Senior Management Team
We are a highly committed outcome-focused group of professionals. We bring to each project a powerful combination of deep technical and financial expertise, extensive commercial experience, strong networks and an entrepreneurial attitude.
Robert is one of Ireland’s leading Corporate Finance Advisors with a wealth of experience in Debt Fundraising and M&A. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. He has developed a strong reputation for financing and refinancing business and property based portfolios, working across a broad range of Corporate Finance activities. He has significant commercial experience in undertaking M&A, Business Reviews, Due Diligences and Strategic Advisory for Corporate clients. Robert has developed a large client base across a broad range of sectors throughout Ireland.
Robert has experience in the Hospitality, Real Estate, Aviation and Retail sectors.
radams@focuscapital.ie 087-6618452
Robbie has over 10 years’ experience working in Corporate Finance, Management Consulting, Assurance and Advisory roles. He has cross industry knowledge having delivered to retail, banking, investment management and FMCG clients across EMEA.
Robbie has extensive front office experience, working with leading organisations to achieve their strategic business objectives. Robbie primarily focuses on mergers & acquisitions, debt advisory, equity fundraising and corporate strategy to help clients deliver on their value event ambitions.
Prior to FOCUS Capital Partners, Robbie was a Management Consultant at PwC where he became Senior Manager. Robbie delivered strategy through to implementation projects across technology, digital and customer focused transformations, post-merger integration and financial modeling.
He began his career in Assurance at Deloitte focusing on the investment management sector.
Robbie is an Associate of Chartered Accountants Ireland, a Prince II practitioner and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Galway.
rallen@focuscapital.ie 087-1422056
Brian’s expertise is in providing strategic advice to entrepreneurs, business owners and companies to assist them in achieving their strategic ambitions and preparing for significant value events. He has over 16 years of corporate finance experience working with SME’s, large corporates and semi state bodies across Ireland.
Brian has successfully project management and complete many significant transactions across multiple sectors, including retail, technology, food & beverage, agriculture, logistics, banking, energy and leisure.
Brian joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2019 and is a leading and experienced corporate finance advisor, who provides a broad range of activities from debt advisory, valuations, due diligence, strategic planning, along with buy / sell side services to our clients.
Brian previously worked for IBI Corporate Finance and EY Transaction Advisory Services.
bbarrett@focuscapital.ie 087 264 9827
Dermot joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2019 and since then he has advised on numerous Debt, Equity and M&A transactions across a wide range of sectors.
Previously he spent 4 years in PWC’s International and Domestics Business Assurance department which included a secondment to PWC’s New York office.
Dermot is a Chartered Accountant and graduated with a first-class honour’s degree in Business Studies (specialising in Finance) from DCU. He has completed a Diploma in Corporate Finance and the Chartered Tax Consultant Qualification from Chartered Accountants Ireland.
dermot.brennan@focuscapital.ie 086-8865827
David has over 8 years’ experience advising on corporate and personal tax matters for a wide variety of clients, including High Net Worth Individuals, estates, and domestic and multinational companies.
David has a detailed and practical understanding of all areas of Irish taxation, with a particular interest in tax planning for corporates and shareholders on re-organisations, pre-sale tax structuring, Management Buy Outs (MBOs) and debt refinancing. David has advised clients across a broad range of industries, including technology and software, healthcare, hospitality and leisure, education, and property, finding the right balance between tax efficient solutions and helping clients achieve their personal or commercial objectives.
dbrophy@focustax.ie 087-0624817
Donal holds an MBA, a BSc. Finance Degree and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) with 15+ years of banking and commercial/corporate finance experience working with SMEs, large corporates, and semi state bodies. His expertise is in the area commercial finance solutions helping companies to achieve their financing and long-term strategic aims.
During his career, Donal has worked across and successfully completed many transactions in various sectors including retail, hospitality & leisure, healthcare, manufacturing, engineering, technology, logistics, renewables, and property.
Donal is also a Director and President (2022) of Limerick Chamber of Commerce and is an advocate for business growth and economic development in the Mid-West in order to create a thriving region.
