July 26, 2022 Growth Continues at William Blair

William Blair announced the addition of three senior-level hires in the firm’s tech-enabled services investment banking practice.

CHICAGO, ATLANTA – William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, today announced the addition of three senior-level hires in the firm’s tech-enabled services (TES) investment banking practice. Blake Jones joins as managing director in Chicago, and Josh Funt and Louis Oliver join as directors based in Atlanta. All three will focus on the financial services sector, bringing a combined 35 years of experience and joining most recently from Truist.

“We are thrilled to welcome Blake, Josh, and Louis to the firm, and are excited to add senior-level talent into our financial services group,” said Britt Trukenbrod, managing director and head of William Blair’s TES investment banking group. “The financial services sector is an incredibly important area of focus and growth for our TES team. These additions will enable us to continue serving our leading financial sponsor and strategic clients with holistic financial services capabilities.”

Drawing on more than 20 years of investment banking experience, Jones will play a key role in the expansion of William Blair’s existing financial services coverage. Jones’s experience includes work with wealth and asset management firms, registered investment advisors, cloud-based investment solutions, private banking institutions, wealthtech programs, and other financial advisory organizations. Jones received his B.S. with special attainments in commerce from Washington and Lee University.

“I’m excited to join the William Blair financial services platform and continue to build on our existing strengths and capabilities in the sector,” said Jones. “The firm’s collaborative approach and understanding of high-quality, growth-oriented financial services entities are critical drivers in the delivery of dedicated service and comprehensive solutions for our clients.”

Josh Funt has worked in tandem with Jones for the past five years, focusing on delivery of results to companies in the same sectors. His work focuses on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged finance, and other investment banking solutions for clients. He received his B.S. in economics from the University of Michigan.

Louis Oliver works primarily with services and technology companies in the insurance industry on all aspects of their investment banking needs. Oliver received his M.B.A. in finance from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and his M.S. in accountancy and B.S. in analytical finance from Wake Forest University.

William Blair’s broader investment banking group continues to make significant investments in its team. On July 5 the firm announced the addition of five senior hires in Europe—Manuel Sammut as a managing director in tech-enabled services; managing director Eric Sanschagrin and director Daniel Fiegenschuh in technology; Alex Murrill as a managing director covering specialty distribution, commercial services, and industrial; and Shane Dulabdas as director in debt advisory. The firm also recently announced the addition of Derek Caracciola in the equity capital markets team, along with the launch of the private capital advisory practice with the hiring of Mike Custar, head of private capital advisory, and the additions of Quinn Kolberg, Tom Marking, and Gage Alpert.

About William Blair Investment Banking
William Blair’s investment banking group enables corporations, financial sponsors, and owner/entrepreneurs around the world to achieve their growth, liquidity, and financing objectives. Drawing on the collective intellectual capital and deep sector expertise of a global team that reaches over 20 cities on four continents, the investment banking group brings a rigorous and innovative approach to corporate board advisory projects, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt financing. From 2017 to 2021, the team advised on more than $680 billion in completed transaction volume.

About William Blair
William Blair is the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs. As an independent and employee-owned firm, together with our strategic partners, we operate in more than 20 offices worldwide.*

*Includes strategic partnerships with Allier Capital, BDA Partners, and Poalim Capital Markets.

Subscribe to Industry Today