Functional experts with decades of experience

Arnis Kins – As President, Arnis Kins directs activities for the deal structure and execution of advisory services and continues to develop his long-standing relationships with leading private equity firms, family offices, entrepreneurial executives, and private business owners. Arnis has established Cook M&A Advisory Services as one of the nation’s leading M&A advisory firms. Arnis was awarded the 2012 GTCR Leadership Award for his contributions to the private equity community. GTCR is a Chicago-based private equity firm who pioneered The Leaders Strategy™—finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth.

Arnis has been instrumental in facilitating the close of many of the firm’s more than 400 transactions, ranging from $5 million to $2.5 billion in enterprise value. He has built a track record of delivering quality services with speed of execution. Recognizing an opportunity to leverage his broad network of executive relationships, he founded CEOVisions® in 1999. This exclusive service unites successful, entrepreneurial CEOs with strategic capital for the purpose of building industry leading companies.

Prior to launching Cook M&A Advisory Services, Arnis spent over twenty years in the executive search industry leading engagements for senior and executive level positions in a broad range of industries.

While away from the office, you can find Arnis spending time with his many grandchildren, sharing a bourbon with friends, or enjoying a fine cigar.

Sven Kins – Sven is the CEO of Cook M&A Advisory Services and responsible for executing acquisition strategies, both platform and add-on opportunities, as well as CEOVisions® projects. Prior to Cook M&A, Sven was the Managing Director at Cook Associates’ Mergers and Acquisitions Division. Leveraging his 15 years of experience, Sven leads the firm’s FocusFirst® initiatives and overall growth strategy. He serves as a valuable guide to private equity groups on how best to execute industry acquisition strategies, while advising business owners of their M&A options. Prior to joining Cook M&A, Sven served as a National Account Manager with IDL, Inc., a point-of-purchase advertising/store fixture design and manufacturing company. He helped lead major branding launches for clients such as BP Amoco and Whirlpool Corporation.

Sven earned a BA from Michigan State University and is an avid Spartan. Sven and his wife have three children and live in Chicago. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, travel, and golf. He is also fluent in Latvian.

Scott Merchant – Scott Merchant is a Director of Origination with Cook M&A Advisory Services and serves as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for cultivating relationships with private equity, family office, and corporate clients to create meaningful connections, drive enterprise value, and secure mutually beneficial outcomes. As COO, Scott manages all internal operations for the company.

Prior to joining Cook M&A, Scott spent more than 25 years as a serial technologist and entrepreneur, leading SaaS and consumer platform businesses in the software, golf technology, gambling, and esports industries to successful exits. He has been involved in all stages of the business lifecycle from founder and fundraiser, to growth and strategic partnerships, to ultimate acquisition. His most recent role was Chief Growth Officer of a golf SaaS enterprise where Scott led the internal sell-side process culminating in a Private Equity platform transaction.

Scott graduated from the University of Kansas and enjoys spending time with his four kids, coaching their youth sports teams, playing golf, listening to podcasts, and traveling with his wife.

Sarah Shizas – Sarah Shizas, CFA, joined Cook M&A in 2018 as the Director of Research and Strategy. Sarah oversees the execution of Cook’s FocusFirst research process, which is designed to translate M&A strategies into identifiable characteristics and attributes to focus and exhaust the defined market. Sarah has overseen more than 200 projects to source both add-on and platform acquisition opportunities for clients. In addition, Sarah is focused on analyzing various sectors to develop data-driven insights into target-rich markets that could yield attractive investment opportunities for potential clients.

Sarah has over ten years of experience in the financial sector. Prior to joining Cook M&A, Sarah was an equity research associate at William Blair covering the software industry. She also worked as a credit analyst within Bank of Montreal’s corporate banking division.

Sarah earned her BS in finance with a minor in accounting from DePaul University in 2011, where she played softball for four years. Sarah enjoys staying active, spending time with her family, drinking and learning about wine, and traveling.

Maddie Boos – Prior to joining Cook, Maddie held a sales role at Private Equity Info/Trusight LLC, where she partnered with investment professionals to deploy proprietary deal research and market intelligence software into their workflows. Before that, she led deal origination in the franchise sector at a boutique private equity firm, where she built a strong foundation in sourcing and evaluating inorganic growth opportunities.