At FOCUS Capital Partners, Donal specialises in our MBO & Debt Advisory transactions and leads our Munster business from our Limerick offices.
dcantillon@focuscapital.ie 087-1775550
Orla joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2017 and since then has predominantly advised on Equity transactions across a wide variety of sectors as well as several M&A transactions.
Previously, Orla spent 5 years working in business development and management positions in both start-ups and small businesses in the ecommerce and retail sectors respectively.
Orla graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelors in Commerce, specialising in Finance. Orla subsequently completed a Masters in Finance and Capital Markets at Dublin City University.
odevlin@focuscapital.ie 086-3744040
Johnny has 15 years’ of experience in corporate finance and advisory roles. Since joining FOCUS Capital Partners in 2013, Johnny has managed several of the Company’s key transactions. Johnny has managed €400M of fundraising transactions across numerous sectors including property, energy, healthcare, hospitality and food service. He has worked with many of the main banks, alternative lenders, and corporate and family office investors in Ireland & UK in the process.
Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners, Johnny trained as an accountant in the Advisory Department of Grant Thornton in Dublin. Johnny is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree from the University of Limerick.
jdillon@focuscapital.ie 086-3205946
Patrick is a Chartered Accountant with over 10 years’ experience in Corporate Finance across M&A, Debt Funding and Equity Fundraising. Patrick held senior positions in EY and PKF before joining FOCUS Capital Partners from Irish private equity firm Renatus Capital Partners.
Patrick’s expertise is in supporting SME businesses to realise their strategic ambitions and provide advice & assistance in preparing both the Company and business owner/entrepreneur for significant value events. Patrick has in depth industry knowledge and experience having completed a number of significant transactions across a range of sectors including healthcare, software, technology, distribution, manufacturing, and logistics.
Patrick previously worked in a private equity firm and more recent experience has focussed on advising businesses and owners on growth options and re-organisations available in the private equity market across Europe.
Patrick holds a B.A. in Accounting and Finance from DCU and a MSc. In Accounting from TUD. He co-founded a tech startup company which was successfully disposed of to a trade buyer in 2018.
pdooley@focuscapital.ie 087-2325028
Jim joined FOCUS Tax Partners in 2021, having experience advising on both personal and corporate tax matters, with a particular emphasis on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate reorganisations. He also advises on estate and retirement planning, MBOs, and all aspects of property transactions with specialised experience in stamp duty and stamp duty planning.
Jim has worked with clients across a broad range of industries, including professional services, retail, hospitality, technology, and construction.
Jim is a member of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Irish Tax Institute (CTA).
jdowling@focustax.ie 085-7702088
Sandra joined FOCUS Tax Partners in July 2022 with 14 years’ of experience in corporate governance and management administration services to investment management, hedge fund, and private equity clients.
She has extensive experience in supporting senior financial and legal professionals, both in the Cayman Islands and Internationally. Prior to joining FOCUS Tax Partners, Sandra worked for over eight years in the Cayman Islands for Maples and Calder, subsequently relocated within the Maples Group in Dublin as Assistant Vice President for Global Entity Services for four years after which she worked as Manager of Legal and Corporate Services with Intertrust Group in Luxembourg.
Sandra holds a Diploma in European Business and French, A degree in Business and Marketing, and a Certificate in Company Secretarial Law and Practice.
segan@focustax.ie 087-3448735
In November 2022, as our marketing team was formed, Anwesha joined FOCUS Capital Partners as a Marketing Coordinator with over 3 years of experience in pharmaceutical sales, retail sales, and brand management and product marketing. She has cross-functional expertise across variety of divisions, working both with customers and in a team environment.
She began her professional career with Novartis India as a Medical Representative, where she was in charge of managing, planning, and analyzing sales data and business development. She has been effective in broadening the customer universe for Novartis’ pain management segment through strategic prospecting and engagement with healthcare physicians, pharmacists, and distributors.
Then, Anwesha oversaw the point of sale and customer relationship management system at Bygge Bo, a baby-concept start-up store, where she monitored customer interactions and generated insights. In order to improve client satisfaction and retention, she scaled marketing initiatives as well.
