Our team
Operators, investors and industry specialists.
A tightly focused bench of investment bankers, private equity investors and operators who have built, run and sold the kinds of businesses we advise.
Howard Turk
Founder & Managing Director
A real estate lawyer turned investment banker with extensive experience in the title and settlement services industry, both domestically and internationally. Prior roles include principal of a high-volume real estate conveyancing law firm, head underwriter of First American Title's National Lenders Advantage, and leadership roles in national title agencies. A best-selling author and columnist, he is a frequent media guest expert on the real estate and title industry. Undergraduate degree in Political Science from York University; LL.B. from the University of Ottawa.
Dione Spiteri
President
Drives the firm's strategic direction and leads growth initiatives including client development, market expansion and brand positioning. An international business executive with over 20 years of experience, she has founded, scaled and exited multiple high-growth companies, several recognized on the Inc. 500 list, and has advised more than 145 companies on growth strategy, operational efficiency and enterprise value creation. BS from Northwestern University; Entrepreneurial Master's from the MIT/EO program.
Tom Courtney
Managing Director
An experienced private equity investor and investment banker who has advised on more than 200 transactions involving financings, acquisitions and divestitures since 1986, and has started, bought, sold and financed more than 20 companies. Previously with Morgan Stanley & Co., Alex. Brown & Sons, James D. Wolfensohn Incorporated, and Peers & Co. Undergraduate degree in Economics from Princeton University; MBA in Finance from The Wharton School.
Matt Allen
Managing Director
Over 20 years in investment banking, with more than 50 completed transactions with financial services companies nationwide, including mergers, acquisitions, capital raising and divestitures. Also Managing Principal of Little Creek Capital. Previously head of Investment Banking at Western Financial Corporation and leader of the Bank and Thrift Group at Milestone Advisors. BS in Biology from Old Dominion University; MBA in Finance from the Mason School at the College of William and Mary.
Edward McKenna, PhD
Managing Director, Head of Health Sciences
Advises biotech, medtech and pharmaceutical technology companies on M&A and capital formation, with over 20 years of experience starting companies, leading strategic plans and making acquisitions. Formerly Chief Scientist and Engineer at Covidien, where he is an inventor on over 100 filed patents and a two-time Inventor of the Year. BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo; PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Alan Macksey
Managing Director
Over 30 years of private equity experience. With Sterling Partners from 1986 to 2018, he completed over 100 investments and helped raise and invest seven institutional funds focused on equity investments of $5M to $175M in business services, healthcare and education companies, serving on the firm's investment and operating committees. BA in Economics from Yale University; MBA from The Wharton School.
Rex Caldwell
Head of Real Estate Advisory
A seasoned title and escrow executive who built and sold one of the largest independent agencies in the Western United States, capping a 30-year career as an owner and operator. Having run a title agency through multiple market cycles, he helps owners improve operations, manage growth, navigate downturns and design cultures that attract and retain top talent, practical solutions rooted in firsthand experience rather than theory.
Christin Mack
Senior Advisor, Title & Escrow Operations
A seasoned title and escrow executive with more than two decades of experience in residential real estate transactions, operational leadership and industry education. She has helped organizations refine processes, implement effective operational systems, navigate regulatory demands and better support the people at the center of every transaction, a steady, solutions-focused presence in complex moments.