Bio

Eric Bell is a Managing Director at Progress Partners leading their efforts in the Mid-Atlantic region. Eric joined Progress in 2022 after spending 15 years as an investment banker, strategic buyer, investor and entrepreneur. Before joining Progress, Eric led Corporate Development at Merlin International, a cybersecurity software distributor to the Federal Government, and was a Principal for the firm’s strategic investment arm, Merlin Ventures. Previously, Eric led technology and digital media M&A and investments at Gannett, parent company of USA Today. Prior to his experience in Corporate Development, Eric held roles as an investment banker at AGC Partners and Clearsight Advisors, a growth equity investor at Blue Delta Capital Partners, and was the Founder & CEO of a financial technology company, YoBucko.com. He started his banking career at Citigroup in New York. Eric holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA from Hendrix College, and he resides in Northern Virginia.