Anwesha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from India and a Master’s degree in Marketing from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
aghoshal@focuscapital.ie 087-1489691
Owen holds a Bachelor of International Commerce & Irish degree from University College Dublin and is an associate of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners in 2017, Owen worked in Grant Thornton’s Corporate Finance and Corporate Advisory departments specialising in M&A and transaction services. Owen completed his accountancy traineeship in Deloitte and Touche’s corporate audit department.
Owen specialises in M&A and equity finance and has managed the successful execution of several equity fundraise and M&A transactions with a particular focus on high-growth indigenous Irish software and technology companies. In addition, Owen specialises in providing a range of transaction services including due diligence, company valuations, and IBR’s and has extensive experience in providing strategic advice to leading Irish corporates.
Owen has gained significant exposure to various industries while working in corporate finance including software, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, pharmacy, leisure & hospitality, waste management, renewables, retail, and property.
ohackett@focuscapital.ie 086-8707015
George holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Modern Languages from Newcastle University and is a Chartered Accountant. Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners in 2022, George was part of the Corporate Finance team in Grant Thornton Ireland after having moved from the Transaction Advisory Services Team at the Grant Thornton London office in 2019.
In FOCUS Capital Partners George specialises in M&A advisory. He has significant experience in successfully executing transactions and providing a range of other transaction services, primarily in due diligence and capital markets assignments and to a lesser extent in company valuations and independent business reviews. George has gained substantial experience in various industries in his corporate finance career to date including in the technology, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage sectors.
ghardie@focuscapital.ie 089-4371423
His core specialist skills in operating fast-growing businesses have been developed over 25 years as a Managing Director/CEO of commercial trading companies. Martin brings commercial business turnaround, growth, and restructuring expertise to FOCUS Capital Partners. He is currently spearheading a number of significant business growth planning and funding transactions.
Martin has gained a wide range of experience in a broad range of companies, Private, PLC and Multi-National.
Martin has developed a recognised reputation for business strategy, rapid growth, and business turnarounds in the European arena (Ireland/ UK/ Italy/ Denmark). He is known for his commercial, real estate, operations, IT, and financial skills. He has led the business acquisition, disposal, and restructuring transactions. Martin has strong relationships with a wide range of Private Wealth Funds, Private Equity groups, and commercial business leaders.
mhiggins@focuscapital.ie 087-2990909
Alan has 25 years’ experience working in start-ups, SMEs and multi-million euro organisations.
Having started his career in Deloitte, Alan then worked as FC of KWE Ireland, a Japanese Logistics Company specializing in services to the Pharmaceutical and Electronics Industries. Alan was appointed General Manager KWE Ireland in 2003 and oversaw revenue growth from €12m to €20m in 2.5 years.
Alan then joined Fonua, Europe’s largest mobile phone distributor as Commercial Director with responsibility for Operations, Finance & Business Development.
Since 2016, Alan has been a Director of FOCUS Capital Partners and has led a number of equity fundraising projects in multiple sectors.
He currently heads up the M&A Department and has successfully completed transactions (sell side & buy side) in multiple sectors including technology, software, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution.
Alan is an active member of M&A Worldwide and is a co-leader of the Healthcare Industry Group.
akelly@focuscapital.ie 087-8192370
Andrew has over 15 years’ experience advising personal and corporate tax clients such as high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs, start-up companies (particularly in the technology and software industries), sizeable Irish private companies and family-owned businesses across the full spectrum of the domestic economy.
Andrew has extensive knowledge of all areas of Irish taxation and specialises in the tax structuring of property transactions and corporate transactions including refinancing, acquisitions, disposals, corporate re-organisations, and management buy outs (MBOs).
Prior to joining FOCUS Tax Partners, Andrew was a Partner at Warren & Partners.
akenny@focustax.ie 086-8408359
Robert has over 10 years’ experience advising corporates and individuals on their tax affairs with a particular focus on mergers & acquisitions, capital or debt raises, group restructuring, shareholder entries and exits as well as advice on funding and investment structures.
Prior experience has been gained at Big 4 firms, as well as in the investment banking space.