Maddie earned her Bachelors degree from University of Florida. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling the world, taking her golden retriever on long walks and cheering on the Florida Gators!

Will Brach – Will joined Cook M&A in 2026 as an Origination Associate. Previously, he was an account manager at Cargill where he managed product distribution for small-large scale clients throughout the Midwest.

Will received a bachelor’s in business administration and economics from Auburn University, and is currently pursuing a MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Outside of work, Will enjoys traveling with his fiancée, watching sports (especially the Cubs), competing in triathlons, and reading.

Isaac Ceh – Isaac Ceh joined Cook M&A in 2021 and has been instrumental in sourcing both add-on and platform acquisition opportunities for clients across diverse industries, including healthcare, industrials, manufacturing, business services, and consumer services. Drawing on his expertise in research and analysis, Isaac plays a critical role in delivering insights that drive strategic growth and successful deal-making.

Before joining Cook M&A, Isaac developed a strong foundation in M&A due diligence through internships focused on UCC, liens, and related research processes. His ability to synthesize complex information and identify value opportunities has made him a valuable asset to the team. Isaac earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from New York University. While at NYU, Isaac was a member of the hockey team, building on the teamwork and leadership skills gained during the three years he spent playing junior hockey for teams across North America.

Outside of work, Isaac is passionate about family, sports, and personal growth. He enjoys playing and watching any and all sports, challenging his mind with chess and books, exploring new destinations through travel, and spending quality time with his dog, Bodhi.

Skylar Cochran – Skylar Cochran joined Cook M&A in late 2024 as a Research Administrator. Skylar executes Cook’s FocusFirst® research methodology by locating the most recent and relevant data, helping her team source proprietary deals that meet clients’ investment goals. Exhausting databases and search engines, Skylar plays a vital role in connecting Cook’s origination team to the decision makers at target companies. Skylar prides herself on producing high quality, detailed work while managing competing deadlines.

Skylar has over eight years of experience in the healthcare sector doing data analytics. Prior to joining Cook M&A, Skylar worked for the Veterans Association as a medical data analyst. Additionally, Skylar was a research assistant in the behavioral health laboratory at the University of Mississippi, where she co-authored 6 research presentations featured at academic conferences.

Skylar graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi in 2020, earning a BA in psychology with a minor in professional writing. She enjoys trying new restaurants, watching reality television, and laughing with her friends and family.

Cody Crook – Cody is a Vice President of Origination with M&A Advisory Services, where he is responsible for cultivating relationships and partnering with clients to achieve highly favorable outcomes through inorganic growth and M&A.

Prior to joining Cook, Cody was the chief of staff for a VC-backed, tech-enabled professional services firm where he led corporate development and other strategic initiatives. He was previously an entrepreneur and ran his own M&A advisory firm, which followed a successful stint as a managing director with a sell-side M&A advisory boutique. Cody also previously led corporate development for a PE-backed staffing and recruiting firm, and he was a strategy manager with Accenture where he worked on both pre-deal due diligence and post-acquisition integration M&A projects for Fortune 500 corporations.

Cody earned his bachelor’s degree from DePauw University, where he was a captain on the football team, and he earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Outside of work, Cody enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.

Adam Gelsomino – Adam Gelsomino is a VP of Origination with Cook M&A Advisory Services. He is responsible for cultivating relationships for private equity, family office, and corporate clients to facilitate inorganic growth through collaborative and joint partnerships.

Prior to joining Cook M&A, Adam’s diverse background involves Hospitality, Logistics, SaaS, Entrepreneurship, and Finance. After graduating with a bachelor’s in finance he began his professional career in Logistics. Soon after, he merged his own logistics brokerage firm with a competitor. Transitioning from the logistics industry to concentrate on finance, he took a position at a data and analytics firm based out of Skokie, IL. Adam has spent more than a decade learning the intricate details of commercial lending, investment banking, and credit processes for banking, equipment finance, and alternative lending.

Adam’s primary interests are real estate, fitness, and spending time with his family.

Maggie Gibbons – Prior to joining Cook M&A, Maggie was an associate at AlphaSights in New York City, where she partnered with leading consulting firms and investment funds across a wide range of industries, delivering insights to support strategic decision-making, including M&A diligence, growth strategy, and market-entry initiatives.

