JAY MCCABE

Vice President and Relationship Manager, Comerica Bank ACG San Diego

As a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, Jay McCabe, vice president and relationship manager for Comerica Bank in San Diego, spearheaded an annual conference that has become a premier event for the middlemarket community.

McCabe joined ACG San Diego in 2004 and has been a board member since 2018. Right before the start of the pandemic, he initiated a new event for the chapter with the goal of building relationships with private equity investors.

“With the help of the most effective volunteer committee I’ve ever had the opportunity to serve with, in February 2020, only one month before the COVID shutdown, we hosted our first annual ACG Capital Connection,” he says.

The conference took a two-year break during the pandemic but was back in February 2023.

“Both ACG and San Diego have a lot to offer, and our conference strives to showcase this, both to the ACG and broader business communities,” McCabe says. “With a differentiated focus on serving business owners and their management teams, investors and advisors, we can attract capital, educate and ultimately strengthen our economy.”

“Despite the challenges of putting together such a significant event, Jay always has an upbeat attitude and has assembled a tremendous team to support his efforts,” says Steve Root, audit shareholder for LevitZacks in San Diego. Root is the treasurer of the San Diego chapter and serves with McCabe on the board.

The efforts of McCabe and his committee yielded an event that ultimately reflects the core purpose of ACG, Root notes: “One of the features at the CapCon Conference is DealSource, which arranges one-on-one meetings with investment banks and private equity firms, which is really the foundation of what ACG is about.”—AM

Tricia Balser

Managing Director and Head of Ohio Regional Commercial Banking, CIBC US

ACG Cleveland

Tricia Balser is passionate about increasing inclusivity and supporting women in the M&A industry, and being part of ACG has helped her achieve those goals.

Balser has been a member of ACG’s Cleveland chapter for 16 years. She is currently president of the chapter, which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

“I participated in the 40th Anniversary Committee that ensured an unforgettable event that acknowledged the chapter’s rich history and celebrated the possibilities of the next 40 years,” she says.

Previously, Balser served on the Executive Committee under the role of Innovation Pillar, which includes subnetworks of Women in Transactions, Young ACG (YACG), Akron and Corporate Development. She also was chair of Women in Transactions.

“I have always celebrated the role of women in the M&A industry,” she says. “I hope that I have inspired other young women who aspire to prominence in their field.”

It seems her passion is shared with other chapter members, since its last two presidents have been women.

“Tricia is a wonderful person and effective leader,” says Margaret Jordan, director of business development at KIKO Realtors, Auctioneers and Advisors, who served on the Women in Transactions Committee while Balser was chair. “She is well liked and is known for being dependable, smart and strategic.”—AM

Director of Business Development, Southeast, Trivest Partners ACG Charlotte

Justin Spears, Trivest Partners’ director of business development, Southeast, says joining his local chapter, ACG Charlotte, has helped propel his career.

Spears’ ACG membership has led to strong relationships with the intermediaries from which Trivest sources deals, and it has assisted in closing deals through heightened visibility for his role and firm. He added that membership has provided him with opportunities to collaborate and glean perspectives from a diverse group of M&A professionals.

Spears’ association with ACG began a few years ago, when he joined the Florida chapter after a colleague invited him to attend the 2019 ACG Florida Capital Connection. He has since moved to Charlotte and is now based there, allowing him to be active in the ACG Charlotte chapter.

“The (ACG Florida Capital Connection) event was an incredible introduction to the dealmaking universe and knowledge-share that is ACG,” Spears says. “It is absolute table stakes to be an ACG member if you spend time in the world of M&A.”

After joining Trivest’s Charlotte office, Spears became heavily involved in the chapter, joining the ACG Charlotte board in 2021. He also serves as vice president of programming and is a member of the subcommittee for ACG Charlotte’s Deal Crawl conference.

“Justin is an active ACG member, attending events around the country,” says ACG Charlotte Executive Director Betsy Bryan Mandl. “He also goes above and beyond to strengthen our chapter with great ideas and often brings prospective new members.”—ST

Brad Elliott

Senior Vice President, CAC Specialty ACG Denver

After serving ACG for nearly two decades, CAC Specialty Senior Vice President Brad Elliott is poised to become ACG Denver’s next board president later this year.

As a newly minted MBA in 2004, Elliott joined ACG because he believed it was the best way to engage in Denver’s finance and deal community.

He’s served on the M&A/PE/IB Committee and Corporate Outreach Committee.

Currently, Elliott serves as program chair where he helps develop programming that features major Denver business leaders.

