O2 Sponsor Finance. Lower Middle Market Focus. Second-To-None Partnership.
EBITDA SIZE:
$2 million - $10 million
LOAN SIZE:
$5 million - $30 million (with syndication abilities up to $75 million)
INDUSTRY FOCUS:
Manufacturing, Distribution, and Service
GEOGRAPHY:
National (must be headquartered in U.S.)
PRODUCTS BUILT WITH PRIDE
With our customer's best interests always at the center of everything we do, we focus on senior cash flow loans with a typical hold size of $5 million to $30 million per transaction (with syndication abilities up to $75 million). We provide loans to companies supporting numerous transaction structures including.
- Leveraged buyouts
- Refinances
- Acquisitions
- Growth financings
- Recapitalizations
FOCUS ON LOWER MIDDLE MARKET
We believe in finding a unique niche and excelling in it. That’s why we’ve zeroed in on the lower middle market defined as privately held companies with less than $100 million in sales and TTM EBITDA between $2 million and $10 million.
IT PAYS TO WORK WITH O2 SPONSOR FINANCE
What makes us a trusted, sought-after partner? The reasons are many. You’ll enjoy all these advantages working with our team:
- Experience. We’re experts at closing lower middle market buyout transactions.
- Responsiveness. We provide thoughtful feedback in a timely fashion.
- Flexibility. We tailor our proposals to each transaction’s unique requirements.
- Certainty. We close deals on time with no surprises.
O2 Sponsor Finance Team
Knowledge and knowhow matter. Our core sponsor finance team has worked together to close more than 300 transactions with more than $4.0 billion in loan commitments in the lower middle market since 2005. For the past 20 years, we’ve prioritized executing leverage buyout transactions with dozens of private equity sponsors including committed funds, independent sponsors, family-offices and mezzanine groups. Today and into the future, we maintain our long-term commitment to providing leverage loans exclusively to the lower middle market.
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Joe Gaffigan, President
Joe is a financial entrepreneur who has over 30 years of leadership experience building and leading successful lower middle market sponsor finance teams. Prior to co-founding O2 Sponsor Finance, Joe co-founded or led as President: Fifth Third Structured Finance, MFC Capital Funding, TCF Capital Funding and Huntington Sponsor Finance. Joe started his career at American National Bank. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and earned his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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Thom Karle, Senior Vice President
Thom is an Originator and Relationship Manager for O2 Sponsor Finance. Thom is a seasoned lender with 25 years of lower middle market leveraged lending experience. Previously, Thom served for nearly 10 years as a Senior Vice President & Co-Market Manager of TCF Capital Funding and Huntington Sponsor Finance. Prior to joining TCF Capital Funding, Thom covered East Coast marketing for Monroe Capital. Thom began in Sponsor Finance/Leverage lending as a Managing Director and core member of MFC Capital Funding. Thom began his banking career at BMO Harris Bank. Thom is a graduate of College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master’s degree in Accountancy from DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.
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Nick O'BrienSenior Vice President312-900-9949 Direct312-532-7790 Cellnobrien@oldsecond.comView BioNick O'Brien, Senior Vice President
Nick is an Originator and Relationship Manager for O2 Sponsor Finance. Nick is an experienced lower middle market lender with 14 years of experience. Prior to the formation of O2 Sponsor Finance, Nick was an Originator and Relationship Manager for TCF Capital Funding which was subsequently acquired by Huntington Sponsor Finance. Nick began his career at Metropolitan Capital where he underwrote lower middle market debt financings at the commercial bank and worked on M&A advisory and equity capital raise assignments for the investment bank. Nick is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from The Gies School of Business.
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Chris GallunVice President, Underwriting312-900-9949 Direct414-517-0264 Cellcgallun@oldsecond.comView BioChris Gallun, Vice President, Underwriting
Chris joined O2 Sponsor Finance as Vice President of Underwriting, supporting cash flow lending for private equity led buyouts, recapitalizations and add-on acquisitions in the lower-middle market. Prior to O2 Sponsor Finance, Chris worked in underwriting and portfolio management for TCF Capital Funding, a division of TCF National Bank, which was acquired by Huntington National Bank. Chris began his career with Fitch Ratings’ U.S. Corporates team. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.
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Monica BrisenoVice President, Operations312-900-9947 Direct312-671-6463 Cellmbriseno@oldsecond.comView BioMonica Briseno, Vice President, Operations
Monica Briseno joined O2 Sponsor Finance as VP Operations & Monitoring with over 20 years of experience in ABL/Cash Flow Lending. Prior to O2 Sponsor Finance, Monica was VP of Operations at TCF Capital Funding, a division of TCF National Bank, which was acquired by Huntington National Bank. She was responsible for reviewing closing documents, monitoring collateral and boarding loans to Stucky, Premier and AFS loan systems. Monica is a graduate from Robert Morris University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with Accounting.
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Jenny JoyceVice President, Underwriting312-900-9963 Direct847-987-2407 Celljjoyce@oldsecond.comView BioJenny Joyce, Vice President, Underwriting
Jenny joined O2 Sponsor Finance as Assistant Vice President of Underwriting, supporting cash flow lending for private equity led buyouts, recapitalizations and add-on acquisitions in the lower-middle market. Prior to O2 Sponsor Finance, Jenny worked as a Private Wealth Management Analyst at Morgan Stanley. Jenny began her career at Morningstar in its Development Program. She is a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. Jenny is also a CFA Charterholder.
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Kathleen BalaziAssistant Vice President, Operations312-900-9941 Direct217-778-9033 Cellkbalazi@oldsecond.comView BioKathleen Balazi, Assistant Vice President, Operations
Kathleen joined O2 Sponsor Finance as Operations & Monitoring with over seven years of experience in loan operation. Prior to O2 Sponsor Finance, Kathleen was a Collateral Analyst at Ascend Collateral Exams and prior to that she worked as an Operations and Collateral Analyst at TCF Capital Funding, a division of TCF National Bank, which was acquired by Huntington National Bank. Kathleen began her career at PNC Bank as a financial sales consultant and transitioned into loan operations at Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust. She is a graduate of Loyola University-Chicago
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Sean MaherVice President, Underwriting312-900-9954 Direct716-548-1486 Cellsmaher@oldsecond.comView BioSean Maher, Vice President, Underwriting
Sean joined O2 Sponsor Finance as Vice President of Underwriting, supporting cash flow lending for private equity led buyouts, recapitalizations and add-on acquisitions in the lower-middle market. Prior to O2 Sponsor Finance, Sean worked in underwriting for M&T Bank. Sean began his career in public accounting and holds a CPA license. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University.