Testimonials

“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 CrowleyFounder, Chairman and CEO of The Crowley Group

“I have worked closely with Scott (Spelfogel) on a variety of strategic, financial, and operational matters for the last 10 years. He continually impresses me with his exceptional capacity to respond to all inquiries with incredible detail and timeliness. He has remarkable accuracy when performing in-depth reviews while exhibiting a wide range of sophisticated knowledge. Scott actively handles a multitude of projects simultaneously while exhibiting the same level of tenacity with each project. Scott is a rare individual who has executive skills that have been invaluable to us.”

Scott HarrisonExecutive Team Member – Director of Hospitality, Killington/Pico Ski Resort Partners LLC (Killington, VT)

“It was inspiring to work with Sasha (Lalite) and believe she is a strong asset to any Company she joins. Her greatest asset is her natural ability to lead & manage with a positive, motivating attitude. Sasha has the determination to achieve goals while staying grounded in who she is as a person. Her passion, communication & networking skills are noteworthy throughout her numerous responsibilities. I learned so much from her, including how to gain collaboration between experts in an array of fields in order to accomplish a unified goal.”

John VendevilAssociate Director/Operations Specialist at Novartis

“I have worked with and known Scott for over 20 years. His legal and business expertise is unmatched. Scott is artfully skilled in taking complex situations and breaking them down to offer strategic, yet practical advice in record time. He is forward thinking, creative and has been an invaluable adviser, not to mention one of the most successful negotiators I have ever seen. Scott’s knowledge base and experience is far reaching and the value he brings to the table is second to none.”

Mary Beth BloomManaging Director, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer, Berkshire Residential Investments (Boston, MA)

“I’ve worked with Paul Ryan for over eight years. With Paul’s leadership working with me as president of a national organization, I was able to turn around our finances. We were heading into a financial cliff and his sound expertise, practical scenarios and knowledge of our business model helped us steer the organization into a strong financial position. With many financial staff and consultants, I don’t know if I am getting the truth, accurate numbers or truly good advice, but with Paul I never have to question that. He brings it all to the table. He’s able to stay high-level and strategic while paying attention to the details. He sees things clearly and has experience with a lot of different types of business and organizations. He’s so easy to work with. Such an amiable and collaborative professional who brings clarity and integrity to every decision.”

Kelly BatesPresident, Interaction Institute for Social Change

“As President of PARTNERS+simons I had the pleasure of working with Trudy for 10 eventful years. We grew a business together, sold it and then managed the transition to new ownership. In the process I was regularly impressed with her professionalism and extraordinary skill set. As CFO Trudy created a first-division finance function - A/R, A/P, payroll, budget/cost analysis, projections, year-end, etc. and was instrumental in prepping us for a successful sale to private equity. In these circumstances nobody works harder (or has more pressure on them) than the CFO, and she handled it expertly. In her spare time she also managed personnel, HR (benefits, etc.) real estate and company culture. Trudy was a huge part of our success but also the heart of the company - the person I was most likely to ask when faced with hard choices: “Is this something we should do, and how we should do it?” I trust her completely, and respect her immensely.”

Tony CotrupiPresident at Cotrupi & Co. the Marketing Advisory

“At Bento Technologies, Jeff Martin served as an interim CFO, overseeing a transition from an old finance/accounting team to a new one. In the process, Jeff ensured smooth operations, made significant refinements to his department, and helped to close an important debt refinancing. Jeff's first-rate work set the stage for a successful company sale.”

Guido SchulzFormer CEO, Bento Technologies

“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

“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

“Mark and I have known each other for 32 years. I have seen his work both as his supervisor and peer. I cannot say enough good things about Mark’s abilities. He is able to operate at 40,000 feet or at the detail level. He is strong enough to handle the demands of company owners and Senior Management. Mark was a significant contributor and leader during growth periods for both Hunneman Real Estate and Granite City Electric Supply Company where he was the their CFO. In addition to being smart, Mark has qualities that would make him a critical contributor to any organization: he is incredibly loyal, hard-working and goal-oriented. These attributes cannot be trained and should not be under-estimated. If I had an opportunity, I would bring him here to The Wingate Companies.”

