Bio

Paul Donnelly founded Optivest IB after having spent 25 years as an investment banking professional and principal investor. Paul Donnelly has a successful track record of working with emerging growth and middle-market companies to enhance shareholder value through various corporate finance initiatives, including M&A, recapitalizations, equity and debt financings and valuations/fairness opinions. He has served as a financial advisor on numerous successful engagements representing over $3.25 billion in transaction value for clients such as: Insight Genetics, Monk Development, Enerliance, FEX DMS, CVE Technology, Lead Tracking Solutions, GeoMicro, WebFinancial, Interush, Benihana, TS Restaurants, Hu Hot, Earthbar, Western Sizzlin, IGT, Trend Offset, MyPrint, eWork, Proxim Wireless, Steel Partners, Accurate Metal Fabricators, Trojan Battery Corporation, TriStar Global Energy Solutions, TV Ears, The Counter, Yard House, Radius Medical, Baja Fresh, Islands Restaurants, Strasbaugh, Intercoastal Manufacturing Company, DynTek, Motion Engineering, Marko Foam Products, Iteris, Avalon Digital Marketing Systems, Rand Technology, NetsWork, etown.com, Triton Network Systems, Comteco, Action Instruments, Continuous Computing, Meltronics, Verteq, Pro-Log, Dartron, Adflex Solutions, Athens, Visqus Corporation, Somatogenetics and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. Prior to founding Optivest IB, Paul was a Managing Director with the Los Angeles-based investment banking firm B. Riley & Co., which merged in 2003 with his previous firm, L.H. Friend, Weinress, Frankson & Presson. He has been involved in corporate finance since 1983, when he began his career with L.F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin. From 1984 to 1986, he was with the venture capital firm Enterprise Management Company. From 1986 to 1992, Paul was a Vice President with Pacific Ventures Finance, a leading venture debt fund for institutionally backed emerging growth companies. From 1992 to 1995, he was a Senior Vice President with Ally Capital Corporation, a venture debt and corporate finance firm. From 1995 to 2003, Paul was a Managing Director of Corporate Finance with L.H. Friend, Weinress, Frankson & Presson. Paul Donnelly received his B.S. in Finance and Business Administration from San Diego State University and holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.