Board of Advisors
John Hallal
John Hallal is a Managing Director at Network Blue, where he advises middle-market companies on various forms of M&A transactions. He has particular depth in pre-transaction planning for family businesses, strategic business acquisitions for entrepreneurs, as well as traditional and alternative financing options, recapitalizations and restructurings, and divestitures. John’s experience includes tenures as outside general counsel for several companies. He has also led business development and overseen mergers within the durable medical equipment and medical device space. A graduate of Bucknell University and Boston College Law School, John has served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
Mike Giarla
Mike Giarla is an investment professional with more than three decades of experience as an investor and senior executive. Mike is the former Chairman and CEO of Amundi Smith Breeden, now Amundi Pioneer, an investment company that offers global portfolio management, credit analysis, financial planning, and investment advisory services. Amundi is ranked among the ten largest asset management firms globally. Earlier in his career, Mike served in the Equity Strategy Group at Goldman Sachs in New York. He earned his undergraduate degree in Statistics Summa Cum Laude from Harvard University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and his M.B.A. with a concentration in Finance from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Mark Roche
Mark Roche is a co-founder and Managing Director of Techquity, an intellectual property (IP) investment firm that partners with IP owners to deploy untapped IP assets, broaden market reach, and provide liquidity for intellectual property. Mark has particular depth in growing companies profitably through the strategic development and execution of technology-based transactions. His experience includes leadership roles with AT&T Knowledge Ventures, Emerson, and General Motors. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University and his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago. Mark is a named inventor on multiple pending and granted patents and has been honored as one of IAM Magazine’s IAM 300, The World’s Leading IP Strategists.
Scott Friedman
Scott Friedman is the Chairman of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP, a law firm; Co-Founder and Managing Director of Varia Consulting Group, a management consulting firm with a capital-raising platform; and a General Partner in Impact Capital of New York, LLC, an Upstate New York venture capital fund. The author of seven books and over 100 articles on business, Scott also serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University at Buffalo’s School of Management. His areas of focus include strategy, financing, innovation, cultural transformation, and strategic partnerships. He earned his B.A. from Trinity College, his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, and his LL.M. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Lee Melchionni
Lee Melchionni is a Settlement Consultant with Sage Settlement Consulting, where he advises clients about settlement annuities, market-based structured settlements, qualified settlements funds, financial planning, and trust solutions. Previously, Lee served as a Private Client Advisor with U.S. Trust and was a Certified NBA and NFL Player Agent at Wasserman Media Group. Lee earned his B.A. from Duke University, where he was a four-year letterman and captain of the Men’s Basketball Team. During Lee’s tenure, the team won four ACC Basketball Championships and earned a Final Four appearance. Lee also earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.
Carey Rhoten
Carey Rhoten is the former CEO and Owner of The Hope Group (THG), a leading provider of industrial motion and control solutions and an authorized Parker distributor specializing in supply chain optimization and technical assistance with hydraulic, pneumatic, compressed air, fluid conveyance, and sealing applications. In 2018, after 57 years as an executive owner, Carey led the sale of THG to KLX, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLXE), a publicly traded company and provider of aerospace fasteners, consumables, and logistics services. Later that year, KLX was acquired by Boeing (NYSE: BA), which subsequently sold the company in 2019 to SunSource, a privately held, nationally operated fluid power distributor, systems solutions and service provider. Carey earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.
Anthony Valvo
Anthony Valvo is a Managing Director and the Market Head for New York and the Southeast Regions with Deutsche Bank Private Bank. Concurrent with this role, Anthony serves as a member of the Deutsche Bank Wealth Management Americas Executive Council. Previously, he was a Managing Director and Market Sales Executive with U.S. Trust, where he was responsible for the New York City Metro market. Earlier in his career, Anthony held senior leadership roles with PNC, Barclays, and Citigroup, where he gained extensive expertise in customized credit and banking. Anthony earned his B.A. in Economics and Communications from City University of New York – Brooklyn College.