David W. GottlerTreasurer, Wingate Management

“I had the pleasure of working with Paul Ryan for a couple of years. I founded a private company specializing in healthcare and dental acquisitions. As CFO, Paul was an integral part of our team. I quickly grew to appreciate his integrity, collaborative operating style, and strategic thinking. As part of a start-up business, Paul played an important role in developing relationships with our banking, accounting, and legal partners, and at times assisting in tasks not generally associated with a CFO. Paul helped develop and create a critical tool that assisted in analyzing target companies’ EBITDA. Paul communicated effectively with other Board members and has a great sense of humor. I appreciated Paul’s drive and passion for learning the current industry trends and ability to then connect strategy with operational execution.”

Scott TannerFounder & CEO, Presence Enterprises, LLC

“Mike Wilson is an accomplished leader with exceptional strategic, analytical and financial skills, he is equally adept at the operations-level and in managing supply chains as well as human resources. Mike is that rare leader who can inspire a team with both vision and empathy.”

Eduardo MouraLeader, mostly retired, considering worthy missions

“Jim Bailey is an exceptional CFO. In addition to his technical competence in accounting and finance, he has strong leadership skills. Jim is a tremendous team player and welcomes collaboration with other departments. I would highly recommend Jim for any executive role in finance.”

Mike ManciniGM/COO - ACE Surgical Supplies

“Scott Spelfogel worked as General Counsel to our firm and as a key member of our executive leadership team for 5 years, during a period of dynamic growth, as the firm was evolving from a closely held, entrepreneurial real estate operating and development company into an SEC regulated institutional real estate private equity fund manager. Scott was instrumental in building our human resources function, our regulatory compliance policies, and our review and reporting processes. In addition, he drove a number of complex financial transactions to successful conclusion and successfully managed the firm's involvement in a variety of litigation matters. Perhaps most importantly, he played a leading role in mentoring the next generation of leadership of our firm.”

Jonathan G. DavisChief Executive Officer and Founder, The Davis Companies (Boston, MA)

“We were very deliberate about the skills and experience we wanted in a CFO for this next phase of growth, and found Matthew Common’s experience to be a great fit. He has been a successful entrepreneur and CEO within our industry, managed high-performing teams, led strategic planning and corresponding capital raises, executed M&A activities, and worked extensively with the investment community.”

Sean FordCEO of Algorand, Inc.

“We had a great experience with Judy Cai as our CFO consultant. With her knowledge of manufacturing and cost accounting, she quickly came up to speed with our operations. Her work is thorough, and she handled many tax, audit, and compliance issues for us. She was a trusted advisor, had excellent soft skills, and was an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Scott Dunn-BensonController, Medica Corporation

“I had the pleasure of working with Michael Wolnik at Wakefield Co-operative Bank. Mike was president of the Bank and I managed Loan Servicing. Mike had a vision and energy that was refreshing in the banking industry. Open to new ideas and creative thinking, Mike allowed his team to build on current processes to provide more efficiency. He closely worked with me to develop a servicing strategic plan that would increase efficiency and reduce the need for additional staffing. Mike’s insights were critical in the plan’s success. Mike understands the need for innovation, resourcefulness, automation and efficiency to compete in today’s market. He is an excellent manager, mentor and innovator!”

Sally Parella BattisonVice President/Director of Loan Servicing

“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 enjoyed working alongside Mark Anderson for ten years; Mark has all the hallmarks of a successful CFO.

Mark has the knowledge to strategize and solve problems and sense of an analytic mind, is highly confident with processes and numbers. Mark demonstrated strong leadership with exemplary communication and organizational skills during our years together.

Mark’s position required someone who performed effective risk management, planned the organization’s financial strategies, cash-flow projections, handled all of our Real-Estate holdings, multi-location revenue and expenses budgeting, tax planning, and generally, he was well-versed in all phases of financial management varying from simple accounting calculations to broad investment and banking transactions, responsibilities he handled with ease.

There is no more significant decision than to find the right CFO; they are the CEO’s primary go-to person, a trusted confidant; I would highly recommend Mark as part of any company’s team.”

Gregory A. SmithCEO at G Group Holdings

“I worked with Jim Bailey for over 10 years. He is a very skilled and results oriented CFO. He was instrumental in helping to drive and manage aggressive organic growth, acquisition, integration and office co-location. He is able to be both hands-on and a big picture thinker with the financial acumen and project management skills to drive tasks to completion.”

Scott RootFormer President - Dentsply Implants North America

“Matthew Commons was one of the most important people in our success during the formative years at FloDesign Wind Turbine! I am forever indebted to him for his commitment to our endeavor. He is exceptionally driven and capable wherever he applies his skills. I would recommend him for just about anything he commits to.”

