ACG Richmond Member Spotlights

Chris Bossola, Managing Partner, North Sound

In his role as Managing Director, Chris focuses on acquiring businesses with $10+million in revenue where the owners are looking to transition from their current roles. North Sound offers flexible, multi-faceted solutions for these owner-operators to smoothly exit their companies and seamlessly change leadership while preserving their legacy.

Patrick Butler, CEO, Proxios

Having been with Proxios for over 15 years, Patrick has been involved in nearly every aspect of the business. Most recently, Patrick has been leading Proxios through the acquisition of a Connecticut based Managed Services Provider, a move which will allow the company to expand the quantity and quality of its service offerings.

Michael Huffman, Managing Member, Lexicon Advisors

Michael is the managing member of Lexicon Advisors, LLC, a business advisory firm primarily focusing on educational technology and services, higher education, and startups. He's presently engaged as a strategic advisor, advisory board member, and investor in a UK-based EdTech startup company, FourthRev.

Nell Malbon, Consultant, ADP

As a Human Capital Management consultant in the mid-market, I work with businesses owners to implement scalable solutions to help increase profit margins and market share, while also helping to control costs. I have a passion for meeting new people and making a positive impact on others, which is why I am so excited to get more involved within our local community, and to be a part of ACG!

Madison Day, Vice President, Boxwood Partners

Madison is a Vice President with Richmond-based investment bank, Boxwood Partners. As a sell-side M&A advisor he focuses his practice on family-owned, founder-owned and private equity-backed companies.

Eric Sprehe, Managing Partner, 1219 Capital

1219 Capital is an emerging growth equity manager based in the Mid-Atlantic focused on investing in tech companies that would benefit from operationally savvy, hands-on investors. They recently led an over-subscribed growth investment in a Virginia based company.

Siri Wiggins, Director of Customer Engagement, WestRock

Siri Wiggins is Director of Customer Engagement at WestRock. Since joining the organization in 2013, she has held a variety of roles in innovation, marketing, and business development, and has managed global project teams that deliver winning solutions to WestRock’s customers. 

Siri consistently leverages diversity and inclusion to drive results, and leads WestRock's Early Career + Allies Resource Group, focusing on the development and retention of talented young professionals. 

Siri earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Spanish from Virginia Tech, and her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from the University of Richmond.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Richmond Forum. 

Tavis Maxell, Managing Director
Corporate Banking Capital One

Tavis works in Capital One's Commercial Bank, delivering financing solutions to corporate and leveraged finance clients in the mid-atlantic region. He joined Capital One in 2011 after spending the first decade of his career with SunTrust.  

Ali Bayler, Portfolio Manager, Brown Advisory

Ali is a portfolio manager with Brown Advisory responsible for investing balanced portfolios on behalf of families and nonprofit clients.  She is engaged across Brown Advisory’s broader firm collaborating on asset allocation, alternative and traditional investments, financial advice for family offices and nonprofits, and strategic firm initiatives. 

Prior to joining the firm, Ali worked as managing director at Spider Management Company, the endowment office of the University of Richmond and a select group of other clients. Ali has also held senior positions at global law and consulting firms and began her career as an equity analyst at Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management. 

Ali graduated with a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.  She serves on The Nature Conservancy of Virginia Board, is Past Board Chair of CARITAS, and is on the Norfolk Academy Investment Committee, along with numerous other professional and community-focused organizations. 

Mick Wienholt, Business Optimization Specialist, Schooley Mitchell

Middle market businesses, family offices and privately hold companies turn to me when they want reduce their costs without changing vendors. I drive profitability by reducing the cost of essential services, creating on average 28% savings in the following areas: shipping, waste removal, merchant services / credit card fees, and telecommunications spend. My clients are located throughout the U.S. and my work puts tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on the bottom line even when under contract, which is just one of the reasons why my clients are so satisfied with the work that I do for them.

Increasing your results could be easier than you imagined. Let's talk about how I can help.  

Jonathan Brabrand, Managing Director, Transact Capital

My introduction to ACG Richmond began with the annual Virginia Capital Conference, which is an extremely valuable networking event for my work as an M&A advisor to business owners. I soon found myself attending several of these conferences each year held by ACG Richmond and other chapters across the country, in addition to the annual national ACG InterGrowth conference.

ACG events have enabled me to build my professional network, particularly within the private equity community, which allows me to help my clients find the best partner for their future growth. In addition to the Capital Conference, I always enjoy the enlightening speakers at the ACG Richmond breakfast events, as well as the networking that occurs at them, and am proud of the scholarships we award to deserving future business leaders each year.

