GLOBAL MERCHANT BANK
advising leading Family Offices, Global Sovereign Wealth Funds
and other Long-Term Investors
About Us
Securities are offered through Hollister Associates, LLC, Member FINRA, Member SIPC. Participant and Hollister Associates, LLC are not affiliated entities.
Check the background of investment professionals on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.
Participant enables family capital and other long-term investors to successfully invest in attractive companies and enables businesses to access this unique source of capital
Participant also advises a select group of long-term strategic investors including select Pensions and Sovereign Wealth Funds
Participant's mission is to serve as a trusted partner and advisor to our clients. We strive to provide the highest quality strategic advice and transaction execution capability across direct investing, mergers and acquisitions, capital placement and financial advisory services
Participant's network of more than 500 of the world's largest family offices and other long-term investors actively investing across a range of industries, stages and geographies
Participant deeply understands the dynamics and specific needs of privately held businesses and offers a unique platform to bridge the gap between long-term capital and entrepreneurs
Leadership Team
Our founders bring investment expertise, hands-on operational know-how and experience advising many of the world’s largest family offices and long-term investors
Sean Costello
Managing Partner
Sean has more than 25 years financial markets experience in US and Europe across investment banking, equity research and UHNW/ Global Family office private banking. He has worked in senior roles at firms including Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers, Barclays, and RBC. Sean's clients include some of the largest family offices globally and he has led numerous private equity transactions on behalf of these family offices. He has extensive experience in debt and equity markets including leading multi-billion transactions.
Sean is a honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. In addition, he currently sits on the European Advisory Board of the Fuqua School of Business as well as several family office and foundation investment committees in the US and Europe.
Contact: scostello@participant.capital
Michael Kurdziel
Managing Partner
Michael brings experience both working with family offices in the private equity and venture space to managing the direct investing activities for leading family offices. He has more than 20 years of experience in investment banking and private equity investing at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch. Michael has led Private Equity investing for several family offices, and has experience sourcing and managing venture capital investments. He was a co-founder of a venture capital backed technology firm, DealerTrack (NASDAQ: TRAK), which secured more than $75mm in financing before going public in 2005. Over the course of his banking and private equity career, he has led numerous equity and debt transactions totalling more than $1 billion in value. Michael's areas of expertise also include structured credit and debt placement. Michael serves on the board of several private companies and non-profits.
He earned his BA from Trinity College with high honors and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Contact: mkurdziel@participant.capital
Daniel Costello
Managing Partner
Daniel most previously worked for five years as SVP of global M&A and Strategy at News Corp. Under his leadership, News Corp completed over $2.5 billion of investments including the acquisitions of Move.com ($1B, US), Harlequin ($400M, CA), Unruly ($200M, UK), Wireless Group/Sports Talk ($200M, UK), Storyful ($20M, Ireland), as well as additional acquisitions across multiple technology and media sectors in India, Thailand, Australia and Europe. Daniel previously founded a London-based research firm, Titan Advisers, which provided research and financial analysis to both corporates and large global institutional investment firms. Daniel worked for over a decade as a journalist for The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times as a financial journalist covering economics, healthcare and politics.
Daniel earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economics and Japanese, and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Contact: dcostello@participant.capital
Karen Mitchell
Vice-President, Client Relations
Based in London, Karen Mitchell works with Participant on strategic initiatives, communications, and high-end global event management. As well as supporting Participant, Karen is the founder of Giraffe which is a bespoke strategic communications firm where she and her team manage and host large scale, exclusive exhibitions and events globally and develop integrated communications for their clients (e.g. TV, social, and print campaigns). Giraffe is especially proud of the work they have done creating and hosting numerous global trade missions to China as well as opening the external calendar for the 69th UN General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for UN Women supported by Yoo Soon Taek, the wife of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.
Karen has owned Giraffe for the last 20 years and during that time has worked with global clients including Santander, Barclays, Capgemini, Commonwealth Business Council, UK’s National Health Services, AbbVie, College of Medicine, Keyline Brands, WIE (Women Inspiration & Enterprise), HIMSS UK, Department of Health, Bahamas Government, Godrej UK, Philips, UKTI, LDNY Foundation, Macmillan Cancer, Bupa, Parkinson’s, Duchy Originals, Kidney Care and NHS England.
Contact: kmitchell@participant.capital
Global Network
We are passionate about introducing our clients to each other and encouraging dialogue between them. Our summit's are invite-only and only open to single family offices. We tailor the content to their needs with a high profile speakers from principals of family offices to heads of Industry. Our summits are never filmed or recorded and all conversations are classed as off the record.
Family Office Summit
London, May 2019
Hosted by Bloomberg
Our speakers included:
Family Office Summit
New York, May 2018
Hosted by Bloomberg
Our speakers included:
Advisory Services
Participant works with leading independent and family-owned businesses to access and secure long-term strategic investors. We support our clients in the following ways:
Mergers and Acquisitions
Participant offers a tailored approach to family offices and long-term investors and businesses that are seeking to acquire or sell companies in a wide range of industries and stages. We provide a full suite of M&A services including sourcing, due diligence, valuation, structuring and deal execution
Debt and Equity Placement
Participant assists clients in securing equity and debt capital for growth, recapitalization and liquidity. We source capital from traditional investors, as well as from our unparalleled network of more than 500 of the world's largest private investors
Strategic Advisory
Participant provides advice to family-owned businesses and other companies. We work with clients to identify growth opportunities, explore corporate alliances, and develop M&A strategies. We leverage our extensive global/local relationships to provide our clients with balanced and insightful judgment on key strategic and financial initiatives
Fund Formation
Participant helps to raise capital for both new and established funds on a selective basis. We concentrate on differentiated investment strategies that are well-aligned with the longer term focus and sector expertise
Direct Investing
Participant develops and co-manages direct investment programs for family offices and long-term investors on direct investments into attractive businesses.
We work as an advisor alongside family offices and long-term investors to manage their direct investment initiatives providing:
Private Equity Program
Venture Capital Program
Participant partners with family offices and long-term capital to manage their venture capital programs. We take a comprehensive approach to managing venture activities, with services ranging from strategy to entity formation to investment management and exits. Our approach covers all aspects of the corporate venture capital
life cycle
Co-Investment Sourcing
Participant leverages our global network of the world's leading families and strategic investors to source investments from well-aligned co-investors. Families in our network invest from venture capital through large buyouts
Family Office Formation
Participant understands what it takes to successfully create a sophisticated family investment platform. We advise family offices on developing investment strategies; building out investment capabilities; and recruiting a world-class teams
Investment Focus
Participant's clients invest in companies with exceptional growth potential
Our clients' direct investing varies by industry, geography and stage. All companies in which we invest share common attributes of market leadership, innovation and an ability to thrive in the New Economy
We seek investments on behalf of our family office and long-term investor partners in many sectors including the following:
Key Characteristics
Sectors & Industries
Sectors & Industries
Locations
We are a global firm working with clients across various geographies
New York
Boston
London
Keep Updated
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Webinar's available
"What Comes Next: Global Health in the Age of COVID19"
An in-depth interview with Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and John W.H. Denton, Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
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