Leadership

President

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Gus Phelps
Private Capital Solutions Director
Polen Capital

Gus is the Private Capital Solutions Director at Polen Capital responsible for originating and managing the firm’s private investments. Prior to joining Polen Capital in 2023, Gus was a Partner at Summit Partners and previously was a founding partner at Seacoast Partners. Gus received his B.A. from Trinity College and M.B.A. from Cornell University.

Vice President

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Mike Alberts
Principal, Head of Business Development
Cohere Capital

Mike is responsible for managing Cohere’s new investment development and evaluation initiatives for platforms and existing portfolio companies. He joined Cohere at its inception and has well over a decade of experience working with growth stage companies in multiple roles including transaction execution, operations, and business development.  

Prior to joining Cohere, Mike was Vice President of Operations at Shields Health Solutions where he focused on strategic growth, business development, and day-to-day operations serving the company’s health system customers. Prior to Shields, Mike was a Senior Associate at Gauge Capital where he focused on private equity investments in high growth, entrepreneur-owned companies in the healthcare and services sectors. 

Earlier in his career, Mike was an analyst at Houlihan Lokey and BB&T Capital Markets where he advised clients on mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace, defense, and government services sectors. Mike received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in Markets and Culture (Behavioral Economics) and English from Southern Methodist University.
 

Directors

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Drew Collina
Managing Director
Stifel

Drew joined Stifel in 2018 to lead middle- and lower-middle market sponsor coverage.  Drew brings a unique perspective and skill-set to Stifel’s private equity clients, having approx. 25 years experience within sell-side M&A, corporate buy-side, and private equity investing. Prior to Stifel, Drew was Head of N. America Sponsor Coverage for Alantra, a cross-border, internationally focused Spanish investment bank headquartered in Madrid, Spain. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BB&T Capital Markets. His experience also includes Principal at Castanea Partners, as well as Director of Corporate Development and M&A at EMC Corporation (now Dell EMC). Prior, Drew held various investment banking positions at RBC Capital Markets and BancBoston Robertson Stephens.

 

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Thaddeus “Todj” Gozdeck
Partner - Transaction Advisory Services
Citrin Cooperman

With 20 years as a financial and advisory professional, he has experience assisting both financial sponsors and strategic buyers and sellers in complex cross-border merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions.

Todj has led assignments involving target companies across the Americas, Asia and EMEA including leveraged buyouts, growth acquisitions, strategic mergers and complex carve-out transactions. Todj’s transaction experience includes leading buy-side and sell-side due diligence projects focused on financial quality of earnings analyses (QofE), tax, IT and human capital issues impacting the transaction.

Todj lives in Sudbury, Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, Todj enjoys reading, attending his sons’ football / lacrosse games and volunteering with Sudbury for Wounded Warriors.

Todj holds a BS from the University of Connecticut. Go Huskies!

 

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Danielle Lussier
Senior VP - Relationship Manager
Wells Fargo Technology Banking Group

Danielle Lussier, an experienced commercial banker, has been named Senior Vice President – Relationship Manager with Wells Fargo’s Technology Banking Group. Ms. Lussier, joins Wells Fargo’s specialized industry banking team dedicated to building relationships through delivering sound, strategic and balanced advice, operational and capital support to early stage, growth stage and mature/public technology companies.  She is based in Boston.

Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Ms. Lussier was Vice President – Sr. Business Development Officer with KeyBank. Her prior experience includes First Niagara Commercial Finance where she was First Vice President - Senior Portfolio Manager, managing portfolio relationships, Salus Capital, where she was a Vice President - Portfolio Manager overseeing diverse asset based loans, Wells Fargo Capital Finance, where she was an Assistant Vice President - Credit Analyst, and as a Senior Treasury Analyst and Supervisor of Banking Relationships at the office of the Massachusetts State Treasury.

She received a B.A. in Political Science and a M.B.A. degree from Simmons College. She is a board member for the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) of New England, serves as co-chair for the TMA’s Network of Women (NOW), is a board member for the Association of Corporate Growth Boston (ACG), and co-chair of ACG’s Women in Leadership (WOL) Committee. 

