2025 STL | Emerging Leaders Panel

Rose Thompson is the Chief Operating Officer at ButcherJoseph & Co., a boutique investment banking firm specializing in ESOPs, mergers and acquisitions, and valuation advisory for middle market companies. 

Rose joined ButcherJoseph in 2013, advancing from leading marketing efforts to becoming Director of Business Development, and in 2020, was promoted to COO. Her leadership has earned her recognition as a St. Louis Titan 100 honoree in 2022 and 2023, celebrating top executives in the region.

She recently concluded an eight-year board term with the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) St. Louis and previously served on the boards of Tower Grove Park and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Rose is also an advisory board member for UMB Bank.

Having completed more than $65B in transactions, Ashley is a seasoned M&A attorney serving both private equity and strategic clients. She has completed deals in many industries while focusing mainly on consumer goods and manufacturing in the lower middle market. Ashley also advises clients from both a legal and business perspective on a wide range of other issues, including NIL/influencer agreements, commercial contracting, securities regulation, and corporate finance.

Jonathan Babcock is a Senior Associate at Compass Group Equity Partners and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating new investment opportunities.

Prior to joining Compass Group, Jonathan worked in various roles providing strategic guidance to private equity groups and their portfolio companies. Jonathan began his career working in buy-side and sell-side investment banking, leading target identification on both platform and add-on acquisitions for private equity groups and corporations collectively managing over $1B in committed capital. Additionally, Jonathan provided transaction support for senior-level deal managers including financial modeling, valuations, and industry research for companies ranging from $50M to $250M.

Jonathan holds a B.A. in Accounting from MidAmerica Nazarene University and an MBA Candidate from Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School.

Outside of work, Jonathan serves as a Board Member for The Buddy Fund, a non-profit that helps change the lives of at-risk youth through sports across the St. Louis region.