Jerr Howard, President & CEO, The Specialty Companies

Jerry is the President and CEO of The Specialty Companies, a group of boutique construction firms, he has scaled through growth and acquisition. He is also the founder and senior leadership consultant at E4 Leadership & Business Coaching.

Before becoming a serial entrepreneur, he operated multiple neuro, cardio, and orthopedic rehabilitation centers.

Jerry is a Marine veteran, keynote speaker and has been a featured author in multiple veteran’s journals published by the VA War Memorial; and a Christian anthology titled From Light to Dark published by EA Books.

He has been married for almost 20 years, has four beautiful children. He enjoys active sports such as snowboarding, mountain biking and boxing. 

Rebecca Stewart - District Sales Manager, Insperity

I attended my first ACG event over ten years ago in Austin, TX with the Central Texas chapter. I volunteered for several roles and was President-Elect when I received a promotion and transferred to the DC Metro area. My husband has been a business owner in the Fredericksburg and Ashland area for over 30 years. I recently relocated to the Richmond area and have enjoyed developing and deepening new relationships in the ACG Richmond chapter. 

Drew McNulty - VP, Central and Southern Virginia Middle Market Group
M&T Bank

Five years ago, ACG Richmond helped me transition from a career Marine Corps officer to a commercial banker with M&T Bank. I learned early as a student participating in the ACG Cup to connect, network, and build relationships with like-minded people in the business community.  A former board member was instrumental in bringing me along and helping me connect to businesses across Central Virginia.  Along the way, I joined the Scholarship Committee and take great pride in our Chapter’s willingness to give back to the community through the largest scholarship contributions to the Central Virginia community of any US-based ACG chapter.

Lizzie Hopper, Assistant Controller
Markel

My first introduction to ACG was through a networking breakfast for emerging leaders back in 2016. Three years after that introduction, I became a full time member, and began serving on the Scholarship Committee. Through my membership, I’ve been able to reconnect with former colleagues, University of Richmond classmates, and have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people who are making an impact in the business community in Richmond. The monthly member breakfasts, even during the pandemic, were a great way to get insights and learn about how businesses in our area continue to adapt to the changing landscape. Looking forward to getting back to in-person events this Fall!

Jessica Barnes, Director of Business Development
Prospect Blue

Jessica Barnes is the Director of Business Development for ProspectBlue, a specialized recruiting and consulting firm with deep experience in the medial, legal, financial and corporate fields. Bringing years of industry knowledge and unyielding commitment to clients’ success, Jessica works strategically with companies to guide them in building and retaining the best talent.  

Jessica serves as the Vice President of the HSA at her children’s school, St. Edwards Epiphany School and is on the CX Advisory Board for the University of Richmond.  In her spare time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and friends, attending University of Richmond athletic events, working out and exploring new restaurants and wineries.

Ashby Price, Founder
Ashwood Financial Partners

Ashby W. Price, CFA, AIF, CRPS is Founder of Ashwood Financial Partners, an independent financial services firm that provides Retirement Plan Advisory Services for businesses and nonprofits and Financial Planning and Wealth Management Services for families.  Ashby is a native of Richmond and currently serves on the Board of CFA Society Virginia and is President-Elect of the Central Virginia Employee Benefits Council.  Ashby is an active volunteer with local nonprofits and charitable organizations and believes that giving back to the community positively impact his clients and others around them.

Charlie Widmer, Managing Partner
DaySpring Ventures

Charlie first came to Richmond to attend the University of Richmond, and after stints in DC and Philadelphia, was excited to return in 2019 for (hopefully) the long-haul. Charlie works with small business owners as a strategic growth consultant and has recently teamed up with a family office to look for lower middle market acquisitions. He participated in  ACG events in Philadelphia and looks forward to getting to know folks in the Richmond chapter in the coming months. 

Mike Wilkerson, CFO
Morooka USA, Morooka USA-Rents, Dominion Equipment Parts

Six years ago, I attended my first ACG Breakfast as a guest. At the time, I was unaware of ACG Richmond and a bit intimidated after seeing the names of many large and successful organizations on the attendee list. Running a small business, I questioned whether this might be a good fit for me. However, I enjoyed the dynamic speakers and found myself looking forward to future events, which provided an opportunity to meet new people and expand my professional network. This past year during the pandemic, I, along with countless other, have sorely missed the in-person interactions and functions that ACG Richmond typically hosts, which I might have taken for granted in the past. I look forward to returning to these things with renewed enthusiasm. 

I am proud of the value that ACG Richmond provides to the local business community, the opportunities it presents to conduct business together and the scholarships we award to deserving future business leaders. Today, I am more involved in ACG Richmond than I ever would have imagined six years ago and look forward to contributing to and sharing the vision and passion of ACG Richmond.