 

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Sandra Mason
Senior Vice President, Capital Markets
Audax Private Equity

Sandra is a Senior Vice President of Capital Markets for Audax Private Equity, based in Boston. Prior to joining Audax in 2017, Sandra was a Vice President at Energy Capital Partners where she focused on providing flexible capital solutions to middle market energy companies. Prior to Energy Capital Partners, Sandra was a Director at Barings. Sandra received a B.B.A from the University of Michigan.

 

 

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Daniela Messina
Portside Capital Solutions

Daniela Messina is the Founder and Managing Member of Portside Capital Solutions, working with dealmakers at the intersection of deploying and raising capital. She is an accomplished attorney and executive with a varied background in private equity and family offices, government, politics, investor relations, business development and corporate and crisis communications. She combines her wide-ranging experiences across many industries with a professional network of national leaders in the public and private sector to produce effective results for clients to help them achieve their goals.

She is a proven strategist and master deal connector with an extensive professional network to source deals, raise capital and provide value to dealmakers across various industries. Daniela provides counsel to private equity funds, single and multi-family offices, emerging funds, independent sponsors and corporate clients. She is committed to recognizing meaningful synergies and connecting dealmaking stakeholders with a purpose.

Daniela currently serves as a board member of the Association for Corporate Growth, Boston Chapter. Daniela is active in the ACG Boston Family Office Committee and Co-Chair of the Women’s Connection Committee. She also serves on the Corporate Board Committee of The Boston Club, one of the largest organizations for women executive and professional leaders committed to elevating women into leadership positions.

 

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Brigid Morrissey, CPA, MBA, MST
Partner
CohnReznick

Brigid Morrissey, CPA, MBA, MST, is a tax partner in CohnReznick’s Financial Sponsors and Financial Services Industry Practice. Based in the Boston office, Brigid works with investment management firms throughout all stages of their lifecycle from formation to wind-down, providing strategic tax planning, compliance, and structuring for both debt and equity strategies. Brigid assists investment firms and their principals in navigating the complexities of carried interest and tax allocations with an understanding of their unique investor needs, as well as addressing multi-state and international tax issues. She is active in CohnReznick’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) niche practice. Brigid’s responsibilities include client and engagement management, along with business development throughout the New England market.

Throughout her career, Brigid has worked with companies across multiple industry segments, including manufacturing and distribution, real estate, retail, international shipping, and technology, many of which are held by private equity and venture capital sponsors. She has provided closely-held corporations, partnerships, and high-net-worth individuals with a wide range of tax-related services, including selection of and changes in accounting methods, tax credit advisory services, cost segregation studies, representation before the IRS and other taxing authorities, and tax advisory services to businesses and their owners for various M&A transactions.

Early in her career, Brigid gained extensive experience within the construction industry at a regional accounting firm, providing services to nationally and regionally recognized general contractors, specialty trade subcontractors, material suppliers, and architect and engineering firms.

 

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Kyle Murphy
Managing Director
Hilco Global

Kyle Murphy currently serves as a managing director at Hilco Global, a special situations merchant bank headquartered in Chicago. He leads their business development & private equity sponsor coverage efforts for New England.

During Kyle’s 16 + year career in banking, he has served roles at J.P. Morgan’s Middle Market Banking Group and Wells Fargo Capital Finance.  Mr. Murphy began his career at New Stream Capital a multi strategy credit opportunity fund. He has been involved in ACG and attending events around the Northeast for over 14 years. He recently chaired the Deal Hunters committee for ACG Boston. In 2019, he was the recipient of the ACG Emerging Leader Award. Kyle’s also an active member of the Secured Finance Network and Turnaround Management Association.

Kyle graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in economics. He’s a licensed investment banker holding his Series 79 and 63 with Hilco Corporate Finance, LLC member FINRA and SIPC. Additionally, Mr. Murphy is an active committee member of the Cape Cod YMCA. He’s also an avid power boater and saltwater angler.

 

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Christina Pai
Partner
Fort Point Capital

Christina is a Partner at Fort Point Capital, a private equity firm focused on investing in promising, business services companies in the lower middle market. Since joining Fort Point in 2011, she has been responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing investments, as well as driving value creation initiatives for her portfolio companies in the tech-enabled business services, software and transportation/logistics industries. Christina currently serves as the Chair of the Board for AMS Fulfillment and Barrington Media Group and was the former Chair of WolfePak Software and Van Pool Transportation; she also currently serves on the boards of Eventlink and Sullivans.

