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Meet the Westlake Team

A Trusted, Experienced Team Built for Middle Market Companies

Our clients benefit from the team’s deep understanding of deal strategy, operational improvements, equity value creation, and transaction process. At Westlake Securities, each of our trusted advisors has 10+ years of experience providing middle market companies with a diverse, robust suite of services.

 

The principals of Westlake Securities come from diverse backgrounds of advising, operating, and investing in middle market companies. Our clients benefit from the team’s deep understanding of deal strategy, operational improvements, equity value creation, and transaction process.

 

Matt Andersen

CEO

Matt Andersen, CEO

Matt is the CEO of Westlake. Over the past 20 years, he has worked on over 140 completed transactions totaling over $5 billion in private placement and M&A value. Matt has gained in-depth experience working with companies from the lower middle market up to public companies with market capitalizations in excess of $1.5 billion. Since joining Westlake in 2014, Matt has advised companies with a combined annual revenue of over $1.8 billion in the areas of strategy, capital, finance, and M&A. He currently sits on the board of three companies. In past roles, Matt has had full operational and P&L responsibility for a NYSE-listed company division with $15 million of EBITDA, led a multi-million dollar revenue geographic territory for a privately held company, and oversaw a multi-million dollar revenue product line for a NYSE-listed company. Matt has an MBA in banking and has attended executive programs at Harvard and the University of Chicago. Matt holds Series 6, 7, 63, 65, 24, 27, and 79 FINRA licenses.

Wilson Allen

Managing Director

Wilson Allen, Managing Director

Wilson co-founded Westlake in 2003 and serves as a managing director. Since 1995, Wilson has provided leadership and guidance to early-stage companies with unique intellectual property in large markets, assisting with capital, corporate structure, strategy, and developing management teams. Collectively, through his career, he has assisted early and late-stage companies raise over $170 million. Early in his career, Wilson worked with Eagle Global, a $2 billion money management firm, where he served as senior equity trader and member of the asset allocation group. In addition, Wilson has served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards throughout his career. Wilson earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BA from The University of Texas at Austin. He holds Series 62, 63, 24, and 79 FINRA licenses.

Jon D'Andrea

Managing Director

Jon D'Andrea, Managing Director

Jon is a managing director at Westlake. Since joining Westlake in 2008, Jon has executed and closed numerous sell-side, buy-side, and capital placement engagements. Primarily serving founder-owned / privately-held middle market companies ranging in size from $5 million to over $150 million and representing over $500 million of aggregate transaction value. At Westlake, Jon has gained specific industry experience from projects in the manufacturing, industrial, consumer, technology, energy, and business service sectors. Recently, he has led active engagements in the education services, energy efficiency, and home improvement product sectors. Jon graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin where he received his BBA in Finance with a minor in accounting. Jon holds active Series 7 and 63 FINRA licenses. Originally from Houston and a native Texan, Jon has lived in Austin for over 15 years.

Liz Schwab

Head of CMO Services

Liz Schwab Managing Director, Head of CMO Services

Marketer. Storyteller. Curator. Liz is a hybrid marketer with skills and experience in strategy, planning, account service, and creative direction. She specializes in utilizing storytelling to ignite and influence action and direction. Liz's 15 years of marketing and business development experience include developing strategies and go-to-market plans for companies of all sizes. Liz combines her creativity and experience with a deep knowledge base and focuses on brand building and growth strategies. With a background in design and strong creative instincts, she has been instrumental in building emerging, middle-market brands. After years at TPN (Omnicom’s creative commerce agency) traveling between New York, Dallas, and Chicago, Liz lived in Austin for 12+ years and now resides in South Carolina.

Kevin Brady

Head of CFO Services

Kevin Brady, Head of CFO Services

Kevin is a CFO consultant with over 14 years of experience providing financial leadership to high growth, entrepreneurial companies. Educated as an engineer, he is skilled at analyzing problems and developing client solutions. As a business partner, he works with the senior leadership to formulate strategies and tactics to achieve the company’s objectives. Kevin is skilled at building teams and processes to meet the demands of these high growth companies. Kevin spent fifteen years in Fortune 100 companies as a financial leader, developing a successful record in acquisitions, turnarounds, and process improvements. For the past twenty years, he has been working with small to mid-size companies, helping them achieve their growth and profitability goals. Kevin earned an MBA from SMU, in Dallas, and a BS in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M.