Maggie earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago, where she majored in Economics and English. Outside of the office, she enjoys running, yoga, golf, surfing, and spending time with family and friends.

Joseph Glynn – Joseph Glynn is a Managing Director of Cook M&A Advisory Services. He is responsible for executing strategies on the CEOVisions® platform. This exclusive service unites successful, entrepreneurial CEOs with strategic capital for the purpose of building industry-leading companies through acquisition. An example of a CEVisions engagement would be GTCR’s acquisition of AssetMark , valued at approximately $2.7 billion.

Prior to joining Cook M&A Advisory Services, Joseph spent 25+ years in the Financial Services Industry at firms including Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Russell Investments & Wells Fargo. He brings a deep background in research, business development, and portfolio management. He is a consultative and intuitive financial strategist who delivers in-depth knowledge. Joseph has a proven track record of achieving results for business partners and executing on company objectives.

Joseph graduated from The University of Iowa and is an avid sports fan. He and his wife have four children and live in Chicago. He enjoys spending time with his family, skiing, travel, and golf.

Harry Hamilton – Harry joined Cook M&A in 2021 and is a Senior Research Associate. Prior to Cook, Harry worked in the commercial lending market in research, sales, and operations. Harry double majored in Economics & Supply Chain Management at Marquette University.

In his time at Cook, Harry is proud of closed transactions on projects where he has lead research across environmental services, safety products & services, fintech, logistics, and other industries. Additionally, he has enjoyed collaborating with his research team to drive process efficiency and automation.

Outside of work, Harry enjoys attending concerts, Chicago sports, and spending time with family & friends.

Siga Kisielius – Siga Kisielius leads the CookConnect program at Cook M&A, a solution designed to create mutually beneficial outcomes for both companies and investors. CookConnect uncovers high-potential businesses and connects them with the right investors at opportune times. For companies, it provides a free look at the investor marketplace and strategic introductions, offering an alternative to lengthy or costly sell-side processes. For investors, it serves as a highly targeted, proprietary deal generation source for both platform and add-on opportunities. Siga’s focus is on cultivating relationships and facilitating meaningful connections that drive enterprise value.

Prior to Cook M&A, Siga spent over eight years in strategic advisory and business development roles within professional services. She was a Business Development Manager at Tyton Partners, a strategy consulting and investment banking firm specializing in the global education sector. Siga also held a business development role at bfinance, a specialized investment consultancy focused on asset manager search and selection across asset classes such as private equity, hedge funds, and real estate. She began her career at Pointe Advisory, a boutique strategic advisory firm, where she worked on due diligence for middle-market private equity firms and strategy consulting for Fortune 500 companies.

Siga earned her BA in Economics from Kalamazoo College. In her free time, she enjoys biking around the city, exploring new neighborhoods, traveling, and cooking.

Manojna Lanka – Manojna Lanka joined Cook M&A in 2024 as a Research Associate. Manojna works with the research team in executing Cook’s FocusFirst® research methodology to source proprietary deals for clients within a defined market. Manojna has worked on projects spanning the healthcare, industrials, business services and consumer services industries.

Prior to joining Cook, Manojna earned an MA in International and Development Economics from Yale University with a range of academic and research experience in economics and political science.

Manojna’s interests include art, reading, hiking and lots of coffee.

Ankit Parmar – Ankit Parmar is a Research Analyst at Cook M&A Advisory Services. Prior to joining Cook, he worked at Third Bridge as an Associate on the Private Equity Discovery team, a division focused on building a comprehensive research library covering PE- and VC-backed companies across the U.S. and Europe to help investors identify, track, and evaluate private market investment opportunities. In this role, he conducted diligence-style research, developed market landscapes and company profiles, and supported investment teams with insights used in deal evaluation and portfolio monitoring. Earlier in his career, Ankit worked at Gartner, where he supported enterprise clients in leveraging industry research and data to inform strategic decision-making.

Ankit holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from DePaul University.

Henry Patterson – Henry joined Cook M&A in 2026 as a Research Analyst. Henry supports the research team by conducting in-depth market analysis and identifying strategic opportunities to drive growth. He has a background in performing research across several sectors, including international business, government, and the non-profit space.

Henry earned his Bachelor of Science in Personal Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a minor in Political Economy, Philosophy, and Politics.

