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Dear Readers:
During the last challenging and unpredictable years, individuals and businesses alike were forced to pivot,...

Improving Flexibility
A SURVEY OF 251 CFOS AND OTHER FINANCE LEADERS REVEALED THAT 72% OF CFOS WILL FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE FLEXIBILITY OF BUDGETING AND FORECASTING IN 2022, ACCORDING TO GARTNER, INC.

Gaining an Edge
HOW HEDGE FUNDS ARE NAVIGATING THE NEW TALENT LANDSCAPE

Earnings Calls Increasingly Focus on the Topic of Inflation
CFOS FIND THEMSELVES HAVING TO ACCOUNT FOR INFLATION-RELATED UNCERTAINTIES IN ANNUAL BUDGETS AND GUIDANCE FOR INVESTORS

Credit Market Expectations for Businesses
BANK ECONOMISTS EXPECT CREDIT CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE IMPROVING FOR BOTH CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION’S RECENTLY RELEASED CREDIT CONDITIONS INDEX.

CFOs Who Practice Capital Responsiveness
CFOS WHO EVOLVE THEIR CAPITAL ALLOCATION APPROACH TO ONE THAT PRIZES RESPONSIVENESS CAN ADD 2.5 PERCENTAGE POINTS TO ECONOMIC VALUE ADDED THAN “UNRESPONSIVE” PEERS, ACCORDING TO GARTNER, INC.

Record-Breaking M&A Surge Shows an Emphasis on ESG
A RECENT SURVEY OF MERGER AND ACQUISITION (M&A) PROFESSIONALS HAS FOUND THAT DEALMAKERS ARE OPTIMISTIC THE RISE OF M&A DEALS WILL CONTINUE DESPITE CHALLENGES POSED BY REGULATION AND THE ONGOING PANDEMIC.

Wage Inflation Concerns Most CFOs
A SURVEY BY GARTNER, INC. OF 111 CFOS LAST YEAR REVEALED THAT 60% OF ORGANIZATIONS EXPERIENCED WAGE INFLATION IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2021, NEARLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS QUARTER.

Private Credit Plays Growing Role in Trade Finance
A RESEARCH REPORT – “PRIVATE CREDIT AND THE TRADE FINANCE OPPORTUNITY” – FROM TXF INTELLIGENCE HIGHLIGHTS THE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE OF PRIVATE CREDIT FUNDS IN THE TRADE FINANCE MARKET. ATTRACTED BY AN ESTIMATED GLOBAL TRADE FINANCE GAP OF $2 TRILLION, PRIVATE CREDIT INVESTORS ARE PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN SUPPORTING CROSS-BORDER TRADE.

Banks Focus on Anti-Phishing Education to Combat Cybercrime
THE AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION, JOINED BY MORE THAN 1,200 BANKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HAS BEEN PROMOTING A COORDINATED CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT THEMSELVES – AND THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS – FROM PHISHING SCAMS.

One in Ten Americans Now Invest in Cryptocurrencies
MOST CRYPTO INVESTORS ARE UNDER 40; TWO-FIFTHS ARE WOMEN AND/OR INVESTORS OF COLOR.

Digital Currencies May Change Every Aspect of Business
20% OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS WILL USE DIGITAL CURRENCIES FOR PAYMENTS, STORED VALUE OR COLLATERAL BY 2024, ACCORDING TO GARTNER, INC.

New Jobs & Bigger Paychecks Shake Up the Financial Landscape
WITH NEW JOBS COME BIGGER PAYCHECKS–AT LEAST SOME OF THE TIME. A NEW SURVEY REVEALS THAT NEARLY A THIRD OF WORKERS WHO LEFT THEIR JOBS DURING THE PANDEMIC ARE MAKING OVER 30% MORE IN THEIR NEW ROLES.

Illicit Finance Takes on the High-Value Art Market
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY RECENTLY PUBLISHED A STUDY ON THE FACILITATION OF MONEY LAUNDERING AND THE FINANCING OF TERRORISM THROUGH THE TRADE-IN OF HIGH-VALUE WORKS OF ART. THE SUBJECT IS NOWHERE NEAR AS OBSCURE AS MANY MAY HAVE BELIEVED.

