Category: Uncategorized

Altvia Named a Finalist and Winner in the Eleventh Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2024

Posted on June 26, 2024 by - Uncategorized

We are excited to announce that Altvia, a leading financial service provider in the family office and family wealth industry, was selected as a finalist and winner in the following categories at the Eleventh Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2024 program:

  • Winner: CRM System
  • Finalist: Women in Wealth Technology (Individual) – Brie Aletto

Altvia President & CEO, Brie Aletto, and Chief Financial Officer, Christine Dye, were in attendance to accept the award and honored to be recognized amongst such high-caliber finalists at the Gala Ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan, New York, on May 2, 2024.

The annual Family Wealth Report Awards program recognizes achievement and showcases top-class performance, innovation, and distinction of those who serve the family office, family wealth, and trusted advisor communities in North America.

Brie Aletto, President & CEO of Atlvia, commented on the nominations: “It is a great honor to be selected by the judges among a shortlist of well-respected finalists for these prestigious awards. This recognition is a testament to the hard work that the team puts in every day to ensure our clients are getting best-in-class products and services. Thank you to the Family Wealth Report for highlighting the vigor, variety, and complexity of this industry, and congratulations to everyone who took part in the awards.”

Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media’s CEO, and publisher of Family Wealth Report was first to extend his congratulations to all winners and highly commended companies. “Every winning entrant has been subjected to a rigorous and independent judging process and should be rightly proud of the success they have achieved this year. This year we have seen a marked increase in entrants and interest in all our global awards programmes and the Family Wealth Report Awards are no exception. These awards give organisations and individuals the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, be recognized internally and externally and to celebrate in style with their peers. I offer my congratulations and best wishes for the future to all winners and highly commended firms – they are all worthy recipients who join the prestigious list of wealth management professionals who form the global elite of Family Wealth Report winners.”

For more information about the Eleventh Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2024, check out the program, Acclaim. (Altvia is featured on pages 16-17.)

About Altvia

As the technology pioneer for private capital markets, Altvia drives innovation for GPs to deliver a best-in-class LP experience. Altvia is the first solution to successfully build a fully integrated CRM platform atop Salesforce – empowering private equity, venture capital, and other alternative asset professionals to simplify data complexity, efficiently raise and deploy capital, and provide a modern LP experience.

With a commitment to excellence in service, product innovation, and having a deep understanding of the unique needs of the industry, Altvia has become a trusted partner for firms seeking to optimize their processes and achieve unfounded success in the competitive market. Founded in 2006, and acquired by Marlin Equity Partners in 2022, Altvia is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, and serves a top-tier global client base.

About ClearView Financial Media Ltd (“ClearView”)

ClearView Financial Media was founded by Chief Executive, Stephen Harris in 2004, to provide high quality ‘need to know’ information for the discerning private client community. London-based, but with a truly global focus, ClearView publishes the WealthBriefing group of newswires, along with research reports and newsletters, while also running a pan-global thought-leadership events and awards programme.

Altvia’s Comprehensive CRM Platform Chosen as a Winner in the 2024 Drawdown Awards

Posted on April 8, 2024 by - Uncategorized

Altvia was selected as a finalist in two categories for The Drawdown Awards 2024: CRM & Deal Origination Technology and Investor Relations Technology. We are thrilled to announce that on June 13, 2024, at the awards ceremony in London, Altvia won the CRM & Deal Origination Technology category. This marks Altvia’s first time being nominated and winning this prestigious award.

The Drawdown Awards celebrate excellence and innovation within private fund operations and we are honored to be considered amongst several other leading service providers for the European private equity industry.

The extensive judging process, based on the views of a panel of leading private capital fund COOs, CFOs, CCOs, GCs, and CTOs, ensures these awards stand out from the crowd as ‘ones to win’ and they aim to act as a catalyst to drive up service standards and operations across the sector.

CRM & Deal Origination Technology

Altvia, a leading provider of CRM and deal origination software for private capital markets, provides alternative asset professionals with first-hand access to proprietary deals in the market, giving them a competitive edge. 

As the volume of dry powder reaches unprecedented heights, investment professionals face mounting pressure to source high-yield opportunities to deploy capital. This necessitates a delicate balance of strategic foresight, market intelligence, and adept networking skills. As the market is flooded with competition, the quest for distinctiveness in deal flow management is paramount – making the need for a robust operational infrastructure for deal origination execution paramount.