He is an AITI Chartered Tax Adviser (Ireland) and an admitted attorney (South Africa).
rknox-davies@focustax.ie 087-0956576
Michael has 25 years’ experience in Financial Services. Most recently leading HSBC’s Corporate Banking business in Ireland and was a founding member when HSBC entered the Irish banking market in 2007. Michael successfully grew this business from inception, servicing Irish Corporates, PLCs, Semi-States and Real Estate clients across a range of products and services including senior debt facilities, working capital and supply chain solutions, Debt Capital Markets, M&A and Equity.
Key industry sectors included Food & Agri, Renewables and Healthcare.
Prior to HSBC, Michael began his career with Goodbody Stockbrokers as a Stockbroker and held Corporate Banking roles with AIB and ACC Bank. In 2016, Michael concluded an MBA and has a keen interest in Corporate Finance and Strategy.
mlalor@focuscapital.ie 087-2852674
Paul joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2019 and has substantial experience in the areas of M&A, debt and equity fundraising. He has significant experience in providing a range of transaction services including due diligence, valuations, financial modelling and strategic planning. Paul has gained exposure to various industries including technology, pharmacy, hospitality, renewables, retail, and property.
Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners, Paul trained as an accountant across several departments including Transaction Services, Corporate & Personal Tax, and Audit in Moore. Paul is a Chartered Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business and Finance from Dublin University College.
pmeade@focuscapital.ie 083-4648178
Barry is a Chartered Accountant with over 12 years of experience between corporate finance and audit & advisory. Barry holds a Bachelor of Business Studies degree (Accounting & Finance major) from the University of Limerick. Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners, Barry spent 4 years in the assurance department of PwC including two rotations in PwC San Francisco.
Barry has substantial experience in the areas of the buy side and sell side of M&A transactions as well as having managed a large number of banking transactions. Areas of specialty include M&A advisory, sourcing external capital, corporate & personal debt restructuring, and project management. This ranges across various industries including retail & leisure, healthcare & pharma, renewables, logistics, and Real Estate. Barry also has extensive experience in the areas of financial modelling and valuations, financial planning & analysis, and financial due diligence.
bmadden@focuscapital.ie 085-7188307
Andy established his career in the Davy Group, with over 27 years’ experience of dealing in currency and interest rate instruments with the final 5 years as Director of Moneybroker, acting exclusively in an agency capacity for professional clients, matching up buyers and sellers in the wholesale financial markets.
Andy joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2018 as Client Relationship Manager. He is primarily involved in Debt and M&A, bringing new opportunities to his client base.
Andy holds a BA in Economics together with a Master’s in Sports Management from UCD. Andy is also the successful Manager of the Meath Football Team.
amcentee@focuscapital.ie 087-8574273
Ruairi joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2022 and has worked on a number of Equity and M&A transactions to date.
Ruairi arrived at FOCUS Capital Partners having spent 3 years in PwC’s audit department (International and Domestic Business) working on a range of clients from large tech firms to smaller indigenous companies. After PwC, Ruairi spent 2 years abroad working in Financial Accounting roles in a couple of ASX-listed companies and on his return to Ireland, worked as a Financial Accountant for one of the largest vehicle distributors in the Country.
Ruairi qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2017 having graduated from UCD with a BComm and subsequently completed the MSc in Accounting from DCU.
rmcentee@focuscapital.ie 087-6660683
Brian is a founding shareholder and Chairman of FOCUS Capital Partners. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, he has developed his reputation in corporate finance, financial and business strategy and is widely acknowledged as one of the country’s leading business strategists.
Brian has a keen interest in economics and provides strategic business advice across all business sectors. He has significant hands-on management experience in terms of his ability to work alongside senior business executives in their delivery of growth-focused M&A activity.
Prior to establishing FOCUS Capital Partners, Brian was a Founding Partner of BDO in Ireland and was instrumental in the growth of the firm to become a leading top 6 accountancy firm within Ireland. Brian qualified with KPMG before establishing his own firm in 1984. In 1987, he merged with Simpson Xavier which subsequently became the Irish office of BDO International. Brian led BDO as Managing Partner until leaving in July 2010 to establish Focus Capital Partners.
bmcgann@focuscapital.ie 087-2356565
Edel joined FOCUS Capital Partners in early 2020 as a Management Accountant on the Finance team. Edel has worked primarily on internal functions but has also supported the corporate finance team with a wide range of transaction-related projects, including due diligence and financing.