‘Relentless Change’
A 2021 GARTNER SURVEY OF 200 AUDIT BUSINESS PARTNERS REVEALED THAT OVER HALF (56%) OF RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WERE FACING MORE CHANGES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND A LARGE MAJORITY AGREED THESE CHANGES WERE BOTH BIGGER (81%) AND FASTER (74%).

Study Highlights Independent Advisor Growth Opportunities
BROADRIDGE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC., A GLOBAL FINTECH LEADER, AND THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INSTITUTE (FSI) RECENTLY RELEASED A JOINT STUDY OF OVER 400 U.S. FINANCIAL ADVISORS THAT SHEDS LIGHT ON GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY..

Belva Anakwenze
As the principal of Abacus Financial Management Group, Belva Anakwenze serves as a virtual CFO for several creatives in Los Angeles. Her clients range from entertainers and their closely held companies to large entertainment tech companies.

Tracy Albert
Vice chairman of JD Merit & Company, Tracy Albert is recognized as one of the preeminent investment bankers on the West Coast, having advised hundreds of middle market companies and entrepreneurs over a span of several decades.

Adam Abramowitz
Adam Abramowitz is a co-founder and managing director at Intrepid as well as the co-head of Intrepid’s Healthcare Group. His journey in investment banking started as a 16-year-old high school summer intern at Barrington Associates (Intrepid’s predecessor).

LEADERS IN BANKING AND FINANCE
Here we recognize professionals within the commercial banking, investment banking, asset/investment management,...

Greg Bagiryan
He spent most of his career in business development with a focus on Middle Market and Mid-Corporate segments in the greater Los Angeles Area.

Raul A. Anaya
Raul A. Anaya is president of Business Banking, one of Bank of America’s eight lines of business, and is a member of the company’s executive management team.

Darnel J. Bentz
At KAR, Darnel Bentz focuses on the integration of alternative investment strategies and the customization of client financial plans. His strength is in developing new client relationships, which he believes ultimately leads to a higher quality and stronger bond.

David Moore Victor Barnes
David Moore Victor Barnes’ finance career spans 35 years and covers bulge-bracket investment banking, middle market investment banking, private equity principal investing and corporate strategic planning/M&A/corporate development.

Gal Ben-Naim
Gal Ben-Naim is a highly experienced and talented private banking and investment management professional who has made a name for himself thanks to his unwavering dedication to his clients’ success.

Naeem Arastu
Naeem Arastu helps lead M&A and is responsible for negotiating and executing acquisitions and divestitures at Skyview Capital. Arastu joined Skyview in 2021 and serves on Skyview Capital’s Investment Committee.

Alexander L. Cappello
Alexander Cappello founded Cappello Global 48 years ago and since then he and his team of principals have completed over $150 billion in transactions in more than 50 countries.

Andrée Blais
Andrée Blais advises public agencies in the use of innovative procurement and contracting methods for the development and delivery of major public infrastructure projects in the transportation and social infrastructure sectors.

David A. Brager
David A. Brager has served as Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Business Bank since March 2020.

Steve Bram
Steve Bram is a principal/co-founder of George Smith Partners, Inc.

Corey A. Boock
Anationally recognized leader in the field of publicprivate partnerships (P3s), Corey Boock offers clients more than 25 years’ experience in structuring,...

Anthony R. Callobre
Anthony R. Callobre, a partner in the Los Angeles office of Blank Rome, is among the leading banking and finance lawyers in California, with an impressive track record and reputation for excellent client service on the borrower and lender side of commercial loan transactions.

Robin Choi
An 18-year financial industries veteran, Robin Choi has spent his career-serving customers in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Greater Philadelphia and Delaware.

Sherry L. Cefali
Sherry Cefali is a managing director in the Transaction Opinions practice and the head of the Los Angeles office of approximately 100 people. Furthermore, she is a member of the firm’s Fairness and Solvency Opinion Senior Review Committee.

Mitchell S. Cohen
Mitchell Cohen is a partner in the Raines Feldman’s Corporate Finance and M&A group. His practice focuses primarily on debt finance transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions and general corporate representation.

Carol Alexis Chen
Carol Alexis Chen, an award-winning former career federal prosecutor and trial lawyer in the United States Department of Justice, is a partner and trial lawyer in Winston & Strawn LLP’s Los Angeles office.

Brian Davidoff
Brian Davidoff, partner & chair of Greenberg Glusker’s Bankruptcy, Reorganization & Capital Recovery Group, tackles his clients’ problems with experience, drive, and focus. He helps middle-market companies and their principals navigate difficult financial waters.