When free, Henry enjoys golfing, water skiing, snow skiing, and spending time outdoors in Northern Wisconsin. He is an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers and the Wisconsin Badgers and enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and spending time with his friends and family.

Toni Peluso – Toni has been in business development roles in both investment banking and private equity for over 20 years. Prior to Cook M&A, Toni worked in a sponsor coverage role at Lazard and prior to Lazard in business development and marketing at Lake Capital, an $800 million dollar fund focused on business services deals. Toni’s career has crossed a broad range of industry sectors, and always focused on developing relationships with business owners and private equity funds. More recently, Toni has found passion for recruiting and assists in that effort for the Cook team.

After graduating from the University of St. Thomas, Toni started her career in Minneapolis, MN at Goldsmith Agio Helms which was acquired by Lazard in 2007, bringing her to Chicago and Boston. Toni enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Passions include extensive travel abroad, anything on the water (specifically Cape Cod in the summer months) golfing, rollerblading, waterskiing, live music, audible books and podcasts.

Billy Petersen – Billy is an Associate of Origination at Cook M&A Advisory Services. He is responsible for cultivating strategic relationships with private equity, family offices and corporate clients to assist with accelerating growth strategies and securing mutually beneficial outcomes.

Prior to joining Cook M&A, Billy spent over three years at Deloitte where he served as a Consultant. During his time with Deloitte, he helped successfully implement strategies and technology for enterprise companies spanning across a variety of industries.

Billy earned his degree from Texas Christian University majoring in Business Information Systems and Supply Chain. Outside of the office, he enjoys snowboarding, cooking, hockey, golf, and spending time with family and friends.

Vincent Pizzo – Vincent Pizzo joined Cook M&A in 2024 as an Origination Associate. Vincent oversees and assists in the cultivation of relationships with private equity, family office, and corporate clients to facilitate organic growth through capitalizing on unused capacities.

Vincent has spent the last 6 years in client and customer facing roles. Prior to joining Cook M&A, he was a technical recruiter working with top level IT and digital marketing talent across the continental US. He was responsible for numerous deals across several industries including healthcare, industrials, higher education, entertainment, retail, and software/tech-enabled services. Vincent’s thoughtful and solution-focused approach is his promise to any partnership.

Vincent earned his BA from North Central College in 2017, where he wrestled for four years, then continued as a Graduate Assistant wrestling coach. He earned his Master’s in 2019, while assisting in two back-to-back CCIW Conference Championships. Vincent enjoys studying Brazilian jiu jitsu, kayaking, and hiking/camping with his wife & their family and friends.

Ericca Reavis – Ericca joined Cook M&A in 2022 where she spent her first two years as a Research Administrator before moving to Vice President of Administration. She currently oversees company-wide operations, finance, and human resources functions.

Prior to joining Cook, Ericca held various positions at East Bank Club, working in both the marketing and aquatics departments. She received a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology with a minor in linguistics from Grinnell College, where she was active in varsity athletics, student government, and campus events.

Outside of the office, Ericca enjoys baking and creating ingredients from scratch, visiting family and friends, and cheering for the best team in the NFC North (go, Pack, go!).

Katherine Recatto – Katherine brings a wealth of experience in IT sales and business development to her role at Cook M&A. With over eight years of expertise in the IT industry, Katherine has honed her skills across a range of companies, from large enterprises to dynamic startups.

Throughout her career, Katherine has developed a strong track record in selling to high-value clients within the IT software sector. She has a unique ability to navigate complex sales cycles and effectively lead C-suite executives from initial discussions all the way through to closing successful deals. In addition, Katherine has extensive experience in IT recruiting, managing major accounts for top IT staffing firms and helping them secure top-tier talent to meet their business needs.

Katherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She combines her strong communication skills with her business acumen to build lasting relationships and drive growth for Cook M&A.

Katherine enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, traveling, attending shows, and staying active with fitness.

Hannah Sather – Hannah joined Cook M&A in 2026 as a Research Associate. She brings experience from SPINS, where she worked closely with clients to interpret point-of-sale data, provide hands-on platform training, and translate insights into actionable recommendations. Hannah also gained experience in business research and industry analysis at a food distributor’s innovation hub, conducting primary and secondary research on restaurant operators and broader food industry trends.