Jon Sanfelippo

Vice President

Jon Sanfelippo, Vice President

Jon joined Westlake in 2021 from GulfStar Group, where he executed numerous sell-side, buy-side, and capital raising engagements for privately held middle market companies. His transaction experience spans the manufacturing, distribution, and services sectors throughout the United States and Mexico. Prior to joining GulfStar Group, Jon was with J.P. Morgan Chase, working with privately-held middle market companies and their owners in both commercial banking and private banking capacities. Jon graduated from Texas Christian University, where he received his BBA in Finance with a minor in Energy Management. Jon holds active Series 79 and 63 FINRA licenses. After spending the past 10 years in Houston, Jon and his family relocated to San Antonio in 2021.

Billy Utt

Managing Director

BILLY UTT, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Billy brings more than 15 years of operating experience in the telecommunications, energy, and venture-backed technology sectors to his role as a Managing Director at Westlake Securities. He joined the firm in 2023 after founding and operating Cherrywood Growth Capital, a search fund focused on acquiring and growing middle market businesses. Billy works closely with clients to develop tailored financing, acquisition, and exit outcomes based on their goals and objectives. He has an MBA from Tulane University and a BA from the University of Virginia. Originally from Houston, Billy has lived in Austin with his wife since 2015.

Jon Schultz

Managing Director, CMO Services

Jon Schultz, Managing Director, CMO Services

Jon is a seasoned integrated marketer with 27+ years leading teams and delivering meaningful results for iconic to niche brands, across numerous verticals and categories, including household names such as Gatorade, Chase, Clorox, Quaker, Jockey, General Motors and many others. He has deep expertise in overarching omni-channel strategy, planning and activation, from results-driven media and performance marketing to brand marketing. Jon also has a wide breadth of experience in business development that he leverages to provide clients with actionable strategies. With almost three decades of industry knowledge, Jon recently joined the Westlake team to bring his experience and insights to the middle-market space. He’s particularly knowledgeable in growth strategies, go-to-market plans, organization design/staffing, as well as proven frameworks and methods. Jon and his family reside in Chicago.

Jordan Markim

Associate

Jordan Markim, Associate

Jordan joined Westlake in 2022, bringing extensive experience from his tenure at WoodRock & Co. There, he managed numerous sell-side, buy-side, and capital raising engagements, primarily assisting founder-owned and privately-held middle market companies with enterprise values between $10 million and $250 million. His deal-making expertise spans the industrial, agriculture, healthcare, and logistics sectors across the US. Jordan graduated with high honors from Texas A&M University, earning a BBA in Finance. He holds active Series 7, 63, and 79 FINRA licenses. Originally from Austin, Jordan and his family moved back to the city in 2023 after spending five years in Houston.

Kendall Klimitchek

Senior Associate, CFO Services

Kendall Klimitchek, Senior Associate, CFO Services

Kendall is a seasoned financial professional with nearly 12 years of experience leading financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and turning data into actionable insights. She has extensive experience within global industrial services and served in a role that included planning, executing, and reporting on nearly $400 million in revenue. Kendall holds degrees in both Accounting and Finance. Her skillset, experience, and collaborative style are perfectly suited to helping companies in the middle-market space.

Meg Hooper

Director, CMO Services

Meg Hooper, Director CMO Services

Meg Hooper is an accomplished communications and marketing generalist, known for her exceptional collaborative nature and project management skills. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead and oversee a multitude of projects across various roles. Prior to joining Westlake, Meg spent years in various communications and consulting roles for small and mid-size businesses after building a flourishing event planning business that she led for 10+ years. Meg's specialty lies in her unwavering commitment to ensuring that every project is executed with the utmost quality, delivered on time, within budget, and exceeding the expectations of each client she works with. Originally a Texan from the DFW area, Meg now resides with her family in Greenville, South Carolina.

Hannah Warrick

Senior Marketing Manager

Hannah Warrick, Senior Marketing Manager

Hannah Wang

Marketing Intern

Hannah Wang, Marketing Intern

Hannah is a collaborative digital marketer passionate about building brands and creating marketing strategy. With a degree in Business Psychology and minors in Marketing and Finance from UC San Diego, Hannah has experience developing and executing strategic campaigns across various industries, including consumer electronics, health and science, and higher education. Her deep understanding of the marketing process and ability to leverage various marketing channels has allowed her to consistently deliver successful results.

Nikki Golbarg

Intern Analyst

Nikki Golbarg, Intern Analyst

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