He says he has focused much of his time and efforts at ACG Denver on planning, preparing and delivering high-quality programs for the betterment of the ACG Denver community, which has raised the tide for all involved.

Elliott credits ACG Denver with helping him build long-term relationships and friendships with others in the middlemarket space.

“I highly recommend ACG to colleagues as deal communities can be a tight-knit group, and ACG provides the premier environment for building lifelong relationships,” Elliott says.

Over the years, Elliott’s volunteer involvement in the chapter has been invaluable to the deal community, says Veronica Muñoz, ACG Denver’s executive director. “Brad’s impact on ACG has been tremendous,” she adds. “He is a rare blend of a visionary who tirelessly executes.”—ST

The opportunity to build relationships with a diverse range of contacts in the M&A community, and to reconnect with many who have become friends, makes GLCC a valuable highlight on my calendar every year.

September

About Why Attend

A dynamic networking, deal-sourcing and educational event that attracts a virtual who’s who of middle market M&A professionals from across the country. It is a collaborative effort of seven ACG Chapters from the Midwest & Mid-Atlantic regions.

This conference connects you with more than 1,000 influential M&A professionals and ACG members, gain new insights into growth, acquisitions, finance partnership, and exit strategies, and learn from renowned speakers and panelists.

Sponsorship

We want to introduce your organization to over 1,000 M&A professionals. The GLCC will be a catalyst for new deals and business development opportunities. Contact Kelly Szejko at kelly@acg.org or

412-228-5885 for more information.

EARLY BIRD PRICING IS NOW AVAILABLE!

(through July 8, 2023)

Paul Ryan

House of

Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Partner & Chair of the Executive Partner Group at

Solamere Capital

Ben Gibbons

Founder and Managing Partner, Waterpoint Lane ACG Toronto

Nearly a decade ago, Ben Gibbons, founder and managing partner at growth-stage investment firm Waterpoint Lane, joined ACG Toronto. He was introduced to the association through a past ACG Toronto chapter president, Dan Amadori. At the time, Gibbons had recently moved from Australia to Canada and was looking to establish his network in the deal ecosystem.

Gibbons went on to join ACG Toronto’s Young Professionals Committee in 2016 and was appointed to the ACG Toronto board in 2018. In 2019, he took on the role of vice chair and became ACG Toronto board chair in 2021.

Gibbons also launched the chapter’s 50th anniversary gala dinner and Recognition Awards at the 2022 Capital Connection Conference and is currently leading the development of an ACG Canada network model with all five Canadian chapters.

He credits ACG with helping him build critical skills.

“Volunteering on the board has certainly helped me with governance principles and attaining and improving my skills with risk oversight,” Gibbons says. “As I’ve advanced to the board chair role, that has also enhanced my ability to be market present and grow the brand of Waterpoint Lane.”

Gibbons has excelled in his role at ACG, according to Mike Fenton, president and CEO of ACG Toronto.

“Ben is a strong facilitator and engages everyone as an equal,” Fenton says. “He’s always been open to new ideas and willing to assist members and colleagues to network with our chapter network. He’s a natural leader—he works well with both our younger members and with industry leaders.”—ST

Margaret Shanley

Advisory Principal, CohnReznick, ACG Los Angeles

As a member of ACG’s Los Angeles chapter since 2000, Margaret Shanley enjoys creating compelling events for the middle-market community.

“My involvement with the annual business conference has been wonderful,” she says. “I have been able to help secure marquee sponsors and speakers, and moderate panels.”

One highlight was hosting a fireside chat with author Suzy Welch during a women’s lunch in 2022. Shanley also recently moderated a sold-out panel of investment bankers at a chapter event.

Starting as a member of the Programs Committee, Shanley rose to become vice president. From there, she became a co-chair of the ACG Los Angeles Annual Business Conference and has served in that role for 15-plus years.

Shanley says being part of ACG has enhanced her career and helped her make connections, especially since she moved to the U.S. as a young professional from Ireland.

Michael Rivera, chief strategy officer for ACG, has high praise for Shanley.

“Margaret Shanley has distinguished herself within the ACG Los Angeles community through both the quality and longevity of her involvement,” says Rivera, who served as the Los Angeles chapter’s CEO before joining ACG headquarters last fall.

He notes that the ACG Los Angeles Business Conference is an important event.

“Much of the credit for the conference’s informative nature and high-value networking can be attributed to Margaret’s participation,” he says.

“Margaret is smart, accomplished and direct,” Rivera adds. “She has always been willing to leverage her professional network for the betterment of the association.”—AM