Hannah earned her Master’s in Finance (May 2026) and her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy from Loyola University Chicago, combining analytical rigor with a focus on sustainability and strategic business practices. She is particularly interested in consumer goods and data-driven businesses, especially SaaS platforms and the food supply chain, and enjoys applying her research and analytical skills across a wide range of sectors.

Outside of work, Hannah enjoys running and biking along Chicago’s lakefront and exploring the city’s food scene. She is also a creative enthusiast, with interests in screen printing, hand-building, and painting.

Lauren Scarlett – Lauren Scarlett serves as Vice President of Origination at Cook M&A Advisory Services, where she is responsible for cultivating strategic relationships with private equity firms, family offices and companies. With a focus on delivering innovative solutions and accelerating growth through mutually beneficial partnerships, Lauren is committed to driving long-term value for clients.

Before joining Cook M&A, Lauren spent over a decade at UBS Financial Services, where she served as Director of Business Development. In this role, she developed a deep understanding of the unique financial planning needs and challenges faced by high-net-worth business owners. Her expertise spans a wide range of marketing strategies across industries, including partnerships, branding, advertising, public relations, digital platforms, and competitor analysis. Lauren also holds the Corporate Stock Benefit Consultant designation, which she earned during her time at UBS.

Lauren is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston, MA. Outside of her professional career, she is an active member of her community, organizing events for a women’s golf association and volunteering with various dog shelters, supporting fostering programs and other initiatives.

Ian Shocklee – Ian Shocklee joined Cook M&A as a Research Associate in 2022 and is responsible for conducting market research and identifying proprietary acquisition targets for buyside projects in the Business Services, Consumer Services, and Software and Technology industries. Ian also provides CIM market mapping and advisory, recommends potential buyers for CookConnect, Cook M&A’s opportunistic deal flow engine, and plans Cook service outings, most recently at Inspiration Corporation.

Ian earned his BS in Finance with a co-major in International Business from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in 2022. When free, Ian enjoys planning that next golf trip, grilling, and watching Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers.

Jay Tee – Jay is an Associate of Origination at Cook M&A. He is responsible for cultivating strategic relationships with private equity, family offices and corporate clients to assist with accelerating growth strategies and securing mutually beneficial outcomes.

Prior to joining Cook M&A, Jay was the Head Tennis Coach at The University of Chicago where he was responsible for running all aspects of a highly competitive men’s and women’s tennis program. His teams combined to win several national and conference championships, including the 2022 and 2024 NCAA titles.

Jay earned a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University, where he competed on the tennis team for four years. After graduation, he served as an assistant tennis coach at CSU, helping the team win three Horizon League Championships. Jay enjoys spending time with his dog, trivia nights, and watching Cleveland sports.

Trent Williams – Trent Williams joined Cook M&A in 2022 an Associate of Origination with Cook M&A Advisory Services. Since being a part of the Cook team, Trent has been a part of multiple closed deals in a variety of different industries including DSO, Facility Services, HOA, and Industrial Manufacturing. In 2024, through his hard work and dedication to our clients, Trent was promoted to Vice President of Origination.

Trent has over eight years of experience in sales and business development. Prior to joining Cook M&A, Trent was a sales associate at CIENCE, where he helped companies create predictable revenue. He also worked at CDW where he sold hardware and software solutions to Small Businesses.

He graduated from Colgate University in 2018, where he played football for four years. Outside of the office, Trent enjoys spending time with his family, playing/watching sports, and being an avid Bears fan.

Andrew Winsch – Prior to joining Cook M&A, Andrew spent over five years in sales and account management roles within the Oracle and NetSuite ecosystem, helping companies replace legacy financial systems and supporting existing customers with additional professional services.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Dayton. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Krista Zumbrink – After moving to Chicago in 2023, Krista Zumbrink joined Cook M&A as a VP of Origination. Krista’s extensive sales and business development background ranges across multiple industries including software, fintech, communications, construction, and real estate. Krista has worked on projects to source both add-on and platform acquisition opportunities for clients – spanning industries including healthcare, industrials, business services and manufacturing.

Prior to joining Cook M&A, Krista worked in Los Angeles in the Fintech industry with companies such as DFIN and Workiva.  She enjoys tennis, golf, horseback riding, and being on Lake Michigan in her free time.