Robert W. Dalie
Robert Dalie is a managing director of investments with The Summa Group of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. Dalie started his career with the firm over 20 years ago.

Jacky Dilfer
Jacky Dilfer is a commercial and SBA lending expert—she’s a dedicated leader and trusted advisor, helping each of her clients grow their businesses, create job opportunities and better serve their communities.

Mark Steven Demos
Mark Steven Demos began his career in public accounting almost 20 years ago with Crowe LLP in Michigan. Crowe is the premier public accounting firm serving the financial services industry, serving more banks and bank holding companies than any other firm.

Olivier de Givenchy
Olivier de Givenchy, west region head of J.P. Morgan Private Bank oversees the bank’s business across California, Washington, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Colorado.

Eugene Newton Dunford
Gene Dunford has been in the banking industry for 30 years and has worked for both large and small banks.

Frances Ellington
Frances Ellington, DBA, CPA, is known for her strong industry and thought leadership, exceptional client advisory services and community involvement.

Kevin H. Fink
Kevin Fink is a senior partner in Alston & Bird’s Finance Group. He represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies, as well as commercial banks, hedge funds, finance companies and other commercial lenders, in various types of secured...

Christopher Edmonds
Chris Edmonds’ current position is as executive director of CB&T’s commercial bank, where he oversees about 100 employees, roughly one-third of the bank’s assets, and about $5 billion in loan commitments.

Linda Duncombe
Reputation and brand management are important during any crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception.

Russell D. Evans
Russell Evans began his career in 1992 at Merrill Lynch where he met his future business partners Greg Satz, Catherine Gerst, and Eric Taslitz.

Francisco Flores
Francisco Flores is a partner and Structured Finance Practice co-chair at Winston & Strawn LLP. In this capacity, he advises clients on corporate finance and structured finance transactions, as well as various cross-border transactions in Latin America.

Danielle V. Garcia
Danielle Garcia began her career in representing lenders 25 years ago while still in law school. She has worked at several top 100 law firms in her career and presently maintains her practice at Holland & Knight, LLP in Los Angeles where she is a...

Dustin Gale
Dustin Gale entered the finance business from the ground up at a teller level in banking while at the University of Arizona. Promoted to a banker, he climbed the corporate ladder at Bank of America. During the financial crisis, he moved to Wells Fargo Private Bank.

Eric Andrew Gray
Eric Andrew Gray has been advising high net worth families for 30 years, and focuses on values-based wealth management, estate planning services, asset allocation, discretionary investment management, concentrated stock strategies, and executive compensation.

Channing Hamlet
As one of the primary transactional bankers at Objective, Channing Hamlet has personally closed over 25 sell-side transactions over the last five years and countless others throughout his career, ranging in size throughout the lower middle market from $10-250 million.

Marissa Román Griffith
Among the very few senior Latina attorneys in private practice specializing in media and entertainment transactions, Akin Gump Los Angeles partner Marissa Román Griffith is a recognized leader, groundbreaker and influential player in the media and entertainment sector.

Timothy Gaspar
Tim Gaspar is the owner and principal at Gaspar Insurance Services. A lifelong entrepreneur, Gaspar started his first business in high school and ran a number of businesses while attending California State University, Northridge.

Michael Garcia
Mike Garcia is a managing director and co-head of Intrepid's Beauty & Personal Care practice, specializing on disruptive and high-growth consumer brands.

Lloyd Greif
Lloyd Greif is founder, president & CEO of Greif & Co., a middle-market investment bank that engineers merger & acquisition transactions between $25 million and $2 billion in enterprise value,...

Greg Heller
After starting his career at a brokerage firm, Greg Heller founded HCR Wealth Advisors based on core company principles that still support the company today.

Michele Havens
Michele Havens is president of the West Region for Northern Trust. In this position she is responsible for leading the company’s wealth management business in the Western United States, from Washington to Texas.

Jeri Harman
Jeri Harman is founder & chairman, and former CEO of Avante Capital Partners. Her responsibilities include fund strategy and management,...

Jeremy Holland
Jeremy Holland is a managing partner at The Riverside Company, leading the Origination team across the various funds/strategies in North America. He has been a private equity investor in Los Angeles for 23 years.

