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Mario bio 2020

Mario Wanderley is a world-class entrepreneur, finance and operating executive and deal maker. For almost two decades, he has worked as my CFO/COO and partner in building numerous businesses in the U.S. and overseas and negotiating transactions with leading technology companies, banks and private equity firms. Mario repeatedly demonstrated an uncanny ability to quickly evaluate complex operating and financial issues and to present creative solutions in often unrealistically short time frames. His tenacity, integrity, intelligence, negotiating and managerial skills made him an invaluable partner.

George Crowley
Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Crowley Group

Mario Wanderley

Managing Partner

Mario Wanderley has a broad-based business experience, including as an entrepreneur, finance and operating executive and investment banker. He has a successful track record starting-up, financing, growing, turning around and selling businesses in the US, Europe and Latin America. Mario’s experience spans several industries, including: Technology; Telecommunications; SaaS/Software and Software-enabled; Bioscience/Biotech; Medical Devices; Ad-Tech and Professional Services.

As the co-founder of three successful companies, and the CFO and COO of numerous other ventures, Mario has developed the ability to quickly identify and improve on the key operating and financial levers of a business to increase productivity and profitability and maximize cash flow and value creation.  Mario is also an experienced dealmaker, with over $11 billion in domestic and international M&A, debt and equity financing transactions executed – both as an investment banker and company CFO.

Since starting VGP, Mario has had numerous successful CFO engagements, including as CFO of

  • Intervention Insights, Inc. d/b/a Trapelo Health, a healthcare SaaS / Information Technology company focused on precision oncology. Mario helped the Company raise convertible debt and equity capital (Series B and C), which provided the funding to successfully pivot and grow the business. He assisted in the Company sale to NeoGenomics, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEO) for $65 million.
  • Entrinsic Bioscience (EBS), the pioneer in developing precise combinations of amino acids that can act as cell signalers to modulate transport proteins, resulting in improved cell function with profound health & and wellness implications. Mario advised EBS on the spin-off of the therapeutics division to help attract the right kind of investor to the resulting two entities – a consumer products business and a therapeutics venture, each with different risk/return profiles and investor pools often narrowly focused on “pure plays” in each segment (and therefore not open to a “hybrid” business). He helped EBS raise over $60 M in financing, including a $49 M insurance-backed loan from Jefferies

Prior to founding VGP, Mario spent 19 years with The Crowley Group – an entrepreneurial firm engaged in the start-up, acquisition and management of domestic and international businesses, across numerous sectors and in partnership with venture capital and private equity firms.  During his tenure, Mario co-founded, raised capital for and acted as CFO, COO and Board Member for several businesses, including two companies backed by The Blackstone Group (the world’s largest private equity firm) and a joint-venture with AT&T – helping create over $500 million in Enterprise Value (realized through company sales processes led by him).

Previously, Mario was an investment banker with J.P. Morgan & Co (in New York and Sao Paulo, Brazil), where he participated in the origination and execution of transactions across several industries in the U.S. and Latin America, including:

  • Advised Koch Industries and the Saba family on the structuring of a joint-venture related to certain of their North American petrochemical assets and the subsequent acquisition of Hoechst’s polyester resin business (revenues in excess of $2.6 bn).
  • Advised GP Investimentos, Brazil’s largest private equity firm, on the divestiture of the supermarkets unit of Lojas Americanas – a major Brazilian retailer.  The sale price of the business unit exceeded the parent company’s market capitalization, unlocking significant value for the shareholders.

Earlier in his career, Mario was the General Manager of a division of an industrial company in Brazil, where he turned a money-losing business into the company’s most profitable and fastest growing unit by: cutting costs, increasing productivity and acquiring blue-chip clients such as Alcoa, the aluminum multinational.

Mario received his MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Operations from Universidade Salvador (Brazil).

More testimonials about Mario

“

Mario was by far the best CFO I have worked with in my career and added tremendous value to Earley Information Science. He kept us profitable during the downturn brought on by the pandemic and carefully and responsibly managed our resources. As a member of our leadership team, he was not shy about asking tough questions and brought greater fiscal discipline to the organization. Past CFO’s did not have the business acumen, insight or expertise that Mario demonstrated. It’s difficult to find high quality fractional CFO’s and our prior experience with others in that position caused us to exercise caution when we made the decision to bring him on. He quickly demonstrated value and became a key contributor to the organization. I highly recommend Mario without reservation.

Seth EarleyCEO & Founder at Earley Information Science
“

I was introduced to Mario Wanderley when our CFO resigned. I was initially planning to contract with him on an interim basis, but he instantly understood our business challenges, began adding value and quickly became a trusted advisor and important member of our leadership team. His finance experience (as a banker and as a CFO) along with his strategic insights, negotiating skills, creativity and pragmatic approach to deal making are rare combination of strengths in one person. I no longer think of Mario as a consultant. He's quick to respond and brings sound perspectives and thoughtful ideas. We're growing fast and will eventually need a full-time CFO, but won't likely outgrow the need for Mario's insights and advisory services.

Clynt TaylorCEO - Intervention Insights
“

Mario Wanderley immediately impressed me with his integrity, passion for execution and careful strategic thinking. He has a wide range of core competencies spanning a number of industries and geographies. He has a unique and rare combination of capabilities as an investment banker, financial executive, and as senior management with hands-on operations experience.

Dr. Anita GoelChairman and CEO of Nanobiosym
“

Look no further than Venture Growth Partners. Having an opportunity to meet and discuss the needs of our business with Mario was the first step among many where Venture Growth Partners proved their worth. They helped guide and support us in ways we could develop goals, metrics, and strategies that would elevate our skills by placing one of their tenured consultants with us. We were not exactly sure what we needed but Mario was able to decipher from just two meetings what we thought we needed. We discussed some of our pain points, and the direction we were headed (and fast) and where we felt there were gaps in our infrastructure. Mario introduced us to a short list of extremely qualified candidates quickly. Working in a very specific industry it was paramount we find someone already up to speed on industry knowledge. Without trouble he was able to suggest precisely the person to fill this role, already armed with the right skills to become an essential part of our business. Now, we can’t imagine what or where we would be without Venture Growth Partners.

Pavel PerlovCEO at Electronic Fluorocarbons LLC
“

I had the pleasure of working with Mario Wanderley at CitizenGlobal. At the time we were executing a major company pivot that affected product, personnel and of course financials. Mario was a critical partner in making sure the new strategy was correct and instrumental in helping keep the execution focused and on track. While this type of transformation stresses relationships, Mario always managed to show up with poise and a dose of humor that helped smooth out the rough spots.

Robert BlattCEO of MomentFeed
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