About Us

Ascent Advisory Partners (“Ascent”) is a boutique advisory firm providing merger & acquisition and strategic advisory services to family and founder-owned companies.

Ascent was formed to provide lower middle-market companies access to the high-quality investment banking services available to larger businesses.  We focus exclusively on providing merger & acquisition advisory services to private companies in the lower middle-market, defined as companies with between $2 million and $9 million in EBITDA. We promise our clients:

• A commitment to executional excellence with experienced Managing Directors leading all phases of the M&A process;
• Unbiased, insightful advice with the highest level of confidentiality and integrity and without conflicts of interest;
• Transaction processes customized to the unique needs of each of our clients; and
• Success measured by achieving outstanding results that meet or exceed client expectations.

As a result of our commitment to active day-to-day involvement by our Managing Directors, we are selective in the mandates we undertake with an emphasis on fewer, high-quality engagements.  We seek to establish a true partnership with our clients based on aligned interests and a compensation structure that is fair based on lower middle-market transaction values.

For most owners of family and founder-owned companies, selling their business is a once-in-a-lifetime event.  Engaging an experienced advisor that will provide outstanding guidance and support, combined with flawless execution, is critical to a successful outcome.

Leadership Team

The Managing Directors of Ascent maintain a broad range of experience and transaction expertise, having previously served in senior M&A roles at national, regional and boutique M&A firms.

Gordon Watt

Managing Director & Co-Founder

Prior to founding Ascent, Gordon was a Managing Director in the Corporate & Investment Banking Group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey from 2001 to 2019. Gordon’s responsibilities included origination and execution of merger & acquisition transactions with an emphasis on sell-side assignments as well as capital raising transactions such as equity raises and debt financings. Prior to SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Gordon was a senior member of the Investment Banking Group at The Robinson-Humphrey Company, a division of Citigroup, from 1992 until 2001. At Robinson-Humphrey, Gordon was responsible for sourcing and executing merger & acquisition transactions and equity financings. Gordon’s industry focus areas have included Consumer & Retail, Food & Beverage, Industrial, Business Services, Transportation & Logistics and Healthcare. Prior to Robinson-Humphrey, Gordon worked at JPMorgan (formerly Chemical Bank) in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Corporate Finance Group where his responsibilities included execution of sell-side M&A transactions.

Gordon received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters in Management from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Gordon is a registered representative with FINRA and maintains Series 7, 63 and 79 licenses.

678.322.3006

gwatt@ascentadvisorypartners.com

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Steve Hunter

Managing Director

Steve brings more than three decades of investment banking experience to Ascent, with more than $15 billion in completed transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital raising, and financial sponsor coverage. He offers deep expertise advising private equity firms, family offices, and entrepreneurial business owners on complex transactions.

Before joining Ascent, Steve served as Managing Director and Head of Financial Sponsor coverage at TM Capital, where he focused on building and maintaining relationships with private equity firms nationwide. Prior to TM Capital, Steve opened the Atlanta office and led the sponsor coverage effort at Green Holcomb Fisher until its acquisition by BMO in 2016. Earlier in his career, Steve began alongside Ascent co-founders Gordon Watt and Andy Mason at The Robinson Humphrey Company (now SunTrust Robinson Humphrey). He is widely respected within the industry for his relationships within the financial sponsor community and his commitment to senior-level deal execution.

404.307.0619

shunter@ascentadvisorypartners.com

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Andy Mason

Managing Director & Co-Founder

Prior to founding Ascent, Andy was a Managing Director and a Co-Founder of VRA Partners, an investment banking firm focused on providing M&A and capital raising advisory services to middle-market companies and private equity firms. Prior to founding VRA Partners, Andy was a Managing Director, Co-Head of the Private Markets Group and a senior member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at The Robinson-Humphrey Company and its successor, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Andy’s responsibilities included the management of merger & acquisition and private placement assignments as well as managing the firm’s activities with all sources of private capital. Andy was also a member of the Investment Committee of SunTrust Equity Partners, the private equity vehicle for SunTrust Bank. Prior to SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Andy worked in the private equity industry as a professional with River Capital and Trivest Partners (private equity firms focused on the acquisition of middle-market companies) where he was responsible for sourcing, structuring, closing and managing control equity investments. Andy began his career in corporate finance with GE Capital’s Corporate Finance Group where he was engaged in financing, and investing in, leveraged transactions. Andy’s industry sectors of focus have included Business Services, IT Services, Software, Utility Products & Services, Healthcare, Food & Beverage and Consumer Products.

Andy received a B.S. degree in Accounting from Auburn University and a Masters in Business Administration from Emory University. Andy is a registered representative with FINRA and maintains Series 7, 24 and 63 licenses.

678.322.3051

amason@ascentadvisorypartners.com

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Strategic Advisory Services

Ascent provides strategic advisory services centered around business strategy, acquisition strategy and capital structure. We help business owners determine a path forward and provide support along the way utilizing our merger & acquisition and capital markets expertise.

Our strategic advisory services include:

• Assisting companies with the development and execution of an acquisition strategy as well as the evaluation of acquisition opportunities; and
• Analyzing capital structures and determining the most appropriate financing options in order to achieve specific objectives.