Mary Merrill has over twenty-five years’ experience in mergers and acquisitions, private placements of debt and equity, strategic advisory services, and valuations for middle-market companies. She has worked for several investment banking firms, including a boutique investment bank she founded and subsequently sold to Manchester Companies.
Previously, Mary served as Chief Financial Officer and Director of a West Coast retail and service company, where she was instrumental in raising significant growth capital and positioning the company to expand to multiple states with web-based operations serving clients nationwide. Prior to that, Mary was a partner for six years at Churchill Capital, a family of private equity and subordinated debt funds now exceeding $1 billion under management. Before joining Churchill, she was a commercial lender with U.S. Bancorp.
In her roles as investment banker and private equity investor, Mary has worked with family owned businesses, private and public companies to achieve growth, liquidity, access to capital and exit strategies. Her CFO experience allows Mary to provide meaningful strategic advice to clients as she helps them evaluate growth and acquisition strategies, sale opportunities and optimization of their capital structures.
Mary serves on the board of Coughlan Companies, an educational technology and publishing company, and is chairperson of the Jacksonville City Council’s Health Facilities Authority, which is tasked with assisting Jacksonville health facilities in the acquisition, construction, financing, and refinancing of projects. Mary served three terms on the University of Minnesota, Carlson School Undergraduate Advisory Board, and has been active in the community throughout her career. She was a founding member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way Women’s Leadership Council where she served as president. Additionally, Mary has served on the board of Milkweed Editions, a nonprofit literary press, as well as several other for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Mary earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Business and an MBA in Finance and International Business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota where she achieved membership in the Beta Gamma Sigma honors society. She holds FINRA series 7, 24 and 66 licenses.
