Opus Bank announced that Bret Carroll has joined Opus as Managing Director, Head of Technology Investment Banking within Opus’ Merchant Banking division. Mr. Carroll, an 18-year financial services veteran with 10 years in investment banking, is responsible for providing mergers and acquisition (“M&A”) advisory services, debt and equity capital solutions, and other strategic advisory services to middle-market and emerging growth companies in the technology sector.
Dale Cheney, Senior Managing Director, Head of the Merchant Banking division stated, “We are pleased that Bret has joined Opus to lead our Technology Investment Banking efforts. He is a highly-talented and experienced investment banking professional having executed over $10 billion of M&A and financing transactions. His background designing and delivering sophisticated, client-centric solutions complements our merchant banking model of providing middle-market companies with comprehensive and integrated principal investing and advisory services.”
Stephen H. Gordon, Founding Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Opus Bank stated, “Opus Bank is committed to providing solutions-based, strategic advisory and execution services and debt and equity capital funding solutions, including access to alternative sources of capital, M&A, and other strategic advisory solutions. The addition of Bret to our Merchant Banking division enables Opus to integrate our niche Technology Banking focus within Opus’ Commercial Bank with complimentary investment banking expertise, better positioning Opus to provide a comprehensive and customized financial and strategic solution to those companies and entrepreneurs within the technology sector.”
Mr. Carroll joins Opus’ Merchant Banking division from Arrowroot Advisors, L.L.C. (“Arrowroot”), which he co-founded. Arrowroot, a Los Angeles-based technology-focused investment bank, provides sell-side M&A advisory, capital raising, and merchant banking services to emerging growth and middle-market companies, as well as private equity (“PE”) and venture capital (“VC”) funds. From 2006 and following its acquisition by Nomura in 2008, Mr. Carroll served as Executive Director and Vice President with Lehman Brothers’ Technology Investment Banking group where he originated and executed M&A advisory and financing transactions for corporate, PE, and VC clients. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Carroll served as an Equity Research Associate with Lehman Brothers where he covered Technology companies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Carroll served in financial analyst roles with Spin-Off Advisors, L.L.C. and Mondiale Partners, Ltd. Mr. Carroll holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.