Karan Kapoor
Karan Kapoor is a managing director and co-head of the Global Technology Investment Banking group at Kroll, LLC.

Stanley L. Iezman
As chief executive officer at American Realty Advisors, Stanley Iezman leads a national real estate investment firm with more than $10.7 billion of assets under management.

Eric P. Israel
Eric Israel leads Danning Gill, a Los Angeles bankruptcy boutique with roots dating back 68 years. He has been with the firm his entire legal career. The one-office firm has stood the test of time while many of its competitors have gone out of business or merged with larger law firms.

David J. Iannini
David Iannini has over 30 years of investment banking/financial experience. He has held senior positions at Salomon Brothers (now Citigroup) in New York and Los Angeles,...

Hao Huang
Hao Huang is a partner in Winston & Strawn’s Los Angeles office. Her practice is focused on representing financing parties and sponsors in a wide range of transactions, specifically in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors across the United States.

Michelle Katzen
Michelle Katzen has over a decade of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining HCR, she served as an interest rate derivatives trader at Union Bank and as a financial advisor at UBS.

Manoj Karnani
With more than 20 years of experience, Manoj Karnani leads Accenture's FinTech portfolio and strategy in the U.S. West.

Kiyoun Kim
Kiyoun Kim is an accomplished banking professional, inspiring leader, mentor and outstanding financial partner to businesses and private clients in the greater Los Angeles market.

Stephen Jay Kutz
Steve Kutz has been in the wealth management industry for 32 years and earned a legacy of growing businesses. Her serves as regional president, Los Angeles at BNY Mellon Wealth Management.

Jason Lawit
Jason Lawit is the president of the Los Angeles Region for Northern Trust. Lawit spends his days (and sometimes nights) growing the business and regularly participates in new business and relationship opportunities.

Andrew William Kline
Andrew Kline brings a broad background of professional sports experience, investment banking expertise, and industry knowledge to Park Lane.

Robert Lo
Robert Lo is the executive vice president and head of commercial real estate banking at East West Bank.

Jacob Kotzubei
Jacob Kotzubei is a partner and member of Platinum Equity's Investment Committee. He leads the Los Angeles headquarters-based investment team, and has oversight responsibility for the investment team in Asia.

Simone Lagomarsino
Simone Lagomarsino is president and chief executive officer and is a member of Luther Burbank Corporation’s board of directors. Prior to joining in 2019, Lagomarsino served as president and CEO of the Western Bankers Association.

Neil Malik
As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of K1 Investment Management, R. Neil Malik is responsible for managing the firm’s strategy, governance and investment activities. He is actively involved in the professional development of K1’s team as well as the management teams of K1’s portfolio companies.

Karen Miles
Karen Miles is a managing director and leader in Houlihan Lokey’s global Corporate Valuation Advisory Services practice and co-chairs the firm’s Technical Standards Committee, which determines the appropriate methodologies for dealing with valuation issues.

Marianne Martin
Marianne Martin has nearly 15 years of experience advising clients on a variety of commercial, financing, bankruptcy, restructuring and M&A matters, with a particular niche dealing with distressed and/or turnaround situations.

Ryan McDowell
Ryan McDowell is a managing director with CriticalPoint Partners and the head of business development.

John G. Mavredakis
John Mavredakis is a senior managing director and global head of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Sponsors Group, having previously managed the firm’s investment banking operations and served as president of Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc.

Rudy Medina
U.S. Bank Southern California market president, Rudy Medina is the senior vice president who leads the corporate and commercial banking team within Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and San Diego Counties. Medina co-leads the U.

Scott Minerd
Scott Minerd is chairman of investments and global chief investment officer at Guggenheim. Minerd guides the firm’s investment strategies and oversees client accounts across a broad range of fixed-income and equity securities. He manages over $305 billion in assets.

Brady Money
Brady Money brings nearly 17 years of diversified financial experience in the areas of financial services and middle-market investment banking. Money began his career as an analyst with Greif & Co. and has steadily promoted through the ranks to managing director where he has been involved with dozens of entrepreneurial clients.

Alissa Miller
Akin Gump entertainment and media partner Alissa Miller is widely recognized as a leader in her field for handling some of the industry’s highest-visibility deals between independent movie production companies and financial institutions, and for her innovative media and entertainment-focused pro bono practice.

