Mark Padjen

Mark Padjen is a Managing Director in the Investment Banking group. He specializes in working with ESOP-owned and privately held companies on achieving their strategic and financial objectives. Mark has extensive experience working with family-, founder-, and employee-owned companies across the industrial, professional and business services, and consumer sectors. He has provided strategic advice to clients for over 20 years around M&A, recapitalizations, capital raising, and ESOP transactions. In addition to corporate clients, he has cultivated relationships with over 35 bespoke family offices that partner with privately held businesses to maximize shareholder value.

Mark joined Stout from Macquarie Capital, where he led the firm’s Family, Founder, and ESOP practice. Prior to Macquarie, he worked at BMO Financial Group in its Financial Advisory Services practice area, where he worked with family-, founder-, and ESOP-owned companies within the middle market.

Mark started his career at Credit Suisse in its Investment Banking division in Chicago, ultimately serving as Director with primary coverage responsibility across the large cap-diversified industrial, capital equipment, automotive, and transportation sectors. Over his career, he has completed over 100 transactions for corporate, founder-led, private equity, ESOP, family office, and independent sponsor clients.