Michael is the president and founder of Private Equities, a Silicon Valley based middle market mergers, acquisitions and business development firm, which serves buyers, sellers and builders of small to medium sized CA, OR and WA manufacturing, distribution, sales and services companies.

Mike has been an entrepreneur since the fifth grade. Since then, his varied experiences, which include civil engineering, publishing, computer simulation, multimedia production, direct sales, business consulting, training and education, manufacturing, retail and real estate, have proven invaluable in his current work as a business intermediary and consultant to growing companies.

In the process of buying and selling his own companies, Mike became intrigued by the absence of a well-developed market for mid-sized companies, and the frustrations and challenges consequently faced by potential buyers and sellers. In 1991 he formed Private Equities to help remedy this problem.

The subsequent years have been filled with great people, fine companies, and successful deals. In the process, Mike has made a rigorous study of the contract, accounting, tax and business issues involved in the transfer of a company. He has a special talent for designing creative solutions to the problems that can arise.

Mike is an accomplished writer, teacher and public speaker. He regularly addresses civic and professional organizations on mergers, acquisitions, marketing and business development topics.

Over the years, Mike has been actively involved with The Executive Committee (TEC), now Vistage, an international organization of CEOs, as a TEC Associate, a TEC approved consultant, and as a speaker to TEC groups.

He is a graduate of the highly select Silicon Valley Leadership Program, which involves leaders from various industry and civic organizations in an ongoing examination and intervention in the critical business and social issues facing the dynamic Silicon Valley.

Mike grew up in the high country of Northern Arizona. He attended Arizona State University and obtained a business degree on an Army ROTC Scholarship. He also graduated from the Army Ranger School, Engineer School and Topographic School before serving as an engineer officer in West Germany.

Mike and his wife, Lorri, have three teenage children. The entire family is active in charitable, community, school and church affairs.

In his free time, you'll likely find Mike hanging out with his kids, fly fishing, white water rafting, hiking, skiing, competing in A-level racquetball tournaments, training his Peruvian Paso horses or pursuing his Aikido martial arts practice.

Mike’s affiliations include the leading professional M&A organizations in the world, including:

International Association of Business Brokers www.ibba.org

M&A Source www.masource.org

Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors www.amaaonline.org   

Institute of Business Appraisers http://www.go-iba.org

Institute of Management Consultants USA http://imcusa.org

In addition he is a member and past director of the California Association of Business Brokers www.cabb.org