Andy O’Brien is a seasoned operating and corporate development executive, investor and consultant.  He works with smaller companies to make acquisitions successful.  He brings over three decades of experience at public and private companies in a wide range of industries, including technology hardware, software and services and wholesale distribution.  Over his career, Andy has led over twenty acquisitions and company sales and related integrations and restructuring.

Andy consults to lower-middle market companies, advising them on acquisition strategies and post-merger integration.  He works with clients planning acquisitions to identify strategic opportunities, assess potential targets and develop a post-acquisition game plan.  He also assists clients after closing acquisitions to (i) develop their 100-day action plan, (ii) realize revenue synergies and cost reductions and (iii) implement the organization, process, systems and cultural changes to position the company for long-term growth. His approach combines the tools and training he gained as a “big-firm” consultant with the practical, results-oriented focus of an experienced operating executive.

A recent engagement for an enterprise software company exemplifies Andy’s role in maximizing the outcome of M&A transactions:

• Created integrated business processes, organization structure and senior management staffing to combine two companies into a single functionally-organized business in order to accelerate new product development and increase new customer acquisition and revenue.

• Developed a new marketing program to support the integrated marketing and sales department in order to increase new customer acquisition by 100% with the same expense base.

Andy began his career as a consultant with McKinsey & Company.  Subsequently, he led marketing and business development for a publicly-held communications software company.  Among other responsibilities, he led the M&A activities in which he sourced, evaluated and closed acquisitions and led the post-merger integration projects for several acquisitions.  Subsequently, he acquired, ran and sold several lower-middle market companies in addition to investing in early and later stage technology companies.  He established his current consulting practice following the sale of the last portfolio company in which he played a full-time operating role.

Andy is a graduate of Harvard Business School (MBA with Distinction) and Yale (B.A. in Chemistry and Economics).