Stanley Kowalski IIICEO of FloDesign Wind Turbine

“It has been a great pleasure to work closely with James Christodoulou as a fellow board member of a startup third party logistics company. He was selected for his deep financial acumen, his corporate Finance/IPO background, and his extensive entrepreneurial venture capital experience. He has a unique ability to see the big picture and at the same time focus on the details, to quickly assimilate large amounts of data and extract the meaningful few and leverage his insights to help develop and refine the business strategy. He has excellent judgement, as well as strong relationship building skills. He is also kind, trustworthy, and supportive of others, qualities that endeared him to our team. It has been a great pleasure working with him and I look forward to our continued work together. James would be an asset to any team.”

Richard Elliott HoynesCIO/CTO for a number of Fortune 50 companies (Retired)

“I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with and knowing James (Christodoulou) for almost 20 years, and thanks to his drive, passion, knowledge and common-sense approach to doing business, he’s always been a great teammate. Based on his diverse experience and his ability to drive results, he makes the perfect CFO who is able to handle everything from the day-to-day financial affairs to high level strategic thinking. His inside and deep knowledge of the financial markets will be a huge asset to those looking for a multifaceted CFO, especially if the company is in the early stages of raising debt and/or equity. James is a very hard worker who takes his job incredibly serious, but not himself, this is why everyone loves working with him.”

Jonathan WhitworthFormer CEO of Seaspan (retired) and Board Member on three corporate boards

“I've known Paul Ryan personally and professionally for 25 years both as an associate at Accounting Management Solutions and as a member of Financial Executives International and participant in my Career Services committee at FEI. Paul is certainly one of the most collaborative and collegial individuals that I've ever had the pleasure of working with. His sense of professional ethics, combined with excellent business savvy and skills-set is very strong. Paul is both a strategic thinker and practical individual who always tries to deliver what's promised. If one is looking to affiliate with a person that always wants to do the right thing; then Paul is the guy. His agenda is always that of the team.”

Al FaberManaging Director at Alan Faber Growth Strategies

“Tyler worked on our behalf during the acquisition and funding process of Paul Fredrick in 2017, a
leading designer and direct-to-consumer men's apparel company.

Tyler was an integral part of our efforts to complete the acquisition of Paul Fredrick, from providing guidance on the financial model to leading the charge on sourcing an equity sponsor. He was of particular value in identifying the appropriate partner to share in our vision of the future of Paul Fredrick. His ability to source a partner that had flexibility in terms of capital structure allowed for our team to share in a larger share of the upside than we would have had we been forced to utilize a more traditional partner.

Tyler's personality and working style meshed very well with our own and we enjoyed having the opportunity to work with him. Should a need arise in the future; we'd welcome the chance to work with him again.”

David E. UllmanCFO/COO Paul Fredrick MenStyle

“Northstar Refrigeration partnered with Mark Anderson as a Fractional CFO to guide us through a drastic change in our business.

We didn’t know what we didn’t know but thankfully Mark knew what we didn’t.

Mark has a great global perspective that a company like ours needs. It’s easy for us to get tied up in “how the sausage is made” and having a resource like Mark kept us honest to make sure we made money selling it.

I will credit Mark for steering us in the direction we’ve been trending in (47% revenue growth and 203% net profit increase over the prior year). He has helped us keep ourselves accountable to being profitable to continue enjoying what we do. And if you are a golfer, he’s a great guy to play 18 with!”

Kyle SmytheCOO Northstar Refrigeration, Inc

“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

“Look no further than Venture Growth Partners! Having the opportunity to meet and discuss the needs of our business with Mario was the first step among many where VGP 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 it in just two meetings, which resulted in our engaging the right VGP team member 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

“Over 2300 years ago Aristotle observed, “…..the whole is something besides the parts.” The same can be said when attempting to capture the essence of James Christodoulou’s professional capabilities. He is equally competent in high stakes crisis situations as he is in finding minor errors on the balance sheet. He skillfully moves from strategic planning to detailed operational tactics. He can see around corners pertaining to business, industry, and functional trends.

He is an inspiring leader yet an equally engaging team member. His is an impressive speaker, and an equally impressive listener. He has the ability to make the complex, simple. His superior intellectual horsepower, combined with a tireless work ethic, has resulted in an impressive global career to date -which is immediately apparent upon reviewing his resume, or the parts. What is not apparent is the whole. A uniquely talented leader.”

Joe SchafferFounder & President f/32 Partners, L.L.C., Associate Dean Rutgers Business School, VP Human Resources, Americas, Middle East, Africa & Asia – TNT Express Worldwide