INVESTMENT BANKER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
ANDREW DUNST
Managing Director; Head of E-Commerce
The Sage Group
Andrew Dunst has established himself as one of the most respected investment bankers in the consumer sector nation-wide – combining deep corporate finance expertise, creativity, relentless execution, and a fearlessness to achieve extraordinary outcomes for his clients. Over the past 15 years, he has advised founders, family-owned businesses, private equity firms, and public companies on some of the consumer industry’s most significant transactions. Over the past 18 months, Dunst has advised on three of the most significant consumer transactions in the market: the $1.4 billion take-private of Guess?, Inc. by co-founders Maurice and Paul Marciano, Nicolai Marciano, CEO Carlos Alberini and Authentic Brands Group; the acquisition of Rag & Bone by Guess? and WHP Global; and the majority recapitalization of Taos Footwear by Prospect Capital Corporation. Each transaction presented unique strategic, financial and structural challenges, requiring Dunst’s expertise, creativity, tenacity, and hands-on leadership throughout the process. Across all of these engagements, Dunst played a leading role from inception through closing. He worked closely with management teams and shareholders to develop strategic alternatives, position each business to maximize buyer interest, and ran highly competitive sale processes. He led negotiations with global buyers, helped structure transactions to align the interests of all stakeholders, and navigated complex financial, legal, and tax considerations to achieve exceptional results. Among Dunst’s most valuable qualities is his unique ability to work under pressure. On the Guess? transaction, the consensus among the deal was that Dunst was the “MVP” – driving a complex $1.4 billion transaction to completion in a very tight timeframe.