Altvia’s comprehensive AIM CRM empowers dealmakers to seamlessly transition their key relationships into the digital realm. And by streamlining the management of key connections, AIM enhances efficiency and effectiveness in deal sourcing and execution. 

For more information on how Altvia’s AIM CRM and deal management software can help you source and win more deals, visit altvia.com/aim-crm.

Investor Relations Technology

Altvia and Passthrough’s innovative and first-of-its-kind integrated solution links data normally trapped in sub docs with Altvia’s AIM CRM via a powerful, custom integration, OnboardingBridge.

Investors expect a streamlined onboarding experience where they don’t need to provide duplicative information, while fund managers need real-time visibility into the status of their raise and a single source of truth for their teams. That’s what OnboardingBridge solves. 

A fund manager’s CRM needs to be a reliable, single source of truth for the whole firm to use the data in it to make smarter decisions. OnboardingBridge—the first integration that connects sub docs with a purpose-built CRM for private equity—means information normally trapped in a sub doc automatically updates Altvia’s AIM CRM in real-time, and vice versa.

OnboardingBridge allows fund managers to use data already in Altvia’s AIM CRM to prefill a subscription document, invite investors to the platform to complete their agreement, and once the new limited partners complete their documents, both the investor’s information and status are automatically updated. That investor’s data can also be reused when they reinvest in a future fund.

For more information about our streamlined LP onboarding solution, visit altvia.com/partnerships/passthrough.

We’re honored that The Drawdown Awards has chosen to recognize our industry-leading innovation!

Announcing the recipients of the 2024 Colorado Titan 100

Posted on April 2, 2024 by - Uncategorized

Originally posted on EIN Presswire
March 26th, 2024

Brie Aletto, President & CEO, Altvia, announced as a 2024 Colorado Titan 100.
Brie Aletto, President & CEO, Altvia, announced as a 2024 Colorado Titan 100.

Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP are pleased to announce Brie Aletto, President & CEO, Altvia, as a 2024 Colorado Titan 100. The Titan 100 program recognizes Colorado’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that include demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion. Collectively the 2024 Colorado Titan 100 and their companies employ over 74,000 individuals and generate over $43 billion in annual revenues. This year’s honorees will be published in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 30th, 2024, and will be given the opportunity to interact and connect multiple times throughout the year with their fellow Titans.

“The Titan 100 are changing the way that business is done in Colorado. These preeminent leaders have built a distinguished reputation that is unrivaled and preeminent in their field. We proudly recognize the Titan 100 for their efforts to shape the future of the Colorado business community. Their achievements create a profound impact that makes an extraordinary difference for their employees and clients across the nation.” says Jaime Zawmon, President of Titan CEO.

Brie Aletto, Altvia’s President and CEO brings over 15 years of experience as a seasoned SaaS executive in private equity-backed companies. Brie’s dynamic leadership, strategic foresight, and commitment to excellence in recruiting and developing top talent have contributed to their collective business execution and positioned Altvia as a frontrunner in the competitive landscape of SaaS solutions for private capital markets. Under Brie’s leadership, Altvia has seen noteworthy and sustained growth across various key metrics, reflecting the effective strategies and initiatives she and her team have implemented.

“As a CEO honored as a Titan 100, I am deeply humbled. This recognition reflects not just my own efforts, but the dedication of our entire team to lead with vision, integrity, and passion in Colorado’s business community. It’s a privilege to be part of driving positive change and progress in our industries.”

The annual Titan 100 awards celebration on May 30th, 2024, will be held at Magness Arena in Denver, CO. The home of champions, Magness Arena is a multi-use venue within the Ritchie Center. This unique cocktail-style awards event will gather 100 Titans of Industry for an evening unlike anything that exists in the Colorado business community.

“On behalf of all the partners and associates at Wipfli we congratulate all the Titan100 winners. It’s an honor to recognize this diverse group of leaders in the Colorado business community. We appreciate the lasting impact each leader has made, and continues to make, in building organizations of significance both here in Colorado and abroad. Your ingenuity and creativity have set you apart, and the honor of being seen as an industry Titan is richly deserved,” says Pete Aden, Partner at Wipfli.

