Acquisitions | Operations | Technology-Enabled Value Creation

Orca Advisory LLC is an investment vehicle focused on acquiring and operating small to mid-sized businesses.  In addition to acquisitions, I have a strong interest in developing and applying practical technology solutions to improve real-world business operations.

I am particularly interested in businesses with strong customer relationships, stable cash flows, and long operating histories, where I can serve as an engaged owner-operator.

My background includes investment banking and operating leadership as CEO of a North American industrial distribution company, where I implemented operational and technology-driven improvements to significantly increase profitability and enterprise value.

I focus on businesses in services, industrial, healthcare support, supply chain, and distribution sectors in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.

A key part of my approach is identifying opportunities to improve performance through thoughtful use of technology — including data analytics, automation, and AI — to enhance decision-making, efficiency, and long-term growth.

I have committed equity capital and relationships with lenders and investors to support acquisitions in this range.

I also welcome confidential conversations with business owners who may be considering succession planning, a transition of ownership, or exploring long-term growth opportunities.

Salem Steel NA, LLC

Leadership | Crisis management | Growth | Innovation | Strategy

The story of Salem Steel is, in many ways, the story of what is possible in a traditional business when you combine discipline, curiosity, and a willingness to rethink how things are done.

I led Salem Steel as CEO and board member. The company is a distributor of precision steel tubing operating in a highly competitive and, in many respects, traditional industry. We were often competing against larger and better-resourced players, and it was clear early on that we were not going to win by doing the same things slightly better.

Instead, we focused on building a culture of continuous improvement. Every part of the business was open to questioning — pricing, inventory, sales processes, operations, even how we worked together as a team. We encouraged experimentation, and more importantly, we measured everything. Over time, a series of small improvements, along with a few larger ones, began to compound.

Technology played an important role in this evolution, but always in service of better decisions rather than as an end in itself. We moved the company to the cloud well before it became common in our industry, which gave us flexibility in how we operated. We developed our own dynamic pricing tools to better reflect market conditions and customer behavior, and built internal systems to manage inventory and capital more effectively. These tools were not about sophistication for its own sake — they were about improving outcomes in a very practical way.

At the same time, we invested heavily in our people. We encouraged employees to build new skills, take ownership of ideas, and contribute beyond their traditional roles. As the organization became more capable, it also became more adaptive.

The result was a business that improved significantly across all key dimensions. Profitability and enterprise value increased multiple-fold, without adding headcount, and we were able to achieve levels of performance that compared favorably with much larger competitors.

That experience shaped how I think about businesses today. Even in industries that appear mature or slow-moving, there are often meaningful opportunities to improve performance through disciplined execution, better use of data, and thoughtful application of technology.

Investment banking | Private equity | Finance | Leadership

My time at UBS was where I developed a deep understanding of how businesses are evaluated, financed, and ultimately succeed or fail.

I worked closely with private equity firms and their portfolio companies across a wide range of industries, including industrials, packaging, aerospace, chemicals, and automotive. Over time, I focused more heavily on technology and service businesses, leading leveraged buyout transactions in sectors that were becoming increasingly important drivers of growth and value creation.

Much of my work involved highly leveraged companies, which required a constant focus on balancing risk and return. This meant understanding not just how a business performed under normal conditions, but how it would behave under stress — how resilient its cash flows were, how flexible its cost structure was, and how decisions made today would play out over time.

The financial crisis of 2007–2008 was a particularly formative experience. During that period, I worked on restructuring situations and repairing balance sheets, which provided a firsthand view into what happens when capital structures break and what it takes to stabilize and rebuild a business.

One of the most valuable aspects of the role was the opportunity to participate in investment decisions — debating whether to invest, how to structure transactions, and what strategic actions would drive outcomes — and then observing how those decisions unfolded over time. That feedback loop shaped how I think about risk, value, and long-term business performance.

In addition to transaction work, I led the firm’s credit training program for incoming bankers and managed teams of associates and analysts, which strengthened my ability to evaluate people, communicate clearly, and make decisions under pressure.

Investment banking | Equity | Mergers & acquisitions

My career in investment banking began at Credit Suisse First Boston, where I worked in the firm’s technology group. It was an environment that demanded rigor, speed, and clarity of thinking, and it had a lasting influence on how I approach problems.

I had the opportunity to work on IPOs of innovative companies and participate in large, often industry-defining mergers and acquisitions. Being involved in these transactions provided an early view into how businesses are positioned, valued, and communicated to the market.

One of the most important skills I developed during this time was the ability to translate complex ideas into simple, compelling narratives. Whether helping a company articulate its value proposition to investors or analyzing a business model, clarity of thought and communication proved to be just as important as technical analysis.

The role also provided unusual access to experienced management teams. I regularly participated in roadshows, traveling with CEOs and CFOs over extended periods of time as they met with investors. Those experiences offered a window into how thoughtful leaders think about strategy, capital allocation, and long-term value creation — often through candid conversations outside of formal meetings.

That combination of analytical rigor, communication, and exposure to strong operators shaped how I evaluate businesses today.