ACG_Conf_Program

BRONZE SPONSORS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

5. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPTER PRESIDENT

6. AGENDA

7. MESSAGE FROM THE SUMMIT CHAIR

8. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

10. SESSION LEADERS

11. YOUNG ACG

12. SESSION LEADERS BIOS

14. BOARD MEMBERS - OFFICERS

BOARD MEMBERS - ADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE

MESSAGE FROM THE ACG EDMONTON CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Chapter President

Welcome to the 13th edition of the ACG Edmonton Corporate Growth Summit! I extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated conference planning committee, especially Alvin Pyke, the Summit Chair, for their unwavering commitment and hard work in making this event possible. I also want to thank each and every one of you, our valued attendees, who play a crucial role in the Summit’s success. Your participation and engagement help make this event a standout occasion.

This year’s theme, “Driving Growth: Opportunities and Risks in Today’s Economy,” reflects our collective focus on navigating the complexities of the current economic landscape. We are excited to explore crucial topics as they relate to risk across the entire business spectrum. From start-up to well-established enterprise, no business is without risk. Our goal with this year’s summit is for every attendee to gain value insights into how risk shifts and transforms across different stages of business, industry and scale.

To our generous sponsors, I cannot thank them enough for their invaluable support. This year, we are particularly grateful for the diverse range of organizations that have stepped forward to contribute, some of which have been with us for several years, and others who are joining us for the first time. Without their support we could not put on this event. As we embrace this year’s Summit, I invite you to actively participate, engage with fellow attendees, and seize the opportunities for learning and collaboration. Your input is invaluable, and we remain committed to enhancing our offerings to better serve you in the years ahead.

On behalf of ACG Edmonton and our 2024 Summit committee, I extend my sincere thanks for your attendance. Together, let’s make this year’s Summit an enriching and memorable experience.

With appreciation,

4:00-5:00 PM YOUNG ACG PRE-EVENT MIXER

Network with fellow Young ACG members at an exclusive, Young ACG only pre-event mixer.

5:00-8:00 PM WELCOME RECEPTION

Open networking with conference attendees

7:30 - 8:30 AM REGISTRATION & NETWORKING BREAKFAST

8:40 - 9:30 AM ECONOMIC & TRANSACTIONS UPDATE

Join us for an Economic Update from Mark Parsons, Vice President and Chief Economist at ATB Financial.

9:30 - 10:00 AM NETWORKING BREAK

10:00 - 10:30 AM THE TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS OF

GROWING A START-UP

Join us by an insightful conversation delving into "The Trials and Tribulations of Growing a Start-Up." In this candid fireside chat, our panelists will share their personal journeys, navigating the turbulent waters of the startup world. From initial ideation to scaling challenges, fundraising hurdles to team dynamics, our speakers will shed light on the highs and lows they've faced while building and growing their ventures. Expect practical wisdom, lessons learned, and a glimpse into the resilience required to thrive amidst the uncertainties of the startup landscape. It's a discussion of inspiration, shared experiences, and valuable insights for anyone embarking on or intrigued by the entrepreneurial path.

10:30 - 11:00 AM NETWORKING BREAK

11:00 - 12:00 PM NAVIGATING THE NEXT STAGE OF GROWTH

Join us for an intimate fireside chat featuring Benito Chido, Director of BDC, in conversation with Leon Robb, President and CEO of Homes Alive Pets. In this exclusive dialogue, Tabreez will delve into Leon’s wealth of experience in steering Homes Alive Pets through pivotal stages of expansion. From strategic decision-making to market penetration, talent acquisition to innovation, Leon will share his insights, challenges, and triumphs, offering a firsthand account of navigating the complex landscape of scaling a business. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a business enthusiast, this fireside chat promises to provide actionable strategies and practical tips for successfully navigating the next phase of growth.

12:00 - 1:00 PM NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00 - 1:45 PM BUILDING BUSINESS IN HEALTHCARE

Join us for an enlightening fireside chat featuring Charles Wong of CarePros and Julie Afanasiff of Sequeria Partners. This session promises to delve into the heart of pioneering care solutions and strategic business growth, exploring the intersection where healthcare meets business innovation.

1:45 - 2:30 PM NETWORKING BREAK

2:30 -

3:30 PM GENERATIVE AI & ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON BUSINESSES

Embark on a journey into the future of business with Cory Janssen, Co-Founder and CEO of AltaML, as he presents “Generative AI and Its Potential Impact on Business.” In this enlightening session, Cory will unravel the transformative power of generative AI, exploring how this cutting-edge technology has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of the business landscape. From generating innovative solutions to addressing complex challenges, join us to discover how generative AI can enhance creativity, streamline processes, and unlock new opportunities for businesses across industries. Cory Janssen, a visionary in the field, will share insights, real-world examples, and implications for the future. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the role generative AI can play in shaping the business landscape and driving unprecedented growth.

3:30 - 5:00 PM

HAPPY HOUR

MESSAGE FROM THE CORPORATE GROWTH SUMMIT CHAIR

Alvin Pyke

Corporate Growth Summit

Welcome to the 12th installment of ACG Edmonton Corporate Growth Summit and hello to all you ACG members and guests in attendance. We are thrilled to host you again this year at our summit and promise to make it a worthwhile experience for you and your guests. Whether this is your first summit, or you are a serial attendee, we appreciate and thank you for your attendance. Our goal for the summit is to keep you informed and entertained. It was a bit of a struggle to arrive on a theme for this year’s event given the relative uncertainty we currently face in our economy. After several incarnations we arrived at Driving Growth: Opportunities and Risks in Today’s Economy. Artificial Intelligence aside, Enterprise Risk Management is high atop the list of most talked about business needs for 2024. In this years installment of the summit we will explore risk management as it relates to M&A and integration strategy. This year you will notice a slightly modified format from what you may have experienced in the past. Based on the feedback we have received from you, we have nixed the keynote speaker in favour of more content and more networking time. We have focused on bringing you inside information on some of the most notable M&A transactions that have happened in Edmonton in the most recent past. We have added a session for Young ACG and have renamed the Presidents Reception to simply, the ‘Welcome Reception’.

In last years program address, Chair Alex Dunlop discussed 2023 being a transition year for ACG. And it certainly has been that. After many years of dedicated support this year saw the departure of many of our ACG leadership team who have moved on to other pursuits. The likes of Mark Donnelly, Alex Dunlop, and John Gil have stepped aside allowing for a new generation members to step into the role of ACG executive. And although they have stepped aside, they’re always there for support and guidance to our new executive; thank you for your service gentlemen. I am happy to say that our membership, board, and executive are as strong as we have ever been. Our president Andrew O’Dell brings his enthusiasm and expertise to the role of President and Summit Program Chair having been involved with organizing the summit and many other chapter events over the last few years. I want to personally thank Andrew for taking on the role of President while remaining committed to the success of the ACG Summit. I also want to thank our summit organizing committee, Karina Chin, Clayton Liebe, Nataliya Kovalenko, Jon Heinz, Sarah Gibson who, without their guidance and support we would not be enjoying this great event. After many years as Emcee of the Summit, Mike Mack a good friend of ACG is stepping down. Thank you for your past support Mike. I am thrilled to announce that Jeff Tetz of Results Business Consultants has agreed to take the reigns and guide us through our program as the official Emcee for Summit 2024. Thank you, Jeff. And finally, I want to extend a big shout-out to our ACG Edmonton members for your dedication to making our chapter one of top chapters in the nation. We are thrilled to host you at the 2024 Summit and look forward staying connected with you through-out the year. Beyond Summit 2024 we hope to see you at one of our other signature events happening throughout the year.

I would be remiss in not making a pitch to all you Summit attendees who are not members of the ACG Edmonton chapter. I ask that you consider joining our chapter. We need your support. We have many events planned for ACG members this year and hope you find value in the effort we put in to keep our chapter strong. I hope you enjoy the 2024 version of ACG Edmonton’s Corporate Growth Summit. My best wishes for you.

Sincerely,

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Alvin Pyke

Fullstream Corp

ACG Edmonton Corporate Growth Summit Conference Chair

Alvin is a serial entrepreneur and seasoned Chief Executive. He started his first business at 12 years old. Left home at 15 to, as he puts it, conquer the world. In the last 30 years he has founded 2 engineering companies and a civil construction company. He most recently led a small public company, placing it firmly on a path to significant growth. Alvin is an active member if ACG and a life member of APEGA. In 2014 he was a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year — Prairies division, and was named a top business Leader by Business in Edmonton Magazine in 2015.

Andrew O’Dell

KV Capital

Conference Programming/President

Andrew is a Director at KV Capital’s Private Equity team, where he plays a key role in identifying new opportunities and evaluating potential acquisitions. With over six years of professional services experience, Andrew has extensive experience in mid-market deals across various industries, including technology and energy. Prior to joining KV Capital, he worked at EY, where he provided expert counsel to clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, andfundraisingactivities.

Sarah Gibson

KPMG

Conference Planning

Sarah is a Partner with the KPMG Regions West Deal Advisory group. Her team is focused on Valuation, Corporate Finance, Transaction Services, Restructuring, Forensics and Value Creation. Sarah has worked in public practice as well as various financial management roles, for organizations in a diverse range of industries. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator, with extensive experience in the field of business valuation. Sarah has led a wide array of valuation mandates including those related to mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, financial reporting, regulatory requirements, litigation, succession and exit planning, corporate reorganizations, shareholder disputes, income tax planning and value creation.

Karina Chin

ACG Edmonton

Chapter Executive and Logistics

Karina Chin is the Chapter Executive of ACG Edmonton which includes coordinating meetings, events and the annual Corporate Growth Summit. Karina has a BCom from the University of Saskatchewan focused on Marketing and Human Resource Management. Past experience includes working at TD Canada Trust for 9 years as a personal banker working with high end clients to meet their lending and investment needs.

Nataliya Kovalenko

Vice President, ATB Private Equity

Conference Finance

Nataliya is a Vice President with ATB Private Equity, a private equity fund focused on minority investments in Alberta-based companies with $50 million of committed capital. During her 5year tenure with ATB, Nataliya carried out investments and exits in a number of companies across a variety of industry sectors. Nataliya works closely with the portfolio, providing strategic direction andfinancialadvicetomanagementteams.PriortojoiningATB,Nataliyaspent 5 years with Roynat Capital in Edmonton and was involved in all aspects of sourcing, underwriting and managing deals for term debt, subordinated debt and mezzanine debt Transactions. Nataliya holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with distinction) with a major in Finance from the University of Alberta. Nataliya obtained her Chartered Professional Accountants designation in 2022 and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta.

Jon Heinz

HUB International Insurance Brokers

Conference Marketing

Heinz is a budding local Alberta born and raised serial entrepreneur, investor, and commercial insurance expert. Independently he’s operated various businesses ranging from market research consulting, music entertainment and startup business coaching. Professionally, he currently manages a multi-million dollar insurance portfolio and has a track record trading in the American forex and equity markets. Heinz is now in search of recruiting a Chairman & Board members to partner with in launching a real estate development & investment portfolio in the commercial multi-family property sector within Western Canada for 2025

Clayton Liebe

Franvest Capital

Conference Finance

Clayton Liebe is a financial analyst with Franvest Capital Partners. He graduated from NAIT with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. At Franvest Capital, he is responsible for financial due diligence, research initiatives, financial modelling for both portfolio companies and prospective investments, and financial reporting and analysis using PowerBI for portfolio companies. At NAIT he was very involved on campus as the Portfolio Manager of the Investment Fund and a representative of NAIT at the CFA Research Challenge. In his spare time, he likes to hike, cycle, and cook.

SESSION LEADERS

1. Economic and Transactions Update

Mark Parsons | Vice President & Chief Economist at ATB

2. The Trials and Tribulations of Growing a Start-up

Tim Lynn | Co-Founder Start-up TNT

Chase Christensen | VP Banking, RBCx

Dan Belostosky | Founder, HonestDoor

3. Navigating the Next Stage of Growth

Benito Chiodo | Director, BDC , Growth and Transition Capital

Leon Ropp | President and CEO of Homes Alive Pets

4. Building Business in Healthcare

Julie Afanasiff | Managing Partner, Sequeria Partners

Charles Wong | CEO, CarePros

5. Generative AI & its Potential Impact on Business

Cory Janssen | Co-Founder and CEO AltaML

YOUNG ACG

Ryan Antonello

ACG Edmonton | Felesky Flynn

Co-Chair, Young ACG

Ryan is a tax lawyer at Felesky Flynn LLP, which is a recognized leading tax law firm in Canada. Ryan’s practice is focused on tax planning for businesses including mergers and acquisitions. As a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP prior to joining Felesky Flynn LLP, Ryan is well versed in developing intricate solutions for all types of businesses and individuals.

Nolan Ryan

ACG Edmonton | 4TH Street Consulting

Co-Chair, Young ACG

Nolan is a consultant at 4th Street Consulting and is also head of finance at Yervana, an adventure marketplace startup. Nolan has a broad range of corporate finance experience spanning investment banking, private equity, private lending, and external fund management. He was also the financial strategy lead at a startup private equity firm on the acquisition of an Alberta-based industrial services business.

YACG EXECUTIVE

• Ryan Antonello

• Nolan Ryan

• Amy Verhoff

• Alyssa Kim

SESSION LEADERS

Jeff Tetz

Chief Executive Officer and Partner, Results.

Summit Emcee

Jeff, CEO of Results, is passionate about helping leaders build great workplaces. For over a decade, working alongside a seasoned team of business advisors, he’s been introducing midsized companies in Western Canada to the power of execution discipline and how transformative it can for a business. Jeff brings a well-rounded perspective to leadership having spent time on the business side of professional sports in corporate positions in the National Hockey League and Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Elks respectively and two decades working with high performance athletes in junior hockey.

He is also the host of the popular leadership podcast Unleashed where he interviews some of the world’s top leadership and business thinkers to help everyday leaders improve from their work and insights. Away from work he is a self-proclaimed mountaineer, and he serves on the board of the Brain Care Centre and is the founder of Santa YEG, an organization focused on feeding Edmonton’s homeless population during the winter months.

Mark Parsons

Vice President & Chief Economist, ATB

Economic & Transaction Update

Mark is Vice President and Chief Economist at ATB Financial. Over his 20-year career, Mark has served in key senior economic roles, including as Chief Economist and Assistant Deputy Minister of Economics and Fiscal Policy at Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. He has provided leadership in a range of areas, including economic analysis and forecasting, fiscal analysis and data analytics. Mark previously worked as a senior economist at PwC and as an economist at the Department of Finance Canada. Mark holds a Masters degree in economics from the University of Alberta.

Chase Christensen

Vice President, Banking at RBCx

The Trials & Tribulations of a Start-Up

Chase Christensen is a Vice President, Banking at RBCx where he oversees the RBCx practice within the Edmonton region. With a long tenured career in commercial banking, Chase has dedicated the past 5 years to fostering growth within the Alberta technology ecosystem. His area of expertise lies in providing specialized financial solutions and offering advisory services to leading technology companies. By closely collaborating with an array of ecosystem stakeholders, Chase has built robust partnerships with organizations such as Startup TNT, the University of Alberta and Edmonton Unlimited.

Dan Belostosky

Founder of HonestDoor

The Trials & Tribulations of a Start-Up

Dan Belotosky is the founder of HonestDoor a proptech platform that uses real estate data, machine learning, and data science to provide Canadian real estate buyers, sellers, investors, and lenders with property valuations. The company’s mission is to help consumers make the best real estate decisions with up-to-date, accurate information about the current prices of any property, not just those that are listed for sale. Having access to property values through HonestDoor provides consumers with an unbiased opinion, at no cost, on the value of their own property or any other property from coast to coast.

Tim Lynn

Co-founder of Startup TNT,

The Trials & Tribulations of a Start-Up

Co-founder of Startup TNT, a new-age way to invest in startups. Was an early employee of an acquired startup. Retired (sometimes unretired) Ukrainian dancer. Former mid-market corporate finance person. Big dog guy. Maker of and investor in deals, both startup and mid-market. CPA, CFA, CBV. Venture capitalist.

Benito Chiodo

Director, Growth & Transition Capital, BDC Capital Inc.

Navigating the Next Stage of Growth

Benito Chiodo is a Director on the Growth & Transition Capital team at BDC. Benito has worked in the public accounting, transaction, and banking sectors for over 10 years. Prior to joining BDC, Benito held various roles in transaction and advisory groups within a large public accounting firm working on mergers & acquisitions, valuation, and financial modelling mandates. At BDC, Benito focuses on providing funding for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to grow organically, or by acquisitions, as well as facilitating various shareholder transactions and management-buyouts. Through this work, Benito has developed a passion for assisting entrepreneurs with creative financing solutions and advice to help them achieve their short- and long-term goals.

Leon Ropp

President and CEO of Homes Alive Pets

Navigating the Next Stage of Growth

Leon Ropp is the President and CEO of Homes Alive Pets and lives in St Albert. Leon grew up in Southern Alberta and then attended the U of A, graduating with a Commerce degree in 1987. After University, Leon spent 7 yrs with Nabisco Brands as a vendor rep and Key account manager. Always intending to be in business for himself, Leon had the opportunity to purchase a small grocery store in Brooks, Alberta in 1994 which he operated until selling in 2000. Between 2000 and 2007 Leon did a variety of things. He lead an effort to establish an immigrant settlement office in Brooks, Alberta. Leon and his brother Joseph opened the first store under the Homes Alive Pets banner in August of 2009 in Lethbridge Alberta. By 2012 Joseph moved on and Evan, Leon’s oldest son joined the company.

BOARD MEMBERSOFFICERS

Alvin Pyke

VP Corporate Growth Summit Chair, ACG Edmonton

For Alvin’s Bio please see page 8

Andrew O’Dell

President, ACG Edmonton | KV Capital

For Andrew’s Bio please see page 8

Nataliya Kovalenko

VP Finance, ACG Edmonton | ATB Private Equity

For Nataliya’s Bio please see page 9

John Gil

Past President, ACG Edmonton | BMO

John is a Senior Private Banker with BMO’s Private Wealth practice, based in Edmonton. He provides daily banking and financing support for high net worth and ultra high net worth clients across the Prairies, working closely with them to establish and meet their financial goals. John has almost 20 years of corporate finance experience in Canada and the US, offering a unique crossborder perspective. John is an avid traveler, having visited almost 40 countries, though he is kept busy these days by his two young children, Sadie and Charles.

Ken Glover

VP Programming, ACG Edmonton | HumanEdge Executive Search

Ken is a Managing Partner with HumanEdge Talent Services, an executive and senior level talent search firm that also provides an array human resource consulting services. The firm has offices in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Ken possesses over 20 years executive and professional talent search experience with a variety of private, public, government, industry, and not-for-profit clients. Ken works with clients on corporate growth in providing new leadership search and transition support, contributing to valuations by assessing risks with human resource infrastructure (i.e. policy, systems, etc), and providing short and long term organizational talent planning.

