Billy Peet is responsible for running client campaigns during the closing phase, evaluating bids and LOIs, and driving the process from due diligence to close. Billy supports and helps his clients navigate through every step of the process.
Prior to joining Woodbridge, Billy held a pricing analyst role in the liquor distribution business. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and an MBA from Misericordia University.
Liane Gole is responsible for running client campaigns during the closing phase, evaluating bids and LOIs, and driving the process through due diligence to close. Liane supports and helps her clients navigate through every step of the closing process. Prior to joining Woodbridge, Liane worked as an onsite liaison between an automotive marketing company and their largest client, selling digital, email and direct mail marketing campaigns. Liane holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Lafayette College. In her spare time, she enjoys reading business books and biking.
Rike Wootten has been working in Japan for 33 years. Throughout his time years in Japan, Rike has built a career in helping Japanese firms and individuals work with their overseas counterparts, and helping foreign firms to understand Japan’s business practices. After 11 years with Merrill Lynch in Tokyo and New York, he was hired as the COO of ING Baring Securities Japan, and then promoted to branch manager the following year, a post held for five years. Gotairiku Partners was started in 2004, largely focusing on strategic consulting services and M&A. His clients have included Fortune 500 clients such as Hearst Media and Office Depot, Singapore listed companies, and Asian based PE funds. His Japan clients have included Plus Corporation, Ebisho, Waseda University and Linc Media. He has also been a trade consultant to the State of Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade.
Pat works directly with clients to ensure accuracy with financial information as well as assisting our closers globally with tracking bids and preparing management meetings. Prior to joining Woodbridge, Pat worked as an analyst at an investment bank in Greenwich, CT. He is a product of the accelerated MBA program at Quinnipiac University with a concentration in Finance.
CJ is responsible for ensuring the successful transaction of sellers’ companies and oversees deals from bid to close. Prior to focusing on specific deals, CJ, along with the Woodbridge Leadership team, led the creation and implementation of Woodbridge’s Closing Process and oversaw the Closing Process of every deal once it went under LOI to ensure transparency and expediency on every deal. CJ began his career with Woodbridge in August 2018 as Manager of Underwriting where he and the team created a streamlined process to build and analyze market-ready financial statements, identify and understand potential deal risks and trends and ensure each client was ready to face the financial scrutiny of the transaction process.
CJ joined Woodbridge from The Walt Disney Company where he most recently served as a member of the Disney/ESPN Media Networks Business Strategy team after beginning his time there with ESPN’s International Accounting team. Prior to Disney, CJ was a member of the Entertainment and Media division of PWC’s assurance practice. CJ holds a masters degree in accounting from Fairfield University and an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Bentley University.
Conor is responsible for managing the sale process from bid through closing and serves as a trusted advisor for Woodbridge’s clients. Prior to joining Woodbridge, Conor began his career in business development at ADP. He earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut.
Representative transactions include Midwestern Electric, Knowledge Matters, and BroadcastMed.
Karl brings 20 years of M&A experience to Woodbridge International. He has acted as an advisor to sellers and buyers across various business sectors and has completed many successful transactions in Germany and cross border. Karl has worked on numerous M&A mandates in distribution, manufacturing, chemistry and business services, and he continues to assist business owners and buyers through the process of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures in the lower middle-market. Earlier in his career, Karl was CEO at a plastics and metal working company with international activities, where he spent over fifteen years in a variety of key management roles. He also was nominated in several supervisory and advisory boards in manufacturing and services industries. Karl graduated as Diplom-Kaufmann in Business Administration at University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Mr. Sekhon has direct investment and M&A experience in numerous transactions representing over $500 million in market value. His industry experience includes enterprise software, manufacturing, business services, medical devices, wireless communications, RF integrated circuits, semiconductors, environmental remediation and commercial real estate. Since 1995, Mr. Sekhon has served as a director or observer on the Board of Directors of twelve portfolio companies and one Small Business Investment Company (SBIC). Tex has been instrumental in the structuring and funding of numerous entrepreneurial endeavors. Mr. Sekhon has led several equity investments in various retail, office, multifamily, industrial, and land acquisitions and developments representing over $100 million in total project value. Tex holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of North Texas. Tex has industry expertise in aviation and technology.
Bob is a leading China M&A advisor with over 20 years of China experience and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Bob was head of China M&A for the global investment banking division of HSBC. Previously, Bob worked as a senior banker at CICC, China’s top local investment bank and a joint venture of Morgan Stanley, and played a key role in building CICC’s M&A practice. He has led a wide range of acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, JVs, IPOs and restructurings across many industries. Before his investment banking career, Bob practiced corporate and international trade law in Washington, DC and New York and holds J.D. and M.S.F.S degrees from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Columbia University.
Darshan Rathod is based out of India and specializes in lead advisory and asset management. He also helps develop and manage the firm’s relationships with various players in the investor-entrepreneur ecosystem. Darshan has a passion for numbers and a keen interest in entrepreneurship. Following his father’s footsteps, he began his career as a Chartered Accountant. He holds a masters degree in Commerce from the University of Pune and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, both of which were accorded with distinction. Darshan is also an alumni of XLRI Jamshedpur, where he did his MBA in Finance. He was honored with the OP Jindal Management Scholarship at XLRI Jamshedpur. At XLRI, Darshan co-founded a social entrepreneurship venture Parichay with three of his batchmates, focused on promotion & sale of handicrafts in India – Parichay was the first venture funded by the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust. Darshan also led the Young Indians Chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII-Yi) at XLRI and was a founding member of the Committee for Consulting and Entrepreneurship at XLRI. He is currently a member of the Pune Chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE). Darshan had earlier garnered diverse experience during his stints at RREEF (Deutsche Bank Real Estate Private Equity), Ernst & Young (E&Y) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).