Prior to joining, Edel spent over four years working in the Audit and Advisory Department in Crowe Ireland. Edel graduated with a first-class honors degree in Theology and Business from GMIT in 2011 and holds a Professional Diploma in Financial Advice from UCD.
Edel qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2019.
emulvihill@focuscapital.ie 085-1559566
Eoin has over 18 years experience in financial services through his previous roles in corporate banks and professionals services firms. Eoin held senior positions in both Lloyds TSB and AIB corporate banking departments before joining FOCUS Capital from accountancy practice Mazars in 2023.
Eoin spent over 10 years in Corporate Banks lending to private equity funds and corporates on a wide range of transactions that included acquisitions, disposals, MBOs, capital raisings and refinance opportunities. Clients typically range from FTSE 250 companies to large privately owned Irish and UK corporates.
Eoin’s more recent experience has focussed on advising Irish founded companies access debt and equity markets to finance growth plans, assist in shareholder re-orgs and manage trade sales.
Eoin has developed deep experience and industry knowledge across a range of sectors including software, food, financial services, advanced manufacturing and telecoms.
Eoin is a graduated of UCC with a Bsc Business Information Systems.
eokeeffe@focuscapital.ie 086-8061837
Jack has an extensive background in banking, funding, investments and corporate finance across a broad range of sectors. He has held senior executive positions in many of the Irish financial institutions both in Ireland and overseas, having led and executed transactions ranging in size from €5 to €75m with his recent focus in the renewable energy and social housing sectors.
In recent years, Jack has been involved in a number of fundraisings covering both equity and debt. He has an established network across private, family office and institutional investors which enables alternative funding solutions & investment insights to many clients and to efficiently match investors with projects & promoters.
Jack has initiated, structured & executed projects in property, social housing, student housing, renewable energy & hospitality sectors and holds extensive knowledge in these particular areas having led innovative fundraising transactions for a number of clients across different jurisdictions.
jokeeffe@focuscapital.ie 086-2528572
Denise joined FOCUS Capital Partners in 2016 from a large accountancy practice, having hands-on experience in the operation of multiple investor funds. Denise now works as a project manager and is involved primarily in the day-to-day management of a number of property funds within FOCUS Capital Partners that seek to deliver investment opportunities for investors.
Denise has successfully overseen a number of projects both internal and external and has a detailed and practical understanding of the core abilities that are necessary to successfully bring a project from start to finish.
Denise graduated from WIT with a BA (Hons).
dogrady@focuscapital.ie 086-0813186
John has 20+ years of investment experience in private equity, venture capital and private debt. Previously John was Chief Investment Officer, an Investment Committee member, and Co Head of Ireland at Beechbrook Capital. He was a founding member of Beechbrook Capital Ireland taking the business through the regulatory journey, fundraising first and final closes, and then deployment of the fund.
For 10 years John was Senior Vice-President at Enterprise Ireland co-managing the direct equity portfolio, primarily responsible for late-stage venture and PE deals in high-growth companies. John has worked on 7 IPOs, 100+ exits, and 300+ syndicated transactions.
He has gained a wide range of experience across many sectors including technology, Pharma, Medical devices, and other high-growth industries, working closely with founders, funds, and professional management teams.
John is a regular panelist over the last 14+ years at leading European PE and VC conferences where he has built a network of contacts across funds, institutions, and family offices.
josullivan@focuscapital.ie 087-2748175
John is the Finance Director of FOCUS Capital Partners. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, he is also a Chartered Tax Consultant with Chartered Accountants Ireland. He is an alumnus of NUIG, holding a B. Comm and a Masters in Accounting.
John began his career at EY before moving to the finance department at University College Dublin. Over several years, he progressed within UCD to the role of financial controller within the UCD SLLS division, before moving to FOCUS Capital Partners in 2016.
John is a commercially focused Finance Director, working across a platform of businesses in the Property, Hospitality, and Professional Services sectors.
jpeppard@focuscapital.ie 087-1203934
Hazel is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, holding a B.A. in Law & Accounting from the University of Limerick and a Diploma in Leadership & Management from University College Dublin.
