Sell-Side M&A Advisory
End-to-end representation for owners and founders taking a business to market — positioning, process, and negotiation led by the same principals from first call to close.
Outcome: a competitive process, run by senior peopleActive in M&A — Sell-Side Advisory
The playing field has changed.We changed with it.
CXO Capital Advisors is a boutique, principal-led advisory firm for founders and owners preparing to sell. We pair AI-driven market intelligence with operator-deep transaction experience — the reach of a seasoned advisory team, with the personal attention only a boutique delivers.
Why CXO
The deal team matters more than the firm.
Most advisory engagements are won by senior partners and worked by junior teams. At CXO Capital Advisors, our principals — both seasoned C-suite executives — work every deal personally. We sit across from buyers, speak the language of integration, and know how to position your business in ways that increase both deal probability and valuation.
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Two years deep in AI, applied to your transaction
We’ve spent over two years developing AI-driven tools for buyer identification, market analysis, and transaction intelligence. What was once the exclusive advantage of larger advisory firms is now ours — letting us find and engage the right buyers, at the right time, with the right data.
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We’ve sat in the seats buyers are evaluating
CEO, CFO, and CTO. We understand what acquirers are really assessing beyond the numbers, and we engage in substantive integration conversations that accelerate buyer conviction and reduce deal risk.
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Sell-side focused, with buy-side perspective built in
We know how sophisticated acquirers think — so we identify and close value gaps before going to market, rather than letting buyers use them against you at the table.
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Principal-led from first call to close
No handoffs. No junior teams. No loss of context between the pitch and the close.
Expertise
Where we do the work.
A focused mandate, executed by principals. Each engagement is built around the outcome that actually moves a transaction: the right buyer, the right position, the right terms.
AI-Driven Buyer Identification
Proprietary AI tooling, developed over two years, surfaces and prioritizes acquirers by fit and timing — reaching beyond the obvious strategic list most processes stop at.
Outcome: the right buyers, engaged at the right momentMarket & Transaction Intelligence
Data-led market analysis that informs timing, valuation expectations, and negotiating posture, rather than relying on comparables alone.
Outcome: decisions grounded in current market realityExit Readiness & Value Gap Closure
We identify and close the operational and financial gaps a sophisticated acquirer will find — before going to market, while they can still be fixed.
Outcome: fewer discounts, fewer surprises in diligenceIntegration Positioning
We engage acquirers in substantive integration conversations early, speaking the operator’s language to build conviction and take perceived risk out of the deal.
Outcome: higher buyer conviction, lower deal riskValuation & Transaction Structuring
Foundational expertise in finance, valuations, and structure — shaping terms, consideration, and deal mechanics around what the owner actually wants from the outcome.
Outcome: structure aligned to the owner’s objectivesWho We Work With
Both sides of the table inform how we work.
Founders & Business Owners
Owners preparing to sell, or deciding whether it’s time. We close value gaps before market, position the business the way acquirers evaluate it, and run the process personally so nothing is lost in translation.
Investors & Capital Partners
Operating and financial perspective from executives who have held the CEO, CFO, and CTO seat — applied to opportunities, transactions, and the integration questions that decide whether a deal works.
Strategic & Acquiring Parties
Sell-side focused with buy-side perspective built in. We engage acquirers in real integration conversations early, which is what accelerates conviction and moves a process forward.
Our Principals
Two C-suite operators. Every deal, personally.
Both principals are seasoned C-suite executives with foundational transaction experience. They are the team on your engagement — not the team that wins it.
Tom Hakel
Managing Principal
KPMG alumni with 30+ years spanning technology, financial services, and insurance. Foundational expertise in finance, valuations, and transaction structuring, built across startups, turnarounds, and acquisitions.
30+Years across technology, financial services & insurance
15+Startups and turnarounds
10Mergers and acquisitions
$300M+Capital raised
CPA (Inactive)
BS Computer Science · SSU
KPMG Alumni
Registered Representative, Finalis Securities LLC — Member FINRA/SIPC.
Ryan Vice
Managing Principal
25 years as CEO and CFO across private and public companies, with deep expertise in financial modeling, M&A, capital markets, and strategic planning.
25Years as CEO and CFO
Public & PrivateCompany leadership experience
Areas of focus
- Financial modeling
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Capital markets
- Strategic planning
CPA (Inactive)
BS Finance · CSUS
Licensed CA Real Estate Broker
Registered Representative, Finalis Securities LLC — Member FINRA/SIPC.
Experience
The operational advantage, in numbers.
Combined principal experience across the seats acquirers evaluate — operating, financial, and technical.
55+Combined years in C-suite and advisory roles
$300M+Capital raised across principal engagements
15+Startups and turnarounds led
30+C-suite seats held
Figures reflect the cumulative professional experience of the principals. Past experience is not a guarantee of future results, and nothing here should be construed as a projection of transaction outcomes.
Approach
Executive discipline, applied to a sale process.
A structured engagement, run by the same two principals from the first conversation through close.
Understand
We evaluate the business the way an acquirer will — operations, financials, structure, and the owner’s actual objectives for the outcome.
Prepare
We identify and close value gaps before going to market, so they never become a buyer’s negotiating leverage in diligence.
Position
AI-driven buyer identification and market analysis define the right acquirer set and timing. We build the narrative around how each buyer evaluates fit.
Execute
We engage buyers directly, lead the integration conversations that build conviction, and negotiate structure through to close — personally.
The playing field is level. Your outcome depends primarily on who’s working the deal.CXO Capital Advisors
Contact
Let’s discuss what’s next.
Whether you’re evaluating a sale, exploring capital, or simply want an experienced read on where your business stands, start with a direct conversation about your goals. Every discussion is confidential and without obligation.
PrincipalsTom Hakel & Ryan Vice
ResponseTypically within one business day