 30 years of transaction experience spans the Adtech; Data Analytics; Digital Media; eCommerce; Financial Technology; SaaS and Outsourcing Services sectors

She is the author of many Digital Media industry overviews including “Gridley’s Guide to Digital NY” and was named an Always On Digital Media Power Player in 2012 and 2013

Linda has an A.B. Degree from Dartmouth College where she is on the President’s Leadership Council and an M.B.A. from The Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth