In this episode, we host Marc Utay, Founder and Managing Partner at Clarion Capital Partners, to dive deep into the art and science of middle-market private equity and structured credit. Marc shares lessons from over four decades in dealmaking: how he picks control investments, how Clarion balances growth vs risk, why the firm moved into the CLO/structured-credit space, and what being an independent player brings in today’s volatile financial environment. If you’re interested in PE deals, credit, deal structure, or scaling investment firms, this episode gives you first-hand insights. (ION Analytics)

Mike Bourgeois is a dealmaker and leader at Skyline Partners LLC, where he works on corporate development and growth strategies, helping technology-firms refine their business development, product initiatives, and sales expansion. He leverages long-standing relationships across lenders, transaction advisers, and management teams, with an orientation toward pragmatic scaling of portfolio companies through both stable and challenging market cycles.

In this episode, Joe sits down with Guillaume Lussato,  Associate Director of saas.group, to explore the world of SaaS acquisitions and growth. They discuss how saas.group partners with founders, the unique challenges of scaling B2B SaaS businesses, and what the future of dealmaking looks like in the software space. Whether you’re an operator, founder, or investor, this episode offers insights into the evolving dynamics of M&A in SaaS.

In this episode, we sit down with Joshua D. Wild, Managing Partner at The ELEVATED Companies, to dive into the inner workings of building a vertically integrated real estate business in Boston. JD shares his journey from home construction to launching elevated residential developments, talks about sourcing and executing luxury condo and multi-family deals, balancing the risk and rewards of development, and what it really takes to execute complex real estate transactions in today’s market. If you’re interested in real estate dealmaking, development, or scaling a full-stack real estate business, this episode has a lot to offer.

Jeff Gonyo is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Geneva Glen Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on lower middle-market control investments. With over 30 years in private equity, Jeff served previously at Wind Point Partners, Heller Investments, GTCR, and in consulting/accounting roles. He is a CPA, holds a BS in Accounting from Indiana University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Over his career he’s led many control deals, add-on acquisitions, turnarounds, and divestitures.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Nathan Chandrasekaran, Co-Founder and Partner at Columbia River Partners, as we explore the nuanced world of independent private equity in lower-middle-market tech. Nathan discusses CRP’s strategic focus on carve-outs, recapitalizations, and divestitures, their criteria for selecting deals, how they add value through operational and technological initiatives, and the dynamics of the independent sponsor model in today’s M&A landscape. Columbia River Subscribe now to catch the full episode and never miss the stories behind the deal.

Welcome to Behind the Deal – the podcast that takes you inside the minds of dealmakers, investors, and founders shaping the business world. In Episode 1, host Joe Zanca sits down with Neal Doshi, Managing Partner at Forged Capital, to kick off the series. This teaser gives you a sneak peek into their conversation about building Forged Capital, navigating investments, and the lessons learned from being on the front lines of deals. Subscribe now to catch the full episode and never miss the stories behind the deal.