Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has expanded its Transaction Advisory Group U.S. practice with two new Managing Directors, Peter Gougousis and Jeffrey Jones. The Transaction Advisory Group continues to grow with the addition of 16 former Big Four professionals throughout the U.S. These appointments further augment A&M’s in-depth merger and acquisition (M&A) experience and demonstrate the firm’s commitment to solve for clients’ challenges against the backdrop of an evolving deal-making landscape.
“Today’s complex and unique business climate carries a degree of uncertainty, which presents numerous challenges — and in many cases, opportunities — for our clients,” said Anthony Caporrino, Managing Director and U.S. Practice Leader, A&M Transaction Advisory Group. “Peter brings extensive transaction advisory expertise along with a keen understanding of current challenges facing clients and issues looming on the horizon. Jeffrey brings a unique skillset around sponsor coverage in the transaction community.”
Gougousis returns to A&M after co-founding the firm’s Financial Industry Group in 2009. He has more than 13 years of financial services industry experience and specializes in accounting and financial analysis for both buy-side and sell-side transactions for private equity firms and strategic buyers. Gougousis advises clients on issues in sectors such as banking, specialty finance, asset management and financial technology. His experience serving clients ranges from due diligence to interim management roles, as well as advising on performance improvement issues. Prior to re-joining A&M, Gougousis was the Vice President of Financial Planning & Analysis at Strategic Funding Source, a Pine Brook Partners portfolio company. He began his career at KPMG working in both the audit and transaction services groups.
Jones brings nearly 20 years of experience focusing on the investment community. He advises clients on high-yield, initial public offering (IPO) and M&A transactions. Mr. Jones previously served as a Managing Director in Global Capital Markets at Donnelly Financial Solutions, where he advised on numerous high-profile deals. Prior to that, Jones held similar roles at Merrill Corporation and Elabra, Inc., offering software services around secondary offerings and government debt issuances.
“With three key factors likely to impact deal-making — namely tax reform, repatriation and anticipated deregulation — it is critical that we have the right team of experts who can adeptly navigate the potential upside for our clients,” said Ryan Farrell, Managing Director and Financial Industry Group Leader, A&M Transaction Advisory Group. “The private equity sector may be on the precipice of a real transformation, and we have strategically bolstered our practice in line with these macro trends and client demands.”
In addition, Damiano Dragone, formerly with EY, joins A&M as a Senior Director in New York and Christopher Merkt returns to A&M as a Senior Director in Los Angeles. Mr. Dragone performs financial buy-side and sell-side due diligence for proposed acquisitions, mergers and divestitures. He has executed dozens of transactions ranging from $20 million to $5 billion in multiple industries including manufacturing, technology and healthcare.
Merkt advises both buyers and sellers in the financial and strategic evaluation of potential acquisition or divestiture targets within the technology vertical. He has served in interim management roles and advised on performance improvement issues. He started his career at PwC.
Additionally, Director Scott Koprivetz (Los Angeles); Managers Jerry Cosmas (Chicago) and Mariya Verbitski (San Francisco); Senior Associates Matt Keller (Chicago), Pierce Autry (Nashville), Thomas Sherbakoff (San Francisco), Rajesh Mirchandani (Atlanta), Roshan Mirchandani (Atlanta), Raffi Bloom (Los Angeles) and Pedro Aguirre (San Francisco); and Associates Christopher Linkletter (New York), Nick Kidder (Atlanta) and Tyler Hosea (Houston) have joined A&M. All of these individuals are former Big Four professionals.