Private Equity Industry Recognizes Altvia with Prestigious ‘Best New Solution Provider’ Award

Posted on October 26, 2023 by - Uncategorized

Based on a widespread survey of more than 500 GPs and other key private equity industry participants, Altvia was recognized, for the third consecutive year, by Private Equity Wire US Awards as “Best New Solution Provider” for its alternative investments software.

DENVER, October 26, 2023 /PRWeb/ – Altvia, the leading technology provider in alternative investments announced it has been awarded “Best New Solution Provider” by Private Equity Wire’s US Awards 2023. Altvia drives innovation and transforms data for GPs to deliver a best-in-class LP experience through a purpose-built and fully integrated private equity CRM platform.

“We are honored to receive the Best New Solutions Provider award from PE Wire this year,” said Brie Aletto, CEO of Altvia. “We take great pride in this achievement as it reaffirms our dedication to delivering innovative technology solutions to our clients, which subsequently pushes the private capital market forward as a whole. This accolade not only recognizes our past efforts, but also inspires us to continue to push the boundaries with our products to uncover what is possible in the world of private equity technology.”

Alternative investments solution Altvia wins the Private Equity Wire 2023 Best new Solution Provider award.
Winners were announced last night during an awards ceremony and networking event held at The Penn Club in New York.

The Private Equity Wire US Awards recognize excellence among private equity fund managers and service providers in the US across a wide range of categories. Nominations for the service provider awards are based on a widespread survey of more than 500 GPs and industry leaders. Winners were announced last night during an awards ceremony and networking event held at The Penn Club of New York.

With a commitment to excellence in service, product innovation, and having a deep understanding of the unique needs of the industry, Altvia has become a trusted partner for hundreds of world-class firms seeking to optimize their processes and create a competitive edge in this competitive market. Acquired by Marlin Equity Partners in 2022, Altvia has increased its research and development investment to focus on transforming the way GPs deliver continuous value, real-time decision support, and secure communications to their valued investors.

With winning “Best New Solution Provider,” Altvia is proud to add a fourth Private Equity Wire Award alongside their dual wins of “Best Fundraising Solution” and “Best Secure Workflow Management Provider” in 2022 and “Best Secure Workflow Management Provider” in 2021.

To learn more about Altvia’s private equity CRM, alternative investment management software, and deal flow management solutions, or explore visit: https://altvia.com/platform/

About Altvia

As the technology pioneer for private capital markets, Altvia continues to drive innovation for GPs to deliver a best-in-class LP experience. Altvia is the first and only solution to successfully build a fully integrated CRM platform atop Salesforce – empowering private equity, venture capital, and other alternative asset professionals to streamline operations, enhance investor relationships, and extract valuable insights from their data. Learn more at www.altvia.com.

About Private Equity Wire

Private Equity Wire provides highly relevant and actionable information for GPs, service providers, and LPs.

Passthrough and Altvia Launch First CRM-Integrated Investor Onboarding Solution, OnboardingBridge

Posted on September 6, 2023 by - Uncategorized

Enterprise leaders in fund workflow automation create multi-use-case and multi-purpose onboarding solution for fund managers.

September 6, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Today, Altvia and Passthrough announced the launch of OnboardingBridge, the first solution to fully integrate a CRM with an investor onboarding solution, so that General Partners can provide a best-in-class investor experience.

Passthrough is a leader in fund workflow automation for investors, fund managers, and other fintechs. They enable investors to speed through the onboarding process, allowing fund managers to close capital commitments in minutes instead of weeks. Altvia is a market-leading software provider of CRM, Data Analytics, LP Portal, and Data Room. Their end-to-end solution, and unmatched expertise, help alternative investment firms seamlessly evolve and manage complexity as they grow, multiply funds, and expand their LP base. Since its initial announcement earlier this year, the strategic partnership with Altvia has enabled GPs to improve relationships with their LPs by providing a seamless, digital experience throughout the entire onboarding process.

Altvia’s OnboardingBridge powered by Passthrough, is the first solution to fully integrate a CRM with an investor onboarding solution. This strategic integration delivers rapid data processing, minimized onboarding risk, and expedites fund closures. This allows fund managers to close a raise weeks or even months faster by establishing one source of truth for investors. Altvia’s AIM CRM and Passthrough seamlessly transfer data back and forth by way of OnboardingBridge, which provides GPs with the most elegant and streamlined LP onboarding solution in private markets.

