CHILDS Advisory Partners’ executives lead each and every transaction, providing exceptional advice and execution to high-performing business and technology services companies. Supported by capable and knowledgeable associates and analysts, the CHILDS management team applies decades of experience delivering high-caliber investment banking services to help clients achieve their strategic goals.
Jim Childs, Managing Director
Cooper Mills, Managing Director
Don Holbrook, Director
Jimmy Secretarski, Director
Dave Phillips, Director
Alan Bugler, Vice President
 |
Jim Childs Jim Childs founded CHILDS Advisory Partners in 2006 to advise business and technology services companies raising capital, executing mergers and acquisitions, and developing strategic plans. Jim has a passion for advising high growth firms and has advised on transactions totaling more than $4 billion. Prior to founding CHILDS, Jim was CEO and co-founder of Impact Innovations, a $100 million IT services provider. Under Jim’s leadership the company raised more than $30 million in capital and grew to more than 700 employees nationwide prior to its sale in 2004. Backed by Cravey, Green and Wahlen and Allied Capital, Impact became a premier IT services firm in the Southeast serving both federal and commercial clients. In the mid-1990s, Jim served as vice president of investment banking at Robinson Humphrey, a division of Salomon Smith Barney. Jim led more than 30 M&A transactions and capital raises for private and public companies, focusing on middle-market services firms as part of the business services practice at RH. Jim started his career at Arthur Andersen in Atlanta. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1995 and from the University of Georgia in 1990, where he was a member of the 1987 NCAA champion tennis team. |
 |
Cooper Mills Cooper Mills joined CHILDS Advisory Partners in 2009 following successful tenures at several leading investment banks. He leverages his three decades of experience advising high-performing business and technology services companies to provide firm leadership, and he applies his extensive sector-focused-experience to help CHILDS’ clients meet their financial objectives. Prior to joining CHILDS, Cooper founded SunTrust Robinson Humphrey's business and technology services industry group in 1993. Under Cooper’s leadership, this group became one of the most active equity underwriters and M&A advisors in the human capital management industry. In addition, he and his team were active in the marketing and information services and industrial services industries. He and his team were responsible for developing and transacting public and private-equity capital raises, private debt placements, and M&A transaction and financial advisory assignments for companies such as Source Services, MPS Group, EmployBridge and Cross Country Healthcare. Cooper's previous experience includes three years with Rotan Mosle in Houston, concentrating on financial institutions; and 10 years with Trust Company Bank as a manager of national accounts in Atlanta and as the manager of the European representative office in London. Cooper also serves as an advisory director of the College of Management at Georgia Institute of Technology, foundation trustee of Atlanta Youth Academy, and foundation trustee of Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta. He received his M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and B.S. in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. |
 |
Don Holbrook Don Holbrook has more than 17 years of investment banking experience focused primarily on technology and IT services. As a director, he manages CHILDS Advisory Partners’ Los Angeles office, where he provides transaction advice and execution to high growth IT and professional services companies. Don has successfully led more than 40 M&A transactions. Prior to joining CHILDS, Don was a managing director at DecisionPoint with responsibility for the firm's West Coast office. With an extensive background in technology mergers and acquisitions, Don has worked with a variety of differentiated companies, including MyIT Group, E2E Consulting, Visionary Integration Professionals, ITResources and Saratoga Systems, helping them achieve their strategic goals. Previously, Don was with Stanford Keene, a middle-market investment banking firm, where he focused on M&A transaction advisory services for technology clients. Don holds a B.S. in business from Roger Williams University and an M.B.A. from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte, N.C. |
 |
Jimmy Secretarski Jimmy Secretarski has over 14 years of investment banking experience and has been with CHILDS Advisory Partners since early 2009. He helps to lead the IT and professional services team and manages the firm’s relationships with senior and mezzanine/subordinated lenders. Jimmy has completed mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, private debt and equity capital raises, as well as public securities offerings, totaling more than $3 billion in value for clients throughout his career. While IT and professional services are his primary focus, he also has experience in industries such as education, media/telecom and healthcare. Current and former clients include companies such as FineLine Technologies, Optimal Solutions, The Princeton Review, SciQuest, VCG and The Johnsson Group. Prior to joining CHILDS, Jimmy was a vice president in the investment banking group at Morgan Keegan & Company. He helped open the Atlanta office in 2005 and grew the team to nearly 30 professionals during his tenure. Previously, he worked as an investment banker with J.P. Morgan and Jefferies in New York City and Atlanta. Jimmy began his career as a financial analyst at PaineWebber (UBS). Jimmy graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in finance from Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. |
 |
Dave Phillips Director Email: dphillips@childsap.com Dave Phillips joined CHILDS Advisory Partners following successful tenures at several global human capital firms. As a director, he manages CHILDS Advisory Partners’ Jacksonville office, focusing on firms in the business services sector.
|
 |
Alan Bugler Alan Bugler serves as vice president at CHILDS Advisory Partners, focused on sourcing and executing mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises for business and technology services companies. He recently advised EmployBridge in its recapitalization with Morgan Stanley, and Clovis Group in its sale to Eliassen Group. Prior to joining CHILDS in 2010, Alan was an investment banker in the business and technology services group and later in the mergers and acquisitions group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, where he sourced and executed transactions representing in excess of $3 billion in value. Alan has completed mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, private debt raises, as well as public/private equity offerings. Business and technology services companies are his primary focus, but he also has experience in the healthcare, retail, and energy industries. Former clients include MPS Group, Tandem Staffing Solutions, Kelly Services, Allegis, Arena Resources, AMN Healthcare, FTI Consulting, and Chesapeake Energy as well as many private equity groups. Previously, Alan was with the Christman Group, a Chicago based investment bank. Alan began his professional services career with Onboard Media, a global media company, where he led an international account program from inception to generating more than $12 million in annual sales in six countries. Alan graduated salutatorian, summa cum laude with a B.A. in economics from Knox College in Galesburg, Ill, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He also studied at university in Southampton, England, where he is originally from. |
“We are fortunate to have a team of smart, driven professionals who won’t settle for less than the best—and it’s that drive that high-performing clients and private equity firms count on for results over the long-term.”
—Jim Childs
Founder, CHILDS Advisory Partners
| Connect with us: |  |