Laura Kottkamp, VCU Executive Director, School of Business, College of Engineering and VCU Foundations

I've been engaged with ACG Richmond since 2008; when I moved from corporate to academia. ACG made me feel connected to great people in the business community and has enabled me to connect business leaders with students. I've stayed a member because of the connections the ACG Richmond network is willing to offer one another and its support of local business students: advising and judging school hosted business plan competitions; hosting an MBA-level case study competition; providing scholarship support to business students; and providing informational interviews.

During my time with ACG Richmond, I served on many Committees. One of my favorite projects from my time on the Membership Growth Committee was planning a breakfast to meet younger members and learn what drew them to the Chapter. The chance to be active in helping create the future of ACG Richmond was a great learning experience. 

In higher education, one of our challenges over the past 14+ months has been conveying our distinct culture and offerings virtually. My discussions as part of the ACG Richmond Board of Directors around the value of membership, online programming, networking and outreach have been an incredible boon to me as I have similar discussion and make similar decisions in my own industry.

Robin A. Ransom, CPA, CGMA, MBA
Chief Financial Officer, Dominion Payroll

Being part of the Greater Richmond Business Community is why I joined ACG. The ACG membership community is represented by a diverse group of businesses and professionals and lends itself to a valuable professional network as I navigate the corporate growth, and merger and acquisition strategy as a CFO. Many of my colleagues in information technology firms, public accounting, banking, legal services, and private equity firms are also members. ACG brings us all together! 

Shortly after joining ACG I had the opportunity to join the new programs committee and be involved in the college and university mentor program and entrepreneurial business plan competition. What an amazing experience to as well be a resource for those that are about to embark on growth. 

Priyal Patel, Senior Technology Advisor, Anthem, Inc.

Priyal is an entrepreneurially minded technology leader and change agent with global experience serving as a metrics-driven revenue builder who enables consistent development of powerful business strategies supported by high-performance IT infrastructures and applications. His expertise is in developing strategic vision, transformation roadmaps and high performance teams to create new business differentiation, project lifecycle management, product management, IT strategy, cost savings as well as oversee M&A, reorganization, and process innovation.

Rob Hagerty, Principal, Farragut Capital Partners

Living in Richmond and working for a small firm based in Washington, DC that does not have a formal presence in Richmond, ACG Richmond has been a great platform for meeting and staying connected with local businesspeople whom I might not otherwise have the chance to interact with.  ACG draws a broad mix of people who are relevant to me professionally, and the Richmond Chapter is no exception. I value the programming and events hosted by ACG Richmond and also the opportunities it offers to engage with the community, such as with the ACG Richmond ACG Cup; an MBA-level case study competition that I’ve been involved with for the past few years. Especially coming off of a year of limited to non-existent in-person networking, I look forward to returning to the chapter’s monthly meetings when conditions allow!

Greg Bishop, Attorney, Williams Mullen

Greg has been an ACG Richmond member for nearly 15 years during which time he has served as an active member and Chair of several committees as well as led the organization as Chapter President. When asked what the value of ACG has been to him, Greg simply stated, "ACG is my ‘Main Street’ where I develop and deepen personal and professional relationships in a world where one-on-one contact occurs less frequently.” Particularly true of this past year when in-person, one-on-one contact became non-existent, ACG Richmond continues to provide avenues for members to connect.

Cathy Redford, VP Sales, Synergy Technical

ACG is all about networking with like-minded individuals, growing your business, and building trusted relationships. It doesn’t surprise me that 75% of ACG members have done business with fellow members. At Synergy Technical, using a similar business model has allowed us to scale rapidly as a global leader in technology solutions. My relationships with other ACG members have become stronger and deeper as a result of the pandemic. ACG continues to provide extremely valuable networking and relationship building opportunities during these unprecedented times.

Benny Bowman, Chief Operating Officer, Worth Higgins & Associates

In 2009, with our sales in decline, we began considering the acquisition of smaller printing companies as a way to increase revenue. When we were introduced to our first potential acquisition, we found ourselves unprepared for the nuance of closing a sale; things like phase 1 environmental site assessments had never crossed our minds.

Knowing we needed more acquisition expertise, a friend and member of ACG Richmond suggested I come to a breakfast meeting. He knew, through ACG Richmond, I would develop relationships that would prove invaluable. At my first event, despite not knowing anyone in the room, it didn't take long to find individuals willing to let me share in group conversations. After a few meetings, relationships started to develop. These relationships, both personal and professional, still continue today. ACG Richmond allowed me to build a network I could trust to assist in our company’s business plans.