Patrick Nygren
Patrick Nygren joined Union Bank in August 2018 as community banking regional president of the Greater Los Angeles & Central Coast Division (GLA), which includes Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and the Mountain Valley Region in the Central Valley.

Steve Moon
Steve Moon has been with Kroll, LLC for 21 years. He is a managing director and deputy head of mergers and acquisitions for Americas.

Bruce Munster
Bruce Munster is a principal of the Munster Freeman Group, an advisory practice within Merrill Private Wealth Management in Century City.

Edward Moyzes
After spending time at Big Four public accounting firms and a tech start-up, Ed Moyzes decided he wanted greater control over his future and started his career as a financial advisor.

Joel Montminy
Founding Montminy & Co. in 2010, Joel Montminy has grown his firm every year since inception, representing over 250 clients in a wide variety of corporate finance assignments.

Dominic Ng
Since joining the bank in 1991, Ng has transformed East West from a small savings and loan association with assets of $600 million into a top performing commercial bank with $60 billion in assets and a differentiated focus on the U.S. and China markets.

Abigail "Abby" O'Brient
A first generation college graduate and professional, Mintz member Abigail (Abby) O’Brient has displayed her legal acumen to clients from very early in her career.

Jim Opdyke
Jim Opdyke is an executive vice president and Los Angeles Coastal Commercial Banking market executive. With 20 years of diverse financial services experience, Opdyke joined Wells Fargo from Union Bank in 2006, serving as a senior vice president covering the Greater Los Angeles market.

Jason Ozur
Jason Ozur is the CEO of Lido Advisors and co-chairman of Lido’s investment committee. He is responsible for the management of Lido Advisors’ alternative investments. He is an integral part of the firm’s due diligence on real estate orientated strategies utilized in its clients’ portfolios.

Paul Rahimian
As CEO and founder of Parkview Financial, Paul Rahimian manages a national debt fund that provides construction financing to ground-up real estate development projects.

Ash Patel
Ash Patel became the president and CEO of Commercial Bank of California in 2013 and invested in the CBC team by teaching them to lead with an entrepreneurial mindset. This approach not only inspired each person to take ownership in the bank’s success, but it transformed the business.

Nishen Radia
Nishen Radia is managing partner and co-founder of FocalPoint Partners, a leading investment bank headquartered in Los Angeles, with branch offices in Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Shanghai. Radia heads the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice.

Spuds Powell
Before finding a home at Kayne Anderson Rudnick (KAR) in 2004, Spuds Powell began his career serving a variety of roles at Franklin Templeton Funds eventually becoming a retirement plan consultant for Retirement Plan Strategies three years later.

Anant Patel
Anant Patel, a partner at GHJ, has developed a well-earned reputation for excellence due in large part to his industry expertise, deal-making ability and leadership during the Coronavirus pandemic. Patel is a globally recognized advisor and assists clients in making key decisions to help grow new business.

Richard Alexander Raffetto
Rich Raffetto is a seasoned leader with three decades of financial services experience. In his role as president of City National Bank, Raffetto is responsible for National Corporate Banking, Specialty Banking, Commercial Banking, and its various...

Trevor M. Saliba
Trevor Saliba is the founding managing partner and global head of private equity, M&A and strategy of NMS Consulting, a global management consulting and strategic advisory firm where he leads a global team of over 250 professionals across 16 offices throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Mark A. Sampson
Mark Sampson is the co-founder and managing partner of Torrance based private equity firm Pacific Growth Investors, LLC (PGI) and was the founder in 2003 of its predecessor fund Vintage Capital Partners.

Bryant Riley
Bryant R. Riley has served as chairman and co-chief executive officer of B. Riley Financial since June 2014 and July 2018 respectively, and as a director since August 2009. He also previously served as chief executive officer from June 2014 to July 2018.

Karen Sessions
As Pacific Southwest region executive of global commercial banking for Bank of America, Karen Sessions leads 250 commercial banking teammates across California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

Greg Seibly
Greg Seibly stepped into his role at Union Bank at the beginning of March 2020, joining Union Bank from Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, where he served as president and CEO. Seibly started at Union Bank right at the onset of the pandemic.

Dan Shea
As one of the primary transactional bankers at Objective and his previous firms, Dan Shea has closed countless transactions throughout his career in a wide variety of industries including consumer,...