Blair Willie

VP Membership, ACG Edmonton | Bishop & McKenzie

Blair Willie has over 19 years’ experience assisting business leaders to build and maintain corporate growth both in Alberta and beyond and is proud to lead Bishop & McKenzie LLP as its co-managing partner. His corporate and commercial law practice focuses on commercial lending, business sales and acquisitions, corporate and tax-related reorganizations and planning, as well as general and strategic advice related to all aspects of his clients’ businesses.

Arun Shourie

VP Sponsorship, ACG Edmonton | SB LLP

Arun is the founding Partner and the Team Lead of the Commercial Law Group of SB LLP. He has been practicing law internationally for over 25 years. Before his admission to the Alberta Bar in 2005, he practiced law in New Delhi, India. Academically, Arun has an undergraduate degree in Commerce and an LLB from India. He completed his Masters Degree (LLM) in Law from McGill University before permanently settling in Edmonton, where he articled and practiced law at a large full-service firm in Edmonton before establishing SB LLP in 2010. Arun’s work in Alberta encompasses the day-to-day workings of his corporate and commercial clients with businesses both small to large, old to new, including many local, provincial and national focused entrepreneurs.

Dan Xu

VP Nominating Committee | Scotiabank Commercial Banking

Dan is a Director and Group Lead at Scotiabank Commercial Banking based in Edmonton, Alberta. Dan leads a team of mid-market Relationship Managers who work closely with mid to large size companies in Alberta North. Dan and her team’s focuses are to better serve their existing long-term commercial clients with their banking and financing needs as well as to grow market shares by working with prospects and new borrowers to the Bank. With respect to Mergers and Acquisitions, Dan works with advisors, buyers, sellers, and investors to structure deals and assist with obtaining senior debts, sub debts and equity from the Bank to complete transactions.

BOARD MEMBERSADVISORY BOARD COMMITTEE

Tanya Sinclair

Membership, ACG Edmonton | Lloyd Saad Insurance

Tanya began her career in personal insurance with a large international insurance broker. In 2002, she joined Lloyd Sadd as an Account Assistant, and her hard work and client dedication landed her a promotion to Account Manager a year and a half later. In 2009, Tanya moved into the Account Executive role specializig in manufacturing and distribution. Not one to be caught without a project, she has completed the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation and the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation. Tanya is actively involved in her clients’ businesses, teaching them how to apply insurance coverage and risk management to many aspects of their business exposures. She is currently a member of AFPA (Alberta Food Processors Association). Tanya tries to balance her life as a mom with physical activities such as golf, skiing, running, and being a soccer mom. She enjoys traveling, being outdoors, and escaping the city life whenever she can.

George Coon

Nominating Committee, ACG Edmonton

George has more than 35 years lending and finance experience. He has an FCPA, FCMA, ICD.D, CFP and a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Most recently George was the Director Corporate Client Group for RBC. Previous positions include Regional Director for the Prairies with a leading national mezzanine lender. Other positions include CFO at a private oil & gas services company, and numerous roles with a number of financial institutions. George is currently Past Chair for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Kent Coulter

Member-at-Large , ACG Edmonton | Richardson Wealth

Kent has been working in wealth management for over 25 years and is a Portfolio Manager, one of the industry’s highest designations, which allows him to provide managed solutions for his clients. He has completed the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) and Family Enterprise Advisor (FEA) programs and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He is also involved with the Business Enterprise Institute (BEI) and the Value Builder System to help business owners grow the value of their company and be ready for their eventual exit. Kent believes that top-tier wealth management is the product of superior planning and time-proven investment strategies.

Joe Yurkovich Q.C

Member-at-Large, ACG Edmonton | Miller Thomson

Joseph Yurkovich is a native Edmontonian with a practice focused on corporate taxation matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate law and governance. Joe has more than 40 years of mergers and acquisitions experience as lead counsel for purchase or sale of businesses in a wide range of industries including the following: professional hockey, national travel agency, oilfield/oilsands manufacturing and services, multinational datacentre manufacturing partner, auto and equipment dealerships, national automotive retail and service provider, biotech, IT consulting, technology and internet businesses. He has acted as lead counsel on successful take-over bids, shareholder proposals and multijurisdictional M&A and exchangeable securities transactions. Joe has substantial experience in structuring business organizations, including corporate structures, joint ventures and limited and general partnerships for use in a broad range of sectors, including several with private equity and public sector fund participants.

