Leading Executives in Business Brokers, Merger Advisors, M&A Firms
Peter R. Orszag
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Lazard
Lazard’s CEO and Chairman (since Oct 1, 2023) and former Director of the U.S. OMB; he’s pushing the firm’s “Lazard 2030” plan with an AI-enabled advisory focus.
Ken Moelis
Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (Executive Chairman effective Oct 1, 2025), Moelis & Company
Founder, Chairman & CEO of the pure‑play advisory firm he launched in 2007; will become Executive Chairman on October 1, 2025 as part of a planned succession.
Website/bio | News (leadership update)
John S. Weinberg
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Evercore
Veteran dealmaker who became Evercore’s Chairman and CEO in 2022, after serving as Vice Chairman at Goldman Sachs.
Scott Adelson
Chief Executive Officer, Houlihan Lokey
Longtime HLI leader who became CEO in 2024; known for scaling the firm’s counter‑cyclical restructuring and mid‑market M&A engine.
Profile/coverage | Company (overview)
Paul J. Taubman
Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, PJT Partners
Founder who built PJT into a top independent advisory house across M&A, restructuring and shareholder advisory.
Aryeh B. Bourkoff
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, LionTree
One of media/tech’s go‑to rainmakers; founded LionTree in 2012 and has advised on marquee TMT deals (e.g., WarnerMedia–Discovery).
George R. Boutros
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Qatalyst Partners
Silicon Valley veteran behind many landmark tech transactions; CEO of Qatalyst since 2016.
Andrew Bednar
Chief Executive Officer, Perella Weinberg Partners (PWP)
Founding Partner who became CEO in January 2023; a longtime adviser on U.S. mega‑deals and strategic transactions.
Blair W. Effron
Co‑Founder & Partner, Centerview Partners
Co‑founder of Centerview, a top advisory boutique frequently ranked among U.S. M&A revenue leaders.
Robert A. Pruzan
Co‑Founder & Partner, Centerview Partners
Co‑founder and veteran board adviser on complex M&A, restructurings and activism defense.
Stephan Feldgoise
Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Goldman Sachs
Global M&A head at Goldman Sachs; a longtime partner credited with leading complex, cross‑border mega‑deals.
Insight page (GS) | Coverage (rankings)
Anu Aiyengar
Global Head of Advisory and M&A, J.P. Morgan
Runs Advisory and Global M&A at JPM; the first woman to lead M&A at a major Wall Street bank, with $1T+ in advised deal value.
Mark A. Van Lith
Chief Executive Officer, Guggenheim Securities
CEO who helped scale Guggenheim’s advisory franchise across sectors including media, healthcare and aerospace/defense.
John Neuner
Co‑Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Harris Williams
Co‑CEO overseeing strategy and execution at one of the leading mid‑market M&A advisors.
Website/bio (HW) | Email (public)
Bob Baltimore
Co‑Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Harris Williams
Co‑CEO and veteran sector banker driving client delivery and growth across the firm’s M&A platform.
Website/bio (HW) | Email (public)
Rob (Robert) Brown
Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln International
CEO credited with aggressive global expansion and senior‑talent hiring to grow Lincoln’s private‑market M&A footprint.
Andy Cagnetta
Chief Executive Officer & Owner, Transworld Business Advisors
IBBA Hall of Fame broker who scaled Transworld into a global business brokerage and M&A franchise network.
LinkedIn | Franchise leadership
Ryan Binkley
President & Chief Executive Officer, Generational Group
Co‑founder and CEO of one of North America’s largest lower‑mid‑market M&A advisories; industry award winner and frequent league‑table leader in $25M–$1B deals.
Peter C. King
Chief Executive Officer, VR Business Brokers / M&A
Franchise CEO who has led VR’s international Business Sales & M&A network, bringing investment‑banking rigor to SMB transactions.
Robert M. Koenig
Founder & Senior Managing Partner (Former CEO), Woodbridge International
Founder (now Senior Managing Partner; former CEO) of a prolific sell‑side middle‑market firm; pioneered video‑driven buyer outreach and timeline‑driven auctions.
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