Bio

Mr. Burns is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a B.S. in Accounting and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Graduate School of Business. Additionally, Mr. Burns is a Certified Public Accountant and sits on the board of directors of The Haven 4 Kids. The Haven is an alternative home for young men, ages 9 up to 18, who have been placed in our protective care by the State of Florida. Mr. Burns brings a unique perspective to the Firm through his extensive experience in investment banking as well as his operational and accounting background. Mr. Burns has also been a successful entrepreneur who understands the difficulties faced by company founders when they contemplate an exit from their business. Since 2002, Mr. Burns has concentrated exclusively on providing investment banking services to the middle market. In this role he has provided financial and operational advice to numerous companies including serving as a public company CFO in such diverse industries as alternative energy and Voice over the Internet (VoIP) telephony. Mr. Burns’ background in financial services is borne from some of the largest and most well respected firms in the industry. Mr. Burns began his investment banking career with Goldman Sachs and Company. During his five year tenure at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Burns worked on numerous transactions with both public and private companies. The client companies were seeking Goldman’s expertise in a wide range of disciplines from M&A to private equity to fixed income securities. Prior to Goldman, Mr. Burns was with Ernst and Young, one of the world’s largest accounting and consulting firms. At E&Y, Mr. Burns was involved in providing audit, tax and consulting services to both public and private companies in the Southeast. As part of his operational and entrepreneurial experience, Mr. Burns was the president and co-founder of Tego Communications. Tego Communications was a pioneer in providing neutral host, in-building wireless networks for large public and open spaces such as airports, convention centers and commercial buildings. As the president of Tego Communications, Mr. Burns was responsible for raising the firm’s $5 million in debt and equity capital from private equity investors. Tego was acquired by Concourse Communications to compliment its neutral host networks in airports and public domain space. Prior to founding Tego, Mr. Burns was president and co-founder of qServe Communications, a provider of infrastructure services to the wireless communications industry. During his tenure at qServe, the Company raised in excess of $15 million in equity capital to facilitate the acquisitions of nine infrastructure providers which allowed qServe to provide coast to coast wireless infrastructure services to the industry’s largest companies. Prior to founding qServe, Mr. Burns was responsible for the Merger & Acquisition group at SBA Communications, a provider of wireless telephony services. During his tenure at SBA, Mr. Burns was involved in over 45 transactions representing in excess of $600 million in deal value as well as the Company’s initial public offering. From 1995 to 1996 Mr. Burns was an equity investor in Communication Site Services, Inc. CSSI was one of the first firms that identified the business model for cell tower ownership as well as performing one of the industry’s first build to suit contracts for a major wireless carrier. Finally, Mr. Burns was the founder of Rapid Systems, Inc. which was the first provider of quick lube oil change services in Nashville, TN. Mr. Burns was responsible for every aspect of the business from raising capital to operational issues for this multi-unit retailer. Mr. Burns was solely responsible for the process in which an Inc. 500 firm paid a then record industry multiple of EBITDA to acquire the chain.