“Our objective has always been straightforward: to solve investor onboarding at the infrastructure level. By partnering with Altvia earlier this year, we leapt closer to that goal,” explains Tim Flannery, Co-founder & CEO of Passthrough. “Through OnboardingBridge, GPs can now prioritize relationship management without the burden of data administration. While Passthrough streamlines document completion and data system integration, GPs can get back to running their funds and utilizing readily accessible investor data.”

With OnboardingBridge, Passthrough and Altvia users will be able to efficiently utilize, import, and export accurate, pre-populated investor sub doc data for immediate use in Altvia’s AIM CRM. Additionally, rapid and seamless data transfer minimizes business delays, enabling teams to accelerate fund closing timelines without additional workloads. Its real-time visibility empowers firm-wide collaboration by providing a live onboarding status to investor relation teams within Altvia’s AIM CRM with no additional work.

“OnboardingBridge is a first-of-its-kind solution that’s directly addressing many of the data administration problems plaguing GPs and LPs everywhere,” says Jeff Williams, Altvia’s Chief Strategy Officer. “Especially as firms and GPs continue to grow and expand their LP base – we want to be providing them with the tools they need to seamlessly evolve and manage complexity. With the help of Passthrough, we’ve been able to do just that.”

“We’ve achieved data continuity throughout our fundraising process with OnboardingBridge,” says Sara Anderson, PennantPark’s Investor Relations Product Manager. “Because our fundraising and investor data seamlessly flows between our CRM and sub docs now, we’ve been able to use the time previously spent on manual processes for building relationships with our LPs, giving them a better experience all round. We can close our raise faster and our team is happier.”

To learn more about Passthrough and Altvia’s partnership, and how to get started with OnboardingBridge, please visit: https://passthrough.com/altvia or meet both teams in person at Private Equity International’s Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications Forum, held at Parc 55 in San Francisco on September 20 and 21.

About Passthrough
Passthrough turns workflows like subscription document execution into solved problems – seamlessly manages subscription document distribution, execution, and compliance in minutes. Founded by former leaders from the Carta Investors Services team Alex Laplante, Ben Doran, and Tim Flannery, Passthrough provides an integrated platform solution that makes the subscription document process turnkey for investors with replicable and verifiable identity information built in for future use. In addition to subscription documents, Passthrough also offers a comprehensive AML & KYC compliance product which collects information from investors so fund managers can remain compliant.

About Altvia
Altvia is a market-leading provider for CRM, investor and deal management systems specifically built for Private Capital Market firms. The company’s cloud-based platform (AIM, ShareSecure, Correspond, and Answers) is transforming the way GP’s deliver continuous value, real-time decision support, and secure communications to their valued constituents. Marquee firms across multiple verticals trust Altvia to optimize operational functions and enable critically important communications. Altvia is a Marlin Equity Partners portfolio company.

Media Contact:
Kathy Osborne
press@passthrough.com

Passthrough and Altvia Announce Strategic Partnership for Streamlined Investor Onboarding Process

Posted on April 21, 2023 by - Uncategorized

Enterprise leaders in fund workflow automation partner for multi-use-case and multi-purpose solutions for fund managers

April 11, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Passthrough and Altvia announce a new strategic partnership that will create a modern approach for Investor Relations teams to leverage data and technology to convert their fundraising funnel faster. Passthrough, a leader in fund workflow automation for investors, fund managers, and other fintechs, and Altvia, a purpose-built fund lifecycle platform to facilitate world-class partnerships between LPs and GPs, will be releasing an API integration later this year.

“By connecting with our infrastructure, Altvia’s fund managers can provide simplified investor onboarding relying on software instead of pen & paper so they can close their funds weeks or months faster.”Tweet this

Altvia is a market-leading provider of CRM, analytics, LP Portal, and Data Room software specifically built for Private Capital Market firms to help them gain visibility and insight with a real-time view of performance and activities across fundraising, investing, and LP engagement. Altvia’s end-to-end solution, and unmatched expertise, helps alternative investment firms seamlessly evolve and manage complexity as they grow, multiply funds, and expand their LP base.

