Independent Sponsor Tips From Pleasant Bay’s Scott Fisher; Preview Results of Our IS Deal Points Survey
Episode description
Scott Fisher has been in the independent sponsor field for quite some time, and has learned a lot along the way.
As the Managing Director at Pleasant Bay Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in lower-middle market companies in the healthcare, technology, business services, and industrial products & services sectors, he has helped bring value to both sellers and capital providers.
“We think sellers value [our vertical focus]. We understand the sector they’re in, we understand their business, and I think we can convince them we can be helpful post-close,” Scott says of Pleasant Bay’s standout strategies to close deals.
“And I think [capital providers] look to us because we do have deep sector expertise and a lot of these folks don't have that,” he says on this episode of Deal-by-Deal. “Healthcare is a tricky field, and if you haven't spent a lot of time in it, it can be a little bit of a nerve wracking place to invest. So I think that's important. And at the end of the day, we are bringing value and are able to provide value post-close and I think that's what a lot of capital providers are looking for.”
Tune into this episode to hear Scott’s tips for people interested in starting as an independent sponsor field. He offers strategies for how to cultivate strong relationships with businesses and potential capital providers as well as get the most juice out of a deal.
The episode also covers the pros and cons of doing deals with multiple capital providers and the importance of carving out a niche for yourself as an independent sponsor.
The last 10 minutes of the episode preview findings from the Independent Sponsor Deal Survey, which will be fully released at the fourth annual Independent Sponsor Conference.
Meet Your Host
Name: Jeff Brooker
Title: Partner at McGuireWoods
Specialty: Jeff focuses his practice on advising private equity funds, venture capital funds and other institutional investors and strategic acquirers. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, early- and late-stage investments, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, management buyouts and secondary transactions.
Connect: LinkedIn
Meet Your Guest
Name: Scott Fisher
Title: Managing Director at Pleasant Bay Capital Partners
Specialty: Scott has more than 17 years of experience in private equity, M&A, and corporate strategy and has worked primarily in the healthcare and life sciences sectors.
Connect: LinkedIn
Acquired Knowledge
Top takeaways from this Deal-by-Deal episode
★ Find a niche and distinguish yourself instead of aiming for huge transactions right off the bat. As the interest in independent sponsorship increases, there is more of a supply of investors that a business might choose to work with — so you’ll need to stand out. You don’t need to get the biggest deals right away: it will look better to...