Terry Freeman

Member-at-Large, ACG Edmonton |ATB Private Equity

Terry Freeman is Head of Investments for ATB Private Equity, the private equity arm of ATB Financial, making minority equity investments in Alberta based companies. In the past he served as Managing Director of Northern Plains Capital, a niche private equity firm specializing in growth oriented oil field services and energy industrial investments. Mr. Freeman also spent fifteen years as Chief Financial Officer of Flint Energy Services Ltd. and its predecessors, where he managed the financial and administrative operations of the company including investor and banking relations, risk management, mergers and acquisitions and various other executive responsibilities and its growth from $20M to over $2B in revenues. He spent five years on the Board of Flint following his tenure as Chief Financial Officer until its eventual sale. He currently sits on the boards of a number of public and private construction, energy services, private equity and real estate ventures. Mr. Freeman has held multiple volunteer positions with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta, Chief Financial Officer Leadership Program, the University of Alberta, and various other community and charitable organizations. Mr. Freeman graduated from the University of Alberta in 1982 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta and holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Clayton Liebe

Franvest Capital

For Clayton’s Bio please see page 9

Sarah Gibson KPMG

For Sarah’s Bio please see page 8

Jon Heinz

HUB International Insurance Brokers

For Jon’s Bio please see page 9

CONTRIBUTOR SPONSORS

FOUNDING SPONSORS

JOIN THE NETWORK

Middle Market Growth is the official publication of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). ACG offers a wealth of resources to members and the broader middle-market M&A community through national and local networking events, digital and print media outlets (including this one), a robust middle-market valuation database, industry education and more. Here are some of the best resources ACG provides that can help you do your job better.

What’s in it for YOU?

As a member of ACG, you gain access to the exclusive network of 15,000 middlemarket M&A professionals that we serve and benefit from the connections that ACG actively facilitates. According to our members, 75% of ACG members do deals with other members, and 86% of members are either very or extremely likely to recommend ACG to a friend or colleague.

Member Benefits

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ACG Member Directory Access: Search for and connect with fellow members within ACG’s exclusive directory of middle-market professionals.

ACG JobSource®: Post or search for a job on ACG’s job board for middlemarket professionals.

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WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO WITH ACG?

Attend an Event

DealMAX is ACG’s flagship dealmaking conference with more than 3,000 attendees, including 800 private equity investors, 675 investment banks, and more than 200 operating partners and strategic acquirers. More than 13,000 one-on-one meetings were scheduled in three days at DealMAX 2023. Check out Dealmax.org for event and registration information.

ACG hosts hundreds of local chapter events annually for middle-market professionals. Whether you prefer a round of golf, wine tasting or an educational lunch, you’ll find it here. Visit acg.org/events to find out what’s happening near you.

Stay in the Know

The Middle Market Growth editorial team produces a weekly email that features thought leadership and news from around the middle market, including our PE Weekly deal roundup. Learn more and sign up to receive the newsletters at middlemarketgrowth.org/subscribe.

ACG Media keeps middle-market dealmaking and operating professionals up to date on news, trends and best practices through video, with its GrowthTV channel, and audio, with the Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast. Learn more at middlemarketgrowth.org/category/news-trends

Power Your Deals

Did you know that GF Data, a powerful middle-market private equity valuation database, is an ACG company? GF Data publishes quarterly reports on M&A, leverage and key deal terms and provides an online valuation database with continuously available valuation comps organized by NAICS industry code. Visit gfdata.com, email info@gfdata.com or call 610-6164607 for more information.

Connect

ACG operates in more than 60 local markets. Visit acg.org/ membership-tools/find-chapter to find your local chapter. You can also email us at membership@acg.org.