Passthrough enables investors to speed through the onboarding process, allowing fund managers to close capital commitments in minutes instead of weeks. They turn workflows like subscription document execution and KYC/AML into solved problems – seamlessly managing subscription document distribution, execution, and compliance.

“We think investor onboarding should be solved at the infrastructure level and over API, which means we don’t need to be another destination for fund managers and investors to constantly check. Instead, we power the private capital market with a default investor onboarding tool for fund managers,” says Tim Flannery, Co-founder & CEO of Passthrough. “By connecting with our infrastructure, Altvia’s fund managers can provide simplified investor onboarding relying on software instead of pen & paper so they can close their funds weeks or months faster.”

Today, Altvia clients can sync historical investor information with Passthrough for a seamless document completion experience. With the upcoming integration, the information will sync live so investors will automatically be added to Passthrough’s investor onboarding solution for electronic subscription documents and KYC/AML offering. As part of the KYC/AML offering, Altvia customers will also be able to screen investors against sanctions lists on an initial and ongoing basis so they can monitor their risk.

“We are laser-focused on creating the private capital market’s most seamless and elegant investor experience technology” says Jeff Williams, Altvia’s Chief Strategy Officer. “To do that, we are partnering with best-of-breed solutions like Passthrough to provide similar experiences for our top tier client roster and their investors. The streamlined experience that comes as the result of this integration, together with Passthrough’s differentiated identity resolution data, made this partnership a natural fit, and we’re thrilled about what it offers the market.”

The initial real-time API integration will be released later this year. The strategic partnership between Passthrough and Altvia will continue to look for opportunities to extend the integration across products.

To learn more about Passthrough and Altvia’s new strategic partnership, please visit: altvia.com/passthrough.

Additionally, you can find the Passthrough and Altvia teams at the Private Equity International Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications Forum (PEI IR Forum) in NYC on April 19-20.

About Passthrough

Passthrough turns workflows like subscription document execution into solved problems – seamlessly manages subscription document distribution, execution, and compliance in minutes. Founded by former leaders from the Carta Investors Services team Alex Laplante, Ben Doran, and Tim Flannery, Passthrough provides an integrated platform solution that makes the subscription document process turnkey for investors with replicable and verifiable identity information built in for future use. In addition to subscription documents, Passthrough also offers a comprehensive AML & KYC compliance product which collects information from investors so fund managers can remain compliant.

About Altvia

Altvia is a market-leading provider for CRM, investor and deal management systems specifically built for Private Capital Market firms. The company’s mobile-optimized platform (AIM, ShareSecure, Correspond, and Answers) is transforming the way GP’s deliver continuous value, real-time decision support, and secure communications to their valued constituents. Marquee firms across multiple verticals trust Altvia to optimize operational functions and enable critically important communications. Altvia is a Marlin Equity Partners portfolio company.

Contacts

Media:
Kathy Osborne
press@passthrough.com

Industry Recognizes Altvia with Two Private Equity Wire 2022 Awards

Posted on October 27, 2022 by - Uncategorized

The Private Equity Wire US Awards recognize excellence among private equity fund managers and service providers in the US across a wide range of categories. Voting is conducted via an online poll of the entire Private Equity Wire userbase, where participants are asked to make their choice among the shortlisted firms in each category. The nominated firms are based on a widespread survey of more than 100 GPs and other key industry participants. Winners were announced last night during an awards ceremony and networking event held at The University Club in Manhattan. 

“We are delighted to be recognized by the industry amongst our competitors with this prestigious award. As the private equity industry rapidly adopts new technologies to drive improvements and efficiencies, we help our clients more effectively raise and deploy capital, optimize workflows, collaborate cross-functionally, and analyze performance across their investments as part of their path to the top,” commented Brie Aletto, President and CEO of Altvia, on the accomplishment. “Altvia is privileged to have strong employees and customers that have supported our continued growth and are robust contributors to winning these awards.” 

Learn more about how our award-winning solution can help you win deals in a hyper-competitive market.

