Joe Saad
President | Dallas
Joe Saad is the founder and President of Merger Partners. Under his leadership, the firm has developed into a nationally recognized specialty investment banking firm and invented the only and better alternative to the auction process. Joe led the firm originally on the sell-side and then pivoted to the buy-side and performed dozens of retained acquisition searches for private equity firms nationally. Through his experience on both sides of transactions, Joe discovered the need for a better way to sell a company. Before founding Merger Partners, Joe began his career in Venture Capital at Texas Pacific Capital Corporation and business development and consulting at Kreller Consulting Group.
Joe earned his B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University.
JoeSaad@mergerpartners.com
Tony Frederickson
Senior Managing Director | San Francisco
Tony is an executive leader in the defense technology industry spanning a wide range of technology disciplines, with a track record of building successful, high-growth teams. He most recently served as CEO of Defense Group Inc, and worked in C-suite roles with Titan Corporation (NYSE: TTN), Schafer Corporation (private equity-held), and Sage Management (a professional partnership). In each case, he has led buy-side acquisition campaigns to enable better organic growth and eventually achieve a high-value exit for equity holders.
Tony earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from UCLA.
TFrederickson@mergerpartners.com
Garrison Coward
Managing Director | Washington D.C.
Garrison brings to the table many years of political and business experience. Over the course of his career, he has served as the Chief Operating Officer of a data analytics firm and has also served as an advisor to Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman. Prior to joining Congressman Wittman, Garrison served as Political Director and Deputy Director of Minority Engagement for the Republican Party of Virginia.
Garrison also co-founded Result Refinery, a strategic public affairs firm focused on using modern technology and creative methods to create more reach. He has experience leading public-policy initiatives and campaigns.
In 2019, he was a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates from the 68th District. He serves on a number of community boards and initiatives.
Garrison holds his B.A. in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and received his MBA from The George Washington University’s School of Business.
Garrison@mergerpartners.com
Ben McElhiney
Senior Advisor (Healthcare Services) | Denver
Ben McElhiney brings an array of experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries having served as CEO and other senior leadership positions in both PE-backed and Fortune 500 companies over the last 25+ years. Most recently, Ben served as CEO of one of the largest fertility businesses in the country, Village Fertility, CEO of Apothecary by Design (ABD), a URAC multi-site specialty pharmaceutical business, and worked in various roles at CVS Health in their Specialty Division. Ben also spent over 10 years at global drug maker, GlaxoSmithKline in various roles involving hospital and Oncology sales.
Ben earned his a B.S. in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Bmcelhiney@mergerpartners.com
Brad Barker
Managing Director | Montana
As an executive public and private sector leader, Brad has over 29 years of experience building and leading diverse, multi-function teams to deliver best-in-class services.
Brad most recently served with Andra Partners and now with his own firm, Old Soldier, as a buyside advisor to leading middle market private equity firms. He has led platform and add-on acquisition initiatives across multiple sectors to originate opportunities aligned with each client’s target theses and facilitate proprietary deal flow.
He also serves as a Representative in the Montana Legislature as a member of the Taxation, Agriculture and Transportation Committees and as the Chairman of the Consumer Committee.
Brad is also a retired career US Army Officer where he served in multiple command and staff assignments up through Aviation Battalion Task Force Command in Afghanistan with over 600 personnel and 49 aircraft. Brad is a Master Army Aviator rated in the UH-1(Huey), OH-58 A/C (Kiowa), AH-64A (Apache) and AH-64D (Longbow) with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Korea.
Brad earned a Bachelor's degree in Mathematical Economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a Master's in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Master's in Military Studies from the US Marine Corps University. He resides in Montana with his family and enjoys all that life in the mountains offers.
barker@mergerpartners.com
Richard Phillips
Managing Director | Washington D.C.
Richard is a seasoned dealmaker and accomplished financial analyst with over 20 years of corporate finance, consulting, and investment banking experience. During his career, he has completed over 38 M&A and other strategic transactions valued at over $6.4 billion, across several industry sectors and geographic regions.
Richard founded and serves as Senior Partner of Crossroads Capital, LLC, an M&A advisory and strategic consultancy that focuses on IT Services & Software, Government Technology Solutions, and Aerospace/Defense-related industrials. He is a Managing Director at Merger Partners Inc., and brings his investment banking experience to a team of professionals in the firm. He deeply understands DoD and FedCiv budgets and how national security priorities impact businesses in the federal contracting space and beyond. He regularly speaks at area conferences regarding corporate development best practices, preparing companies for sale, and optimizing exit value in the divestiture process.
Richard received his MA in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and his BA in Business/Economics and International Affairs from Lafayette College. He currently holds active Series 7, 63, and 79 FINRA licenses.
rphillips@mergerpartners.com
Joshua P. Graham
Managing Director | Fort Lauderdale
Joshua is an executive leader in the Healthcare, Information Technology, and Operational Consulting industry spanning more than a decade. Utilizing his knowledge as a Six Sigma Black Belt and cross-industry auxiliary-spokesperson. He has built a reputation for developing, implementing, and delivering success on multi-million-dollar portfolios consisting of programs & projects for mergers, acquisitions, and organic growth. Joshua was most recently leading the Mergers & Acquisitions Department for a billion-dollar healthcare company prior to joining Merger Partners Inc.
Joshua earned his Bachelors Degree in Chemistry from Florida Gulf Coast University.
JGraham@mergerpartners.com
Juan Ortega
Managing Director | Miami
Juan's distinctive background as a former C-level executive and middle market entrepreneur infuses his M&A advisory with unparalleled depth. Celebrated for driving territory expansion, mastering strategic acquisitions, and championing sustainable business growth, his command over corporate restructuring and M&A processes is evidenced by consistently maximized equity returns and minimized transaction risks.
In the competitive realm of the fitness industry, Juan's leadership as a multi-unit area developer and franchisee led to transformative operational changes and strategic mergers. His efforts significantly bolstered the brand's presence in the Midwest, culminating in a strategic territory sale in 2021. As the CEO of a health club chain spanning Miami and Puerto Rico, he adeptly leveraged the business as a catalyst for numerous strategic acquisitions, fostering an expansion that facilitated a lucrative exit to a private equity group.
Juan's early career saw him cultivating a diverse business and investment strategy skill set, working within a South Florida family office and a commercial real estate development firm. Immersing in sectors from luxury hospitality to wellness, he sharpened his M&A and investment management acumen, fostering a robust platform for strategic investments and business development.
His academic foundations—an MBA in Finance from Florida International University and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology—complement his rich professional narrative, underscoring his strategic foresight and operational expertise.
JuanOrtega@mergerpartners.com