Hazel has worked with FOCUS Capital Partners since its establishment, bringing extensive experience and knowledge across a wide range of advisory services and sectors. Hazel’s particular skillsets include fundraising, mergers & acquisitions, and due diligence.
Prior to joining FOCUS Capital Partners, Hazel worked in Audit & Assurance at BDO for 3 years. During this time Hazel worked directly with clients undergoing transactions, the experience of which sparked her interest in Corporate Finance.
hslattery@focuscapital.ie 086-4078403
Ray is a senior property and finance professional with strong relationship, investment and credit skills.
Ray has proven experience in the asset management of extensive loan and property portfolios with a focus on restructuring negotiations with borrowers.
Ray is an expert in financial structuring for refinancing and development transactions, in addition to the provision of detailed financial modelling and analysis of investment opportunities. Ray has an established track record of successfully managing the execution of high value transactions to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Ray oversees a number of property funds within FOCUS Capital Partners that deliver investment opportunities for investors across a number of sectors primarily residential housing in both the Social and Private Housing areas. Ray has delivered numerous successful housing schemes across Ireland and is currently working on a portfolio of 1,000+ units to be constructed in the short to medium term.
rwheatley@focuscapital.ie (0)1 905 2970USA Team
Rick Thomas, FOCUS’ CEO, has 25 years of consulting, management and M&A advisory experience in the Automotive, IT/Software, Financial Services, Manufacturing, and Food industries. He has worked with notable organizations as GM, Arthur Andersen, MCI WorldCom, EDS, and The United States Agency for International Development.
Prior to joining FOCUS, Rick served as Vice President at Capstone, a boutique investment banking firm located in Washington, DC. He led M&A activities for publicly and privately held companies in the middle market, several of which have annual revenues in excess of $1 Billion. Rick’s clients were involved in a wide array of transactions; from acquisitions and divestitures to minority interests and strategic partnerships.
In addition to his experience with clients, Rick has lectured to hundreds of senior executives on M&A best practices and has been an adjunct faculty member for The George Washington University School of Business and Public Management. His M&A teachings focused on coaching companies and senior executives in how to build an acquisition team, create a winning strategy, identify and engage not-for-sale companies. Rick has also served as a U.S. representative to South African companies in the capacity of advisor and consultant on business linkages, partnering and financing for small and medium businesses.
He holds an MBA in International Business and Finance from The George Washington University. He earned a BS in Engineering from Michigan State University. After completing an undergraduate program in engineering, Rick spent several years working as a manufacturing engineer and supervisor for General Motors. In this role he was responsible for the quality and productivity of manufacturing teams. In addition to being recognized as an outstanding team leader and team builder, Rick implemented a number of process improvements which enhanced product quality and efficiency at numerous GM production facilities.
rick.thomas@focusbankers.com
Robert A. (Rob) Baird, a FOCUS Managing Director, has over 40 years of investment banking experience, serving as a banker and senior executive with two leading regional investment banking firms. From 1979 to 2012, Mr. Baird held several key positions at Morgan Keegan, including banker, managing director, senior managing director, executive committee member and president of the firm’s investment banking and fixed income capital markets divisions. In 2012, Raymond James acquired Morgan Keegan, at which time Mr. Baird was named executive vice president and head of the firm’s debt investment banking group, which included over 200 bankers in 28 cities.
Mr. Baird has been the lead banker on a wide range of transactions for corporate, real estate, health care (including not-for-profit hospitals), airports, sports facilities, alternative energy, infrastructure, housing and higher education clients. Under his leadership, both Morgan Keegan and Raymond James achieved Top10 industry league table status for several consecutive years. He is well-recognized as a builder of innovative, client-focused investment banking platforms.
During his career, Mr. Baird has served on several key committees for securities industry groups, including legislative and regulatory. He has also been active in his community, having served as past chairman of the Memphis Area Transit Authority, past vice chairman of the Memphis Park Commission, and past board member of several not-for-profit organizations serving the Memphis area.
