Or Call (310) 325-4000

The vast majority of business owners exit their business by being acquired by another company. Almost without exception, they will sell only one business in their career. An issue that is rarely adequately addressed is: What practical measures can they take to make that exit more successful. Put differently, how should they prepare for that event so that it best meets the strategic needs of the company as well as the personal and financial objectives of its owners? How can they incentivize their key employees to direct their activities to be consistent with these goals? What can they do to build the value of the company in preparation for the exit event?

The Technology Council will present an expanded program on practical keys to successfully address this issue of significance to all business owners. Our panel will review these measures from the perspectives of the investment banker, transaction attorney and incentive compensation specialist as well as that of an entrepreneur who has made a successful exit. Join us and learn from our panelists’ decades of experience in guiding business owners to successful and profitable exits.

Panelists:

• Charles Curto, Managing Principal of Tech Coast Equity Group
• Mae Lon Ding, President of Personnel Systems Associates
• Mark Skaist, Partner of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

About the Panelists:

Charles Curto is founder and Managing Principal of Tech Coast Equity Group. TCEG is an investment banking boutique which focuses on acquisitions, strategic alliances and exit strategies for middle market and high potential early stage businesses. A seasoned mergers and acquisitions professional who has structured and executed a variety of transactions in the U.S. and overseas, Charles has also held senior positions with three other Southern California M&A advisories. Prior to that, he spent more than twenty years in acquisitions and corporate finance, including serving as Director of Planning and Development for The Santa Cruz Operation, Manager of Business Development for Rockwell International, and Assistant Treasurer—International Finance for TRW. Charles earned his B.S. in Mathematics from Boston College and his M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University.

Mae Lon Ding is founder and President of Personnel Systems Associates. Her firm consults in the areas of employee compensation, employee productivity improvement, performance appraisal, personnel management policy and practice, and personnel information systems. Prior to starting her own firm, Mae Lon has worked for several major personnel management and training consulting firms, including the Wyatt Company, the Forum Corporation, Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co., R. A. Smith & Associates, and Baker Thomsen Associates. She has consulted with organizations in government, banking, financial services, health care, high technology, insurance, manufacturing, nonprofit and service industries. Her clients have ranged from small family businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She also provides expert witness testimony in legal cases involving employment discrimination, employee wage and benefit loss, pay discrimination, employment opportunity/labor market analysis, and reasonable compensation. Mae Lon received her M.B.A. from the University of Southern California and has a B.A. from UCLA in Industrial Psychology.

Mark Skaist is a partner with Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth where he is Assistant Chairman of the Corporate Department. He specializes in corporate and securities law. His practice focuses on public and private securities offerings, venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions as well as intellectual property, including technology licensing plus development and distribution transactions, primarily in the high technology/information technology industries. Mark’s clients include private and public companies involved in network infrastructure technology, telecommunications, software and new media. Prior to joining Stradling Yocca, he was an associate at Irell & Manella’s Los Angeles office. Mark received his J.D. from Loyola Marymount Law School and his B.A. from UCLA.