Martin A. Sarafa
During his time with Century Park Capital Partners, Martin Sarafa has overseen the completion of 70 acquisitions, including 23 platform acquisitions and 47 add-on acquisitions.

David Shaheen
David Shaheen says he has never read a movie script. Yet, as the head of JPMorgan's Entertainment Banking Group,...

Maytal Shainberg
Skilled in business development, origination, and strategic planning, Shainberg joined the bank in April 2020 to establish the strategic vision and grow the team and customer base of East West’s New Media practice.

Kevin A. Shields
Kevin Shields founded Griffin Capital in 1995 and serves as the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. He is based in the firm’s headquarters in El Segundo.

Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon
Ivelisse Rodriguez Simon is a managing partner of Avante Capital Partners. Based in Los Angeles, Simon is responsible for identifying, executing and managing investment opportunities. She currently manages the fund’s portfolio and new deal activities.

Zev Shechtman
Zev Shechtman, who has spent his entire legal career at Danning Gill, represents debtors, creditors, creditors’ committees, trustees, shareholders, asset purchasers, and other parties in bankruptcy, restructuring, and insolvency matters.

Michael Sitrick
While internationally recognized for the results he has achieved in crisis situations, he and his firm have also been recognized for their success in launching companies.

Rajesh Sood
Rajesh Sood is a managing partner at FocalPoint Partners, a leading middle market investment bank headquartered in Los Angeles, with branch offices in Chicago, Dallas, New York, and Shanghai, and partner offices around the world.

Alex Soltani
Alex Soltani founded Skyview Capital in 2005 and is chairman of the firm’s executive and investment committees. He is a serial entrepreneur and started his first business when still a student at UCLA.

Aaron Thomas Solganick
Aaron Solganick is the founder and CEO of Solganick & Co., a data-driven investment bank and M&A advisory firm.

Lisa M. Simonetti
Lisa Simonetti established herself as a valuable member of the Banking & Financial Services team upon joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP in 2019.

John Sinnema
As a regional executive for U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, John Sinnema is responsible for growing and managing all aspects of Private Wealth Management in California and Oregon.

Steven A. Sugarman
Steven A Sugarman founded The Change Company in 2017. The Change Company is a Community Development Financial Institution certified by the United States Department of Treasury and the State of California to expand access to lending and banking to Black, Latino and low-income borrowers and communities.

Duane Stullich
Duane Stullich is co-founder and managing partner of FocalPoint Partners, a leading international boutique investment banking firm headquartered in Los Angeles.

David Sutton
As a principal and leader in GHJ’s Transaction Advisory Services Practice, David Sutton has earned a strong reputation in his field.

John N. Tedford, IV
For almost 20 years, John Tedford has represented debtors, creditors, trustees and receivers in bankruptcy and other insolvency matters. He represents clients in all California state and federal courts, especially bankruptcy courts. He is also a member of the bar of the U.

Paul W. Sweeney, Jr.
Paul Sweeney’s practice focuses on complex business disputes, both individual and class action lawsuits, involving unfair business practices, false advertising, consumer fraud, trade regulation, privacy violations, breach of contract, and violations of various federal and state statutes and regulations.

Cary H. Thompson
Cary Thompson is the executive vice chairman of Bank of America. Thompson currently advises numerous public and private companies on a variety of transactions including mergers and acquisitions,...

Polly Towill
Polly Towill is recognized among clients and her peers as a “go-to” litigator and legal strategist, consistently earning exceptional results in bet-the-company lawsuits. Clients laud her for her ability to understand their businesses, and pragmatic approach to complex issues.

Hamed Tavajohi
U.S. Bank Greater Los Angeles market leader Hamed Tavajohi is the senior vice president who leads the consumer and business banking team serving more than 100 banking centers, and the specialized business banking group within Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties.

Jay Turo
Jay Turo has over 25 years of experience in starting, building, advising and investing in high growth firms. Most specifically, since 1999 he has started and led Growthink, Inc, one of the nation's largest advisory services firms focused on the entrepreneurial marketplace, and GT Securities, Inc.

Michael Waxberg
Michael Waxberg’s extensive background in capital markets has led him to play an integral role within Northwestern Mutual, which oversees $5 billion in assets. As a director with the firm, he is also involved in the growth and development of the Los Angeles office.