Mr. Baird holds multiple securities licenses including Series 24 and 53 principal licenses and the SIE, Series 7, Series 50 and Series 63 industry licenses.
rob.baird@focusbankers.com
Kahla Cooper is the Director of Marketing at FOCUS. In this role, Ms. Cooper designs and implements the overall marketing strategy. Ms. Cooper works with each industry team leader to define programs in order to promote and brand FOCUS’ suite of capabilities.
Prior to joining FOCUS, Ms. Cooper worked for a boutique asset manager. She was responsible for executing the RFP process for the sales team. Additionally, she provided strategic support for investor and prospect deliverables.
Previously, Ms. Cooper worked for Alexander Group, a sales management consulting firm, supporting multiple industries with their overall go-to-market strategy. Ms. Cooper has specifically worked in Medical Devices, Technology, Pharmaceutical, Life Science and Private Equity industries. During her tenure she planned multi-faceted campaigns in order to educate senior sales executives about the firms competencies.
Earlier positions included a variety of sales and marketing roles with privately-held companies. Her primary responsibilities included supporting strategic planning programs, cross-industry initiatives and corporate functions.
Based in Stamford, Connecticut, Ms. Cooper holds a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.
kahla.cooper@focusbankers.com
Kate Elliott joined FOCUS as an Associate in April 2001 and is now the Research Director. She oversees the production of research, financial modeling and analysis, and writing assignments that are integral to Focus’ process-driven methodology for executing M&A transaction work.
Ms. Elliott’s entrepreneurial career began in 1994 when she co-founded OmniTest, a test-preparation and tutoring service in Baltimore, Md. This successful small business capitalized on her experience as a high school teacher and is currently run by her founding co-partner. Upon receiving her MBA from the Darden School at UVA, she joined National Public Radio in Washington, DC. There she was responsible for developing the consumer products businesses ranging from financial services to logoed merchandise, and for maximizing content licensing arrangements for NPR’s extensive content archive.
Early in 2000 Ms. Elliott left NPR to join PlanetCooks, an Internet startup venture. When initial funding evaporated due to management team dissolution, Ms. Elliott was hired by one of the potential financial backers to work in a consulting capacity evaluating incubator candidates. She assumed an operating role at one of these, the Franklin Report, a multimedia business that creates databases of information on home service providers. At the conclusion of her engagement, the company had completed its first print guide and was positioned to expand in a planned rollout. Subsequent strategic and financial planning work performed for clients of Focus Enterprises resulted in her joining the firm on a full-time basis. Currently she manages the Research Associates and works directly with Partners on client engagements.
Ms. Elliott is a graduate of Williams College (B.A. English Literature, 1985) and holds an MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia (1998).
kate.elliott@focusbankers.com
Craig Ladkin, a FOCUS Managing Director, has twenty-five years of experience managing complex financial and development transactions between private, public and non-profit sectors in a variety of industries and international jurisdictions. He has advised on and negotiated transactions from the very large; for clients such as the World Bank, IFC, the Treasury Departments of more than a dozen OECD nations, along with their state-owned power and utility companies, down to the very small; angel level investments, small city urban renewal projects and private school campuses.
Mr. Ladkin entered investment banking in the 1980s upon joining Nomura Securities in London to help establish their derivatives and risk management operations. Later he joined AIG Financial Products to build a client base in Scandinavia and northern Europe, managing hundreds of groundbreaking transactions up to $1.5 billion. During this period, AIG-FP was at the forefront of creating highly innovative approaches to financial risk management and Mr. Ladkin was frequently requested as a popular speaker in industry forums. Returning to the US as Managing Director, North America, he focused on the Canadian public sector, major utilities and pension funds, with a particular emphasis on establishing innovative methodologies of managing previously un-hedgeable financial risks in long-dated public and private sector projects and investment portfolios.
Mr. Ladkin has advised and managed transactions for the Treasuries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, the World Bank, IFC, African Development Bank, EDF, Statoil, Hydro-Quebec, BC Hydro, Ontario Hydro and many multi-national corporations and financial institutions.
