Professionals. Experience. Skills. Commitment.
Paul C. Schmidt - Managing Director 704.506.1133 schmidt@naviscentgroup.com
Paul has over thirty years of experience in hands-on financial, operational and strategic leadership roles, beginning his career in public accounting for an international accounting firm. Paul has served as CFO for companies in the retail, construction, distribution, software, non-profit, and manufacturing industries ranging in size from pre-revenue public micro-caps to closely held $200 million middle-market companies. In addition to serving full-time and fractional-use roles as CFO, Paul has provided transaction support for dozens of M&A buy-side transactions in the lower middle-market, and CFO capital raise support for emerging companies. Paul has also served as Chief Restructuring Officer for organizations in need of turnaround services.
Paul graduated with distinction with a BBA from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. In addition, he took graduate studies at both the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and in the Master of Science in Tax program at Walsh College. Paul is on the Executive Committee and leads St. Matthew’s volunteer efforts for the Men’s Shelter of Charlotte, and is a member of the Charlotte Uptown Rotary Club. He has FINRA/NASD Series 7, 24, 28 and 66 licenses.
Edward J. Sanz, CFA - Managing Director 704.578.8088 sanz@naviscentgroup.com
Ed has nearly twenty-five years of experience in operations as a CFO and as a consultant in leadership positions serving business owners, Boards of Directors and senior management. He has helped companies facing rapid growth and tough operating/financing challenges in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, printing, media, construction, restaurant, service, higher education, and software/technology industries. Prior to joining NaviscentGroup, Ed provided turnaround services for Fort Dearborn Partners, a leading middle-market turnaround/corporate finance services advisory firm. As a turnaround advisor and Chief Restructuring Officer he has helped stabilize and reinvigorate companies by improving cash flow, restructuring debt, and returning them to sustainable profitability. He has provided CFO advisory services with NaviscentGroup and as a partner with Tatum LLC, a national financial advisory firm, and was the CFO for two international textile manufacturing concerns which included a three-year expatriate assignment in Mexico. He served as a commercial lender with SunTrust Bank and in Bank of America’s finance group managing projects associated with the bank’s acquisitions and mergers. Ed’s consulting experience also includes business valuation services with Ernst & Young and a regional accounting firm serving middle-market companies in the Charlotte region.
Ed received his BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and his MBA from Emory University as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Ed is the incoming President of the Carolinas Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association and a member of the CFA Institute, the Association for Corporate Growth and the National Funding Association. He also serves on the Boards of Junior Achievement of the Central Carolinas and Mecklenburg Open Door.
Aaron J. Petrosky - Managing Director 704.773.9779 petrosky@naviscentgroup.com
Aaron has nearly fifteen years of diverse experience advising closely-held companies and grew up in a family business. He is a hands-on advisor to lower middle-market companies in transaction advisory, financial management, strategic business development and guiding companies in distressed/turnaround situations. Aaron’s work includes sound decision making, setting strategic direction, financial management, operational improvements, change management, and advising family businesses. In addition to guiding companies day-to-day, Aaron focuses on raising debt and equity capital and leading M&A company sale processes for lower middle-market companies. He has in-depth understanding of the debt and equity capital markets as they apply to middle-market businesses. Previously, Aaron founded his own advisory firm, and as a CFO led multiple restructurings and refinancings as a member of a senior management team. He also worked at a Boston consulting and boutique investment banking firm serving a variety of closely-held and family businesses with consulting and financial advisory services. Aaron has worked with clients from start-up to $200M in revenues and in various industries including consumer products, multi-unit retail, food & beverage, manufacturing, distribution, business services and technology.
Aaron received his BS in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Tennessee and his MBA in Finance and International Business, summa cum laude, from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. While attending business school, he worked at the Economic Forecasting Center in Atlanta. Aaron is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth and the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Aaron has FINRA/NASD Series 7 and 66 licenses.
David S. Sozio - Managing Director 704.953.5591 sozio@naviscentgroup.com
Dave has nearly twenty-five years of diverse experience in a variety of corporate finance and financial services roles, advising companies and their senior executives and investors on strategic transactions including acquisitions, restructurings, recapitalizations, and refinancings. Dave’s professional background includes executive-level roles with major financial institutions in Capital Markets, Investment Banking and Corporate Banking. He has also worked in leadership roles with management advisory teams, including situations where he was part of the team directing clients through restructuring/turnaround situations. Dave has experience serving as an advisor to privately-held middle-market companies as well as large, well capitalized public companies. He has worked closely with clients raising capital for acquisitions and growth, as well as those that are recapitalizing, restructuring, and refinancing their businesses. Dave has extensive experience within the Capital Markets, including the senior loan, second lien, mezzanine, high yield, and private equity markets, as well as knowledge of the relevant investor bases and market conditions within each. During his career, Dave has raised over $20 billion of capital in connection with over 150 transactions. He has extensive experience across a highly diverse range of industries, and has in-depth knowledge of the Business Services, Software, IT Services, Information and Data Services, and Defense and Government Services sectors.
Previously, Dave was a Managing Director and Group Leader within Wachovia Securities’ Leveraged Finance Group, a Managing Director and founder of Wachovia’s Defense and Aerospace Corporate Finance Group and a Senior Vice President with NationsBank. He received his BA in Economics from Wake Forest University and his MBA in Finance from The College of William and Mary. Dave is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth. Dave has FINRA/NASD Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses.
Logan Dickerson - Director 704.281.6951 dickerson@naviscentgroup.com
Logan has over ten years of experience in the financial services and asset management industries advising companies on capital raises, financing needs, and managing portfolios of corporate loans. His professional experience includes raising capital for both private and public companies for transactions including acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings, recapitalizations, and refinancings across a broad range of industries, including Industrial Manufacturing, Transportation, Chemicals, Business and IT Services, and Software. Logan has significant capital markets experience having helped companies raise capital through the senior and second lien loan, mezzanine, and public high yield markets. He has been involved in underwriting, marketing, and distributing over $5 billion in capital throughout his career. Logan has also managed portfolios of corporate loans where he was responsible for maintaining the ongoing relationship and dialogue with the borrowers, processing renewals and new credit requests, negotiating amendments, waivers and extensions to loan agreements, and managing large groups of banks and other investors.
Previously, Logan was with Cratos Capital Partners, a private commercial finance and asset management firm. Logan also spent over seven years with Wachovia Securities in a range of credit positions from analyst in the Portfolio Management group to a Vice President in the Leveraged Finance group. Logan received his BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has previously held his Series 7 and 63 licenses and has passed level one of the CFA exam.