About Alvtia

Altvia is a market-leading provider for CRM, investor and deal management systems specifically built for Private Capital Market firms. The company’s mobile-optimized platform (AIM, ShareSecure, Correspond, and Answers) is transforming the way GP’s deliver continuous value, real-time decision support, and secure communications to their valued constituents. Marquee firms across multiple verticals including IVP, Livingbridge, Tailwater Capital, and RCP Advisors trust Altvia to optimize operational functions and enable critically important communications. Altvia is a Marlin Equity Partners portfolio company. Learn more at www.altvia.com. 

About Private Equity Wire

Private Equity Wire provides highly relevant and actionable information for GPs, service providers, and LPs.

Marlin completes significant majority growth investment in Altvia

Posted on July 26, 2022 by - Uncategorized

DENVER, July 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Altvia is pleased to announce that Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”) has completed a significant majority growth investment in Altvia, a market leader in software solutions for the alternative asset space. Altvia’s comprehensive platform, comprising a verticalized CRM built on Force.com, investor engagement offerings, and analytics engine, helps hundreds of asset managers more effectively raise and deploy capital, optimize workflows, collaborate cross-functionally, and analyze performance across their investments. 

The transaction enables Altvia to further expand its leadership position within the software ecosystem for alternative asset managers by accelerating product innovation and supporting the go-to-market function. 

“We are incredibly proud of the market-leading products and loyal customer base that we have built at Altvia,” said Brie Aletto, CEO of Altvia. “Marlin shares our strategic vision of equipping private capital market participants with purpose-built systems to drive world-class partnerships between Limited Partners and General Partners. We are thrilled to partner with Marlin as we enter the next phase of growth.”

“Participants in the private capital markets are rapidly adopting new technologies to drive improvements and efficiencies as they navigate increasing demands from regulatory bodies, ESG impacts, and expanding partnerships with Limited Partners,” said Nick Lukens, a managing director at Marlin. “We look forward to providing our operational expertise and financial support to further advance Altvia’s position in the market, accelerate technological innovation, and enhance its existing product capabilities for its current and future customer base.”

About Altvia

Altvia is a market-leading provider for investor and deal management systems specifically built for private capital market firms. Founded in 2006, Altvia has hundreds of clients and supports over 40,000 Limited Partner investors. The company’s mobile-optimized platform (AIM, ShareSecure, Correspond and Answers) is transforming the way General Partners deliver continuous value, real-time decision support and secure communications to their valued constituents. Marquee firms across multiple verticals trust Altvia to optimize operational functions and enable critically important communications. For more information, please visit www.altvia.com.

About Marlin Equity Partners

Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $8.1 billion of capital under management. The firm is focused on providing corporate parents, shareholders and other stakeholders with tailored solutions that meet their business and liquidity needs. Marlin invests in businesses across multiple industries where its capital base, industry relationships and extensive network of operational resources significantly strengthen a company’s outlook and enhance value. Since its inception, Marlin, through its group of funds and related companies, has successfully completed over 200 acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with an additional office in London. For more information, please visit www.marlinequity.com.

Altvia President & CEO Brie Aletto Shares Insights With PreSales Collective

Posted on June 21, 2022 by - Uncategorized

Recently our President and CEO, Brie Aletto, had a conversation with PreSales Collective in a presentation titled The Rise from SE to CEO: In Conversation with Brie Aletto.

The company asked Brie to provide details on her path to becoming Altvia’s leader and one of the driving forces behind our triple-digit growth. That journey involved serving in many roles, from a solutions consultant that helped IQNavigator scale from $10 million to $47 million to co-leading TalentReef $3M to $30M in ARR.

Below are some highlights from that interesting interview. You can also watch it in its entirety on YouTube.

Aspiring Meteorologist Turned Company Executive: Brie’s Career Journey

The presentation starts with Brie explaining that as a college student, she envisioned herself pursuing a career as a meteorologist or another role on TV. “I was never going to go into sales, and definitely never into software,” she says with a smile. But graduating into a tight job market, she got her first job working in customer support for a software company.

While that wasn’t her “dream job,” she can now reflect on how pivotal that role was in her career. It allowed her to learn about all the facets of running a business, from operations and system implementation to sales and marketing.

Ultimately, she gravitated toward sales, and the role of sales engineer “fell into her lap.” Being what she describes as the “entertainer” in sales pitch calls ended up feeling very natural to her. Over time, that role expanded into other sales and marketing responsibilities.