In 2000, Mr. Ladkin left AIG to pursue micro-projects in angel investments, public and private urban renewal, property development and private education. He founded Wildflower Developments Corporation where he’s won awards for restoration of historic buildings, co-founded two private schools, and advised the public sector on urban renewal projects. He has advised and invested in a number of angel companies including Productivity Works, a leader in Voice Recognition Technology (acquired to Microsoft), PhotoChannel Networks (digital imaging processing), and Swan Island Networks (critical information distribution and secure information sharing).
Mr. Ladkin holds an MBA in International Finance and Marketing from the renowned London Business School in London, England. He also holds a BSc in Geotechnical and Petroleum Engineering from the University of British Columbia. After graduation, he was selected to join the Exploitation Engineering group of Dome Petroleum, then Canada’s largest oil company, which focused on fast-tracking young engineers into management positions. There he managed a significant section of Alberta shallow gas development, while overseeing a multi-disciplined project team of engineers, geologists, lawyers and economists.
craig.ladkin@focusbankers.com
Rich Pierce, FOCUS Managing Director, has more than 20 years of investment banking experience advising middle market clients on a variety of mergers and acquisitions and capital raising transactions. During that time, Mr. Pierce’s primary emphasis has been on serving clients in the telecommunications industry including providers of network related hardware and software products, wireless and wireline telecommunications service providers and network engineering and construction companies.
Prior to joining FOCUS, Mr. Pierce was a Director in the Communications and Media group of Stifel Nicolaus, a nationally recognized middle market investment bank. In this capacity he led Stifel Nicolaus’ entry into the networking technology space while also working with clients in a variety of other telecommunications-related areas. Mr. Pierce was also a member of the Telecommunications group at Legg Mason. While at Legg Mason he gained significant experience working with telecommunications service providers, particularly those serving secondary and rural markets. Mr. Pierce has been a speaker for a variety of industry associations including the Rural Cellular Association (RCA), the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) and the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council, and he has also been recognized as a testifying expert in the wireless industry. Before becoming an investment banker, Mr. Pierce had a successful seven-year career as an officer in the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps. In addition to working in a number of tactical level assignments in the U.S. and Europe, he is a graduate of the Army’s Airborne and RANGER training programs.
Mr. Pierce graduated from Brown University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and received his M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he graduated with distinction.
rich.pierce@focusbankers.com
Cyril, a FOCUS Principal, has over 20 years of experience and expertise in the Operations and Finance disciplines working for and as a consultant to large US and European organizations. He has expertise in Working Capital and Cash Management, Managing Turnaround Opportunities, and general Corporate Finance. As a Working Capital specialist, Cyril has deep expertise in areas such as Purchasing, Inventory Management, and Revenue Management. Mr. Schlup currently coordinates M&A activities for FOCUS with its global M&A Worldwide partners to ensure FOCUS clients and partners are receiving a best in class experience. Cyril is fluent in five languages: English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
Prior to joining FOCUS, Cyril most recently built KPMG’s French Working Capital & Cash Management practice based in Paris, France. In this role, Cyril was responsible for building the operational team, creating sales materials & consulting processes, and was primarily responsible for driving revenue for the group. During his tenure, he won and led projects with organizations throughout Europe including Mitsubishi France, LexisNexis France, Safran, Hachette Publishing, Ferrero, Shell, and the multinational media group Lagardère.
Cyril’s consulting background also consisted of working in Europe for two financial consulting firms – REL Consultancy and Alvarez & Marsal. The organizations were expert boutique firms focused on improving working capital for its clients and leading companies out of distressed and turnaround situations. With both organizations, Cyril led client projects throughout Europe for organizations like Bayer, BP, Alcatel, Suez (Engie), Henkel, and Castrol. Cyril also acted as interim Purchasing Director for the distressed German drug store chain Ihr Platz.
Prior to his consulting experience, Cyril worked for US Airways in Finance and Strategy in their international department at their Headquarters in Arlington, VA. He was quickly promoted to lead the finance department for their recently opened Italian operations in Rome, Italy. He ultimately was relocated to London in order to oversee the finance department in the UK managing European operations.
Cyril has an MBA in International Business & Finance from The George Washington University and a BS in Economics, Philosophy, and Political Science from Guilford College in North Carolina.
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