James Verzino
When a childhood friend introduced him to Northwestern Mutual, James Verzino discovered a place where he could truly lead and inspire people. Nearly a decade later, he has developed and influenced dozens of new financial advisors, while maintaining a successful practice.

Daniel K. Walker
As a great-grandson of a pioneer, who rode a horse across the country to seek his fortune, the grandson of a man who started his career cleaning windows and washing sidewalks,...

Mark Udis
Mark Udis is a partner at Camden Capital. He focuses on individuals and families of significant financial resources and is actively involved in the family office practice.

Betty Uribe
As JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s California consumer bank divisional director — the largest bank in the United States with more than $3.2 trillion in assets under management — Uribe is responsible for over 10,000 employees across nearly 1,000 branches.

Steve Weinberger
After graduating with his MBA from Pepperdine with an emphasis in finance, Steve Weinberger joined HCR Wealth Advisors in 1998. While initially a boutique firm, HCR has grown to over $1.5 billion in assets under management largely in part due to Weinberger’s leadership and efforts.

Todd Wilson
Newly-appointed regional president for PNC Bank for the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, Todd Wilson joined the bank in Oct. 2021.

Michael Wiener
Michael Wiener is a partner in Greenberg Glusker’s Corporate, Finance & Securities Practice Group. His practice focuses on structuring real estate and corporate transactions in a tax-efficient manner.

Jared J. Weinman
Jared Weinman joined the Los Angeles office of BNY Mellon Wealth Management in 2016 and currently services clients across the entire West Coast. His primary focus is helping entrepreneurs and their families successfully transition their businesses through effective tax and estate planning.

Brent Williams
Brent Williams is an experienced corporate and commercial banking executive with a demonstrated history of successfully growing revenue and developing high performing teams. Williams, who serves as head of City National Bank’s National Corporate Banking division, was recently promoted to executive vice president.

Jeffrey White
Jeffrey White is a managing director at Skyview Capital, where he has been actively involved with all M&A efforts since the firm’s inception. He brings decades of experience that encompass private equity, investment banking and executive management.

Lily Wen
Lily Wen is an e-discovery practice leader with more than 15 years of experience advising and supporting clients with the use of technology in discovery and all aspects of electronically-stored evidence management.

Jonathan Zucker
Jonathan Zucker is a managing director and head of the Capital Markets Group at Intrepid Investment Bankers. During his more than 20-year career in finance, Zucker has been involved in a wide range of capital transactions, from IPOs to early-stage venture financings.

Angela Yim-Sullivan
Angela Yim-Sullivan is Wells Fargo's Commercial Banking Los Angeles metro market executive. She leads teams focused on serving the financial needs of mid-corporate, middle market and business banking customers in central and northeast Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley.

Matt Young
Matt Young is a passionate dealmaker and in the last 18 months, has shown tenacity and determination to keep going and push through the most challenging of circumstances. He is the founder and CEO of the investment banking firm CriticalPoint Partners headquartered in Manhattan Beach.

Guy Zaczepinski
Guy Zaczepinski has been with Century Park Capital Partners since 2005. He is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and structuring growth equity and buyout transactions, as well as monitoring portfolio company investments.

Growing Investments
Governments across the globe are integrating cloud technology with conventional systems. As public clouds provide cost-competitiveness to businesses, they are highly sought after in the market.

Pepperdine University
AT PEPPERDINE GRAZIADIO, THE MISSION IS TO DEVELOP STUDENTS INTO BEST FOR THE WORLD LEADERS THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THAT IS ETHICAL IN FOCUS AND GLOBAL IN ORIENTATION.

California State University Northridge
DIVERSE IDEAS FOR DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTS

Claremont Graduate University
FLEXIBLE AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN

California Lutheran University
PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT AN EDGE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD HAVE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE FROM AT CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY.

University of California, Irvine (UCI)
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY HAS DRASTICALLY CHANGED HOW COMPANIES OPERATE AND GROW. WILL YOU BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE PACE OF CHANGE AND INNOVATION? MORE IMPORTANTLY, WILL YOU BE PREPARED TO LEAD THE WAY?

University of Redlands
ASPIRING LEADERS MAKING A REAL-WORLD IMPACT

Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University’s graduate business programs develop agile, innovative and impactful leaders for a changing world.

University of Southern California
Our students and alumni play leading roles in industries that have built and continue to drive L.A. forward – from real estate and accounting to marketing and finance to entertainment and tech.