Later, when joining Altvia in an operations capacity, she could see how advantageous her sales engineering background was when it came to understanding the “big picture” at her new company. It also made her an excellent candidate when the CEO position opened up.

Brie’s Leadership “Light Bulb” Moment

Although Brie was involved in student government and other leadership activities growing up, she wasn’t sure that being a decision-maker within a company was for her. But, as she started building a team, she eventually realized that letting her employees spread their wings and take on more responsibilities would be good for them and for her. That’s when mentorship became a passion for her.

Brie shares that she recently read a book that uses the phrases expert leader (the person in the room that people look to because they have the expertise) and spanning leader (someone who is an asset because of their overarching understanding of the business).

She acknowledges that it takes time and effort to relinquish control to others but that it’s an important step for those looking to advance their careers.

Tips for Gaining Visibility Within Your Company

The interviewer also asks Brie how she made herself visible and a viable candidate for taking on added responsibilities and new roles. Brie begins her answer by noting that it’s common for product experts to fear that their expertise will, ironically, keep them from advancing since that means the company will no longer have them as their “go-to” technical person.

To keep from being pigeonholed, she recommends taking action to get involved in other areas. She gives the example of solution consultants getting a seat at the table regarding developing the product roadmap. You’ve got to make yourself the “connective tissue” across your organization, Brie says.

What Makes an Incredible Leader?

Next, Brie is asked about what makes someone a good leader, what advice she has for first-time leaders, and how long-time leaders can energize their leadership style. She laughs about the cliches that come to mind but says they’re true. You’ve got to surround yourself with the right people, empower your people to do their best work, and be willing to offer praise but also have tough conversations, for example.

The last of these is the most difficult for her. But she says the ability to offer constructive criticism is essential and something every aspiring leader must learn.

As for things seasoned leaders can do to inspire their teams, Brie acknowledges that’s a significant challenge. However, she mentions employee engagement surveys as a way to determine what’s important to the people you’re leading.

She also explains a few frameworks like EOS (entrepreneurial operating system) and GWC (get it, want it, capacity to do it) that leaders can use to run their business and understand their employees.

The Importance of Mentorship

In another part of the conversation, the interviewer asks Brie about mentorship—the role it’s played in her career, how to find a mentor, etc. She says that it starts with determining whether the person and company you work for value you and the contribution you make. If they don’t, she says, you should consider moving on. 

But when you find a potential mentor, she points out that mentorship can be a two-way street. If you’ve got something to offer a potential mentor—a task you take off their plate or some other way you can assist them or their team—you’re more likely to establish a relationship that will benefit both of you.

Brie also points out that, in most cases, having one mentor isn’t enough. You’re wise to seek out mentor/mentee relationships with multiple people who are experts in their area.

Insightful Answers to Great Attendee Questions

The interview then moves on to Brie answering excellent questions from webinar attendees. Many of them are follow-ons to the mentorship discussion. For example, how do you find a mentor when you’re already in a somewhat senior role? And, how should you pursue finding a mentor outside your company? 

Others address the challenges Brie has faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry, how she walks the line of being humble yet confident, and others.

The discussion is full of insights for any sales engineer—or anyone, really—looking to enjoy their work and advance their career! We encourage you to check it out. And if you have questions about products and services, contact us today to request an informative demo.

Leveraged Buyout (LBO) Model for Private Equity Firms

Posted on June 8, 2022 by - Uncategorized

Leveraged buyouts (LBOs) are a cornerstone of private equity, where financial engineering meets strategic acquisition. In an LBO transaction, PE firms acquire companies using a substantial amount of debt, aiming to amplify returns by leveraging the acquired company’s assets and cash flows. But, what does that even mean? How do LBOs work? And what are the implications for both the investors and companies involved?

What is a Leveraged Buyout (LBO)?

A leveraged buyout is a financial transaction in which a PE firm acquires a company primarily using borrowed funds, with the expectation that the target company’s cash flows will be sufficient to service the debt. The PE firm typically contributes a portion of equity capital, often alongside limited partner investors, while the remaining purchase price is funded through various debt instruments.

What does an LBO process look like for PE Firms?

