DATE: June 07, 2022
Nolan’s “Get to Know Us” Blog Series highlights a different team member, offering an inside look into our company culture and the talented professionals who drive our firm. This post highlights Aravind Nair, who is an Associate with the firm. Aravind joined the team in 2017 and is an integral part of Nolan’s deal team, working across a multitude of industries.
Here’s a little bit more about Aravind!
1. Describe Nolan in 3 words.
Dynamic, flexible and collaborative
2. What is the most rewarding aspect of working with business owners?
Working with business owners on the sale of their company has afforded me the great opportunity to learn from individuals with diverse backgrounds, skill sets and industry knowledge. Our job as investment bankers is to help navigate our clients towards a successful transaction, helping them with the ins-and-outs of the various steps of the process and ensuring timelines and expectations around confidentiality are met – a task that Nolan has become an expert at over the years. That said, I think it’s understated in our industry how much we as bankers truly learn from our clients. As a young professional, having the opportunity to get to know business owners with decades of niche industry (and life) experiences during one of the largest economic events in their lifetime is a truly humbling experience and is what continues to motivate me every day.
3. What is your #1 piece of advice for business owners considering a sale?
Data is the lifeblood of every M&A transaction. If a business owner can develop methods to efficiently access data in formats like Microsoft Excel this can help make a transaction move more efficiently. Although requests can vary from transaction to transaction, most have significant overlap. Items like monthly and annual financial statements, customer and vendor information, organizational charts, management profiles and insurance and benefits information are common requests across all transactions. Having this information readily available can significantly expediate the process and allow for a smoother experience for all parties involved.
4. How do you spend your free time?
I like to read fantasy and fiction novels, write short stories, watch movies and TV shows and play video games. Additionally, I like going for walks (when the St. Louis weather cooperates!) and enjoy the occasional outdoor rock concert and beer festival in the spring and summertime.
5. What are you most looking forward to in the second half of 2022?
I have a full line-up of concerts I want to attend this summer and early-fall that I’m very much looking forward to. This includes Santana/Earth, Wind & Fire and the Goo Goo Dolls. I also look forward to spending time with family in my hometown of Portland, OR as well as visiting my extended family in Kerala, India later this year.
