Three senior staffers have joined William Blair’s tech-enabled services (TES) investment banking practice from Truist.
Blake Jones joins as managing director in Chicago. Josh Funt and Louis Oliver came on board as directors in the firm’s Atlanta office. All three will focus on the financial services sector, bringing more than three decades of combined experience to William Blair.
“The financial services sector is an incredibly important area of focus and growth for our TES investment banking group,” said Britt Trukenbrod, managing director and head of William Blair’s TES investment banking group, in a statement. “These additions will enable us to continue serving our leading financial sponsor and strategic clients with holistic financial services capabilities.”
Jones will play a key role in the expansion of William Blair’s existing financial services coverage after having spent more than 20 years working with wealth and asset management firms, RIAs and others. He stressed that William Blair’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 the firm’s clients.
Funt has worked alongside Jones for the past five years, working on M&A, leveraged finance and other investment banking solutions for clients. Oliver works primarily with services and technology companies in the insurance industry.
The hires follow William Blair naming earlier this month 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, which advised on more than $680 billion in completed transaction volume over four years, 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.
