Alan Scharfstein

Alan Scharfstein

CEO

Alan Scharfstein is the Founder and CEO of DAK. A trusted advisor to thousands of middle market business owners for over 40 years. He guides clients as they navigate strategic options for growth and expansion, as well as to pursue successful exit strategies (full or partial sale of their business).

Alan founded DAK in 1984 to address the need by middle market business owners to have a high level of investment banking expertise, comparable to what large corporations receive on Wall Street, yet able to meet their very different needs.

Alan built DAK on catering to the nuances of the middle market. A skilled M&A strategist, strong negotiator and expert at transaction execution, he is passionate about ensuring his clients realize the maximum value for their business with each transaction. Alan has personally been involved in negotiating over 750 transactions in a wide range of industries throughout the US and abroad.

Mr. Scharfstein brings to middle-market M&A a unique combination of financial sophistication, large corporate transactional and operating experience and the skills necessary to succeed in an entrepreneurial environment. Prior to founding DAK, he served in several executive financial and manufacturing positions with PepsiCo, he was also a senior executive with Universal Folding Box, a privately-held packaging manufacturer.

Mr. Scharfstein is a frequent lecturer on the sale of privately held businesses, valuation and negotiation strategies. He has been quoted and written about in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Financial Times and Time.

Alan is an avid cyclist and believes that the steeper the climb, the more enjoyable the ride!

Mr. Scharfstein received a BS in Economics and MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Series 7, 17 and 24 licenses.

Contact Alan Scharfstein

    Alan Scharfstein Thought Leadership

    Emerging Trends in Post-COVID M&A; How Deals & Deal-Making are Changing

    Emerging Trends in Post-COVID M&A; How Deals & Deal-Making are Changing
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    Is Now the Right Time to Buy, Sell or Invest in a Family-Owned or Closely Held Business?

    CIANJ: Is Now the Right Time to Buy, Sell or Invest in a Family Owned or Closely Held Business?
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    Sell or Grow in 2022? A Roadmap for Flexible Packaging Business Owners

    Sell or Grow in 2022? A Roadmap for Flexible Packaging Business Owners a featured article by DAK’s Alan Scharfstein, Published in Flexible Packaging
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    Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Selling Your Business

    Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Selling Your Business a featured article by DAK’s Alan Scharfstein and Ari Fuchs, Published in NJ Business Magazine
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    Properly Facilitating the Sale of Your HVACR Business

    Properly Facilitating the Sale of Your HVACR Business Published by Engineered Systems – By Alan Scharfstein, President, & Len LaPorta, Managing Director, DAK
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    Packaging M&A Stays Healthy Through the Pandemic

    Packaging M&A Stays Healthy Through The Pandemic Motivated companies resorted to virtual meetings to get M&A deal done. Published by Packaging Digest – Alan Scharfstein, ...
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    VCI – Emergency Vehicle Specialists recapitalized by Tightrope Capital & NewSpring Capital

    VCI is the preeminent full lifecycle sales and service provider of emergency ambulance solutions to first aid squads, EMS organizations, fire departments, hospital organizations, municipalities, and private medical transport companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region. VCI was recapitalized by private equity firms Tightrope Capital Partners and NewSpring Capital.

    DAK led a competitive, sell-side process for VCI, generating multiple offers from a wide range of strategic buyers and financial sponsors. By positioning the combination of VCI’s market leadership position, comprehensive services offering, strong manufacturer relationships, and robust backlog, DAK achieved an outstanding outcome for the company’s shareholders.

    The acquisition provides the shareholders of VCI an opportunity to accelerate its growth strategy by expanding its core ambulance business, building out the value-added segments of conversions and remounts, implementing operational improvements, and pursuing acquisitions with the help of its new partners. Tightrope and NewSpring have an opportunity to leverage VCI’s strong management team and operating platform to build a multi-regional player in emergency ambulance solutions.

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