Since attending that first ACG Richmond event, Worth Higgins has acquired several businesses. I am grateful to all of the ACG Richmond members who have helped me over the years.

Welcome New Member: Annemarie DiNardo Cleary, Attorney, Eckert Seamans

Annemarie DiNardo Cleary is a successful commercial litigator with nearly 25 years of experience.  She focuses her practice on financial services litigation, including creditor’s rights and bankruptcy, and labor and employment matters. She represents clients in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies on a wide range of commercial issues, including breach of contract claims, defense of lender liability claims, business torts, commercial lease disputes, defense of employment-related claims, and complex, multi-party litigation.

She holds a B.A. in Economics from The College of William & Mary and a J.D. from The College of William & Mary - Marshall Wythe School of Law. 

Annemarie is looking forward to getting together with family, friends and colleagues this year!

Welcome New Member: Ryan Richardson, Vice President, Piper Sandler

Ryan Richardson is a vice president in Piper Sandler’s diversified industrials & services investment banking group.

Prior to Piper Sandler, Richardson spent several years with BB&T Capital Markets and JP Morgan’s investment banking groups, serving companies across a range of industries including specialty distribution, services, manufacturing and building products. Richardson began his career with PNC working in their corporate finance department.

Richardson graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Pittsburgh. He earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where he graduated with university honors.

Welcome New Member: Connor Hill, Business Risk Consultant, Marsh and McLennan Agency

Connor is a Business Risk Consultant with Marsh & McLennan Agency with a distinct focus on the PE/M&A space, where he provides pre-close due diligence, portfolio risk management, and transaction risk transfer services to mid-market private equity funds across the US.

Connor is a graduate of Saint Joseph's University where he was Captain the the Men's Division 1 Golf Team.

Welcome New Member: Kyle Cubin, Director at The Rohatyn Group (TRG)

Kyle has recently relocated to Richmond from Boston after living there for nearly ten years working in the financial services industry. 

Kyle is currently a Director at The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a multi-asset investment manager specializing in emerging markets based in NYC, where he is involved in the firm’s direct agriculture and forestry investment strategies as a member of the Investment Committee.

Prior to its acquisition by TRG in December 2017, Kyle was an Investment Analyst for GMO Renewable Resources (GMORR). Before joining GMORR in 2015, he was a Senior Associate at Alcion Ventures, a private equity real estate fund manager. 

Kyle earned his M.S. in Accountancy and B.S. in Finance from Wake Forest University.

ACG connections lead to business!

In 2019 ACG Richmond member Steve Howell Windward Advisors managed the planning and execution of the successful sale transaction of EnTrust Document Management for fellow member Tray Isley.

Tray Isley, Business Owner

“ACG members are immersed in local and regional business. No matter the need, be it a sales lead, management resource, mentor or vendor referral, I can find it at ACG.”

Steve Howell, Managing Director, Windward Advisors

“ACG Richmond provides a unique network where business leaders grow personally and professionally by learning from and gaining respect for each other’s experiences and capabilities. The opportunity to work together with other members to close a successful deal has made membership even more fulfilling.”

Megan Howell, Energy Regulatory Analyst, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

"As a professional, I'm grateful for the relationships I’ve been able to develop through ACG. The breakfast meetings are both educational and a great opportunity to connect with the Richmond business community. As an MBA student, I participated in the ACG Cup which was challenging, rewarding, led to new connections, and made me realize the impact that this organization can have on emerging business professionals." 

Matt Hannay, Portfolio Manager, Markel

“I’m an ACG member because of the networking and learning opportunities this organization presents.  Markel has a commitment to its communities, and interacting within Richmond’s vibrant business community is part of that.  I’ve made professional connections that would not exist without being an ACG member and always look forward to attending our events.”

Lisa Hedrick, Partner, Hirschler

"Membership in ACG Richmond allows me to stay current on financial and business issues impacting my core clients – middle market, privately held businesses – by connecting me to similarly focused professionals and executives through monthly breakfasts and other networking events.  I particularly enjoy hearing the growth and success stories of Richmond area businesses."

Alan Davis, Principal, Baskervill

“The ACG community gives a unique perspective to adjacent growing businesses. As Baskervill provides top-notch workplace design solutions, I turn to ACG for intel on industry trends, professional connections, and educational opportunities that inspire what we do.”    

Terrye Enslow, Vice President, Corporate Development, Luck Companies

“ACG has created great networking and learning opportunities within Richmond as well as the ability to connect with corporate development professionals throughout the U.S. at the recent ACG Strategic Acquirers Summit. Luck Companies is committed to innovation, the learnings from ACG connections and events allows me to bring key learnings back to our company.”