Our Team
Our principals and operating partners bring an extensive and unique array of skill sets to our investment partnerships.
Traverse Pointe Partners Team
The Traverse Pointe team is made up of operating and corporate finance professionals who bring experience investing in and growing middle market businesses. We are committed to the success of our partner portfolio companies.
Our investment team consists of experienced professionals who work to align the structure of a potential transaction with a seller’s objectives. They continue to nurture our investments post-transaction providing financial, operational and strategic support. Our operating partners are industry veterans and our subject-matter experts. They bring significant expertise within their industry verticals; expertise that can only be gained by building a business from the ground up. Our advisory board brings a wealth of experience and an unparalleled array of resources for our businesses to call upon throughout the duration of our partnerships. Their wisdom and judgment guide our investment process from start to finish.
Michael Simon
Managing Principal
Email: msimon@traversepointe.com
Phone: (312) 754-8201
Michael is the Managing Principal and Founder of Traverse Pointe Partners. He is responsible for investment sourcing, valuation, transaction structuring, fundraising and administrative activities on behalf of the firm. Michael is the Chairman of Integrated Health Systems, Small Miracles, Greater Midwest Urgent Cares and The Hope House
Prior to founding Traverse Pointe Partners, Michael was a Vice President in the Office of the Chairman at Mesirow Financial, a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, IL. In this role, he focused primarily on direct principal investment opportunities outside the firm on behalf of its partners and strategic clients. Michael initially joined Mesirow Financial’s investment banking group as an associate, where he provided merger & acquisition advisory services to middle market companies. Prior to joining Mesirow Financial, Michael was in the Restructuring Advisory Services group at Giuliani Capital Advisors, where he provided turnaround consulting and crisis management advisory services to industrial and manufacturing clients, both in and out of bankruptcy.
Michael serves on the Board of Directors and Governors at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he Chairs its Finance and Strategic Planning Committees, and sits on its Investment Committee as well
François Teissonniere
Principal
Email: fteissonniere@traversepointe.com
Phone: (312) 754-8202
François brings more than 25 years of M&A and strategic business development experience to Traverse Pointe. Throughout his investment banking career he has advised on complex public and private transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, sales, privatizations, recapitalizations, financings, leveraged buy-outs, spin-offs and Chapter 11 processes. François has worked on numerous private equity transactions and has successfully lead countless transactions entailing the purchase or sale of family or privately held businesses, as well as divestitures of divisions owned by a larger parent company. François is currently a senior managing director at Mesirow Financial. Before that, he was a managing director at Rothschild, head of investment banking for the Americas at HSBC, and a managing director in the M&A departments of Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers. François is on the board of directors at Small Miracles and Redi-Bag, Inc.
François received his Bachelor’s degree at Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Rouen (Rouen Business School) and his MBA at New York University Leonard A. Stern School of Business.
Alec Morgan
Associate
Email: amorgan@traversepointe.com
Phone: (248) 924-7041
Alec is an Associate at Traverse Pointe Partners. He focuses on deal sourcing, new opportunity evaluation and portfolio management
Alec brings experience in investment banking, M&A, and consulting to Traverse Pointe. Prior to joining Traverse Pointe Partners, Alec was in the investment banking group at Houlihan Lokey, focusing on the food and beverage sector. His responsibilities included sell-side and buyside M&A advisory, financings, and strategic advisory engagements.
Prior to Houlihan Lokey, Alec was an Associate at Wipfli Corporate Finance, a boutique investment bank where he focused on merger & acquisition advisory across a broad range of industries. Alec has worked on numerous private equity and privately held business transactions.
Alec earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.
Operating Partners
Jim Rojas
Business Services & Professional Services
Jim is an accomplished executive with significant leadership experience and a demonstrated track record of exceptional results proven under even challenging circumstances. He has leadership experience with multi-billion dollar and start-up organizations and is a strong believer of enhancing corporate culture to drive business performance. Jim is the Chief Financial and Admin Officer at Diversified Foodservice Supply. Diversified is the market leading distributor of maintenance repair and operation (“MRO”) parts, supplies and equipment to the foodservice industry. He has responsibility for all aspects of finance and accounting. In addition to these responsibilities he oversees Human Resources and Information Technology. Jim is a board member at Integrated Health Systems.
Michael Condron
Healthcare
Mike is Managing Partner of the Newport Board Group, a professional services firm focused on helping clients navigate strategic and operational issues to achieve sustained growth. Mike has concentrated his efforts in health analytics, remote telemonitoring and population health management and serves on a number of private boards. Mike currently serves as Board Chair of Marillac St Vincent Family Services, a 100 year plus social services agency in Chicago and recently served as Interim CEO of NavMD, a predictive analytics and health solutions firm focused on the lower middle employer market, headquartered in Knoxville, TN. Mike is also a Director of Prime Health Services, Inc., a national workers compensation and cost containment firm, headquartered in Nashville TN. Mike is currently a board member of Integrated Health Systems