Before making an acquisition, PE firms conduct their due diligence through a series of steps, including analyzing a potential company’s assets, cash flows, and cash expenditures. If the deal seems to have potential, the PE firm negotiates a price and outlines a deal structure. Next, they source capital to take ownership of the business, and then implement strategic changes and cost-cutting measures to accelerate growth (and revenue).

To determine if a deal is worth pursuing, firms use an LBO model for evaluation, which, as the Corporate Finance Institute explains, can get pretty complicated due to the unique factors that go into such a deal. These include, but are not limited to:

  • A high degree of leverage
  • Multiple tranches of debt financing
  • Complex bank covenants
  • Issuing of preferred shares
  • Management equity compensation
  • Operational improvements targeted in the business

Once evaluating these factors, firms need to measure key metrics to ensure the deal is favorable, such as:

  • Debt/EBITDA
  • Interest Coverage Ratio (EBIT/Interest)
  • Debt Service Coverage Ratio (EBITDA – Capex) /  (Interest + Principle)
  • Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (EBITDA – Capex – Taxes) / (Interest + Principle)

When analyzing these metrics, firms should also conduct what’s called a sensitivity analysis. This analysis forecasts LBO outcomes based on different assumptions and scenarios, such as changing the EV/EBITDA acquisition multiple, the EV/EBITDA exit multiple, and the amount of leverage (ie: debt) used.

If using a templated LBO model, it’s essential to keep in mind that certain models use specific assumptions. In Firmex’s templated LBO model, for example, it assumes 100% acquisition of the target company, that the most recent year-end balance sheet is the closing balance sheet, that there are no step-ups in asset values, and that there will be no amortization of goodwill from an acquisition. If these assumptions don’t apply to your deal, factor that in during your analysis. 

How to structure an LBO:

At the heart of an LBO lies the intricate structuring of financing. PE firms work closely with investment banks and lenders to craft a capital structure that optimizes returns while managing risk. This structure typically involves a mix of senior secured debt, subordinated debt, and equity financing.

  • Senior Secured Debt: This forms the backbone of the LBO financing and is usually collateralized by the assets of the acquired company. Senior debt holders have priority in repayment in the event of bankruptcy or liquidation, providing a level of security for lenders.
  • Subordinated Debt: Also known as mezzanine financing, this type of debt sits between senior debt and equity in the capital structure. It often carries higher interest rates and may include equity kickers such as warrants or convertible securities, providing lenders with additional upside potential.
  • Equity Financing: PE firms contribute equity capital to the transaction, typically ranging from 20% to 40% of the total purchase price. This equity investment serves as a cushion against potential losses and aligns the interests of the PE firm with those of its investors.

How do PE firms ensure success with LBOs?

Positive Cash Flow:
Central to the success of an LBO is the target company’s ability to generate sufficient cash flows to service the debt. PE firms conduct extensive due diligence to assess the target company’s financial health, market position, growth prospects, and operational efficiency. By identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, increase revenue, or reduce costs, PE firms aim to enhance the target company’s cash flow generation potential.

Value Creation:
Another key point to understand is that PE firms execute LBOs with the ultimate goal of creating value for their investors. This means that the fund managers are hyper-focused on value creation in their portfolio companies. This value creation can take various forms, including operational improvements, strategic initiatives, and financial engineering. Over the investment horizon, the fund managers work closely with the portfolio company’s management teams to implement value-enhancing strategies and position the company for a successful exit.

Exit Strategies:
Exit strategies for LBO investments vary but typically include selling the company to a strategic buyer, conducting an initial public offering (IPO), or recapitalizing the company to distribute cash to investors. The timing and method of exit depend on market conditions, industry dynamics, and the specific objectives of the PE firm and its investors.

In conclusion, leveraged buyouts represent a powerful tool for PE firms to unlock value and drive growth in target companies. By leveraging debt to finance acquisitions, PE firms amplify returns while carefully managing risk. However, successful LBOs require rigorous due diligence, disciplined execution, and strategic value-creation initiatives. As a cornerstone of the PE industry, LBOs continue to shape the landscape of corporate finance and investment, driving innovation, efficiency, and shareholder value.

Unlock value, drive growth, and amplify returns with Altvia. Discover how our comprehensive suite of solutions streamlines your due diligence, execution, and strategic value-creation initiatives for successful leveraged buyouts. To learn more about Altvia’s solutions, start a conversation with our team.