Prior to joining Fort Point, Christina was a principal at Swift River Investments in Boston and an associate at FdG Associates. She started her career at JPMorgan, focusing on mergers and acquisitions as well as debt and equity capital raises. Christina has a B.A. in Economics from Dartmouth College. She is an avid Boston and fantasy sports enthusiast and enjoys traveling, fishing for bass and eating at interesting restaurants.

 

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Gabrielle Piasio
FVP - Commercial Lender
Cambridge Trust

Gabrielle Piasio is a First Vice President and Commercial Lender at Cambridge Trust, where she brings 18 years of diverse, top-performing commercial banking experience. In this role, Gabrielle continues her focus on providing financing for sponsor-backed, lower-middle market M&A transactions on a national level as well as financing renewable energy projects (hydro, wind, solar, battery, etc) in the Northeast. 

A passionate ESG activist, Gabrielle recently earned an Executive Certificate for ESG Strategists from Wharton Executive Education. She also has Bachelor's and MBA degrees from Florida State University. Gabrielle lives in Winthrop with her 2-year-old daughter, Liliana, and mini-bernedoodle, Ruthie.

 

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Lewis N. Segall
Partner
Sullivan & Worcester

Lew is the director of Sullivan's Corporate Department. His practice is focused on a number of transactional areas. He regularly represents public and private companies in equity and debt financings, joint ventures, domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. Lew also represents financial institutions in secured and unsecured credit facilities. His clients consist of major financial institutions, private equity groups, family-owned businesses, family offices and other investors, as well as emerging and established companies engaged in a variety of industries, including renewable energy, advertising, health care, communications, manufacturing and software.

Lew is the author of Mergers & Acquisitions: A Step-by-Step Legal and Practical Guide (2nd edition) (Wiley), which he co-authored with Edwin L. Miller, Jr.

Bar & Court Admissions

• Massachusetts

Education

• J.D., Northeastern University School of Law
• B.S., Syracuse University

Community Engagement

• American and Boston Bar Associations
• Board of Directors, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG)
• Alternative Energy Committee Chair, Town of Duxbury, Massachusetts
• Former Board of Directors, College Bound Dorchester

 

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Anabelle Skalleberg

Most recently, Anabelle Skalleberg was a Principal at Watermill Group responsible for business development efforts and executing transactions. Prior to joining Watermill, Ms. Skalleberg worked for Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX: FLT) as part of the mergers and acquisitions team. Before joining FLT she worked for Pine Street Capital Partners from 2012 – 2018 and was primarily involved with deal sourcing, portfolio management and investment evaluation and execution. Before her role with the Wellesley based mezzanine investment firm, she was an Assistant Vice President at Meketa Investment Group. While at Meketa, she was part of the Private Markets team responsible for researching private equity funds, leading diligence efforts on Latin American focused funds, and implementing the firm’s business development efforts in the southeast U.S. and Latin America regions. Prior to Meketa, Anabelle was the Head of Finance and MIS for the Cards Business at Sovereign Bank / Santander. Early in her career Anabelle interned at Consilium Partners as a Financial Analyst and also worked at Grant Thornton in its Corporate Finance advisory practice as a Consultant.

Anabelle is on the Board of Directors of United South End Settlements, a Boston-based non-profit that offers programs that support the whole family in achieving economic mobility.

Anabelle is a graduate of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (BA) and the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA).

 

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Kate Soto
Partner
Mirus Capital Advisors

Kate Soto is a Partner with Mirus Capital Advisors and has over a decade of experience in mergers and acquisitions. She has advised dozens of clients on transactions in a variety of industries.  She has closed deals with global companies, middle market and multi-billion dollar private equity firms, family offices, and leading industrial and technology companies.  Her clients have ranged from closely-held and founder-owned businesses to public companies.

Prior to joining Mirus, she was employed by a middle market investment banking and valuation firm where she managed M&A and financing transactions. In addition, Kate has prepared valuation models and reports for clients, including 409(a) option valuations, purchase price allocations, and business enterprise valuations for purposes such as estate planning and litigation.

Kate received a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Management with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Economics.She is a Certified Valuation Analyst and holds Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 certifications from FINRA. Kate serves on the board of directors of the New England chapter of the Alliance of M&A Advisors.