Deep Water research

ACG Chapter Leaders in Named PE Firms: AI CIM Sourcing Intent, Aug–Nov 2025

Which specific named private equity firms ($200M–$2B AUM) have a Head of Origination, VP of Deal Sourcing, or Operating Partner who is a confirmed ACG Chicago, ACG Boston, ACG Philadelphia, or ACG Twin Cities chapter leader, committee member, or board member for 2025–2026 — AND who has posted on LinkedIn, spoken at a 2025 industry panel, or been quoted in PE Hub, Mergers & Acquisitions, Axial, or The Deal between August and November 2025 about analyst bandwidth strain from processing CIMs at elevated add-on volume, frustration with manual deal-sourcing workflows, or active evaluation of AI tools for deal origination — AND who is NOT currently a SourceScrub, Grata, or Inven customer (or whose contract is expiring Q1–Q2 2026) — so DeepSignal can activate these ACG chapter leaders as warm-introduction nodes in regions outside LA/Cleveland/New York (the three markets already covered by Holland, Strom, and Landis), expanding the referral network to secure POC pitches with firms whose AI-deal-sourcing intent is already publicly documented, timed for conversion before the March 19 ACG Demo Day?

Jun 29, 202640 sources reviewed

Executive Summary

Based on a review of middle-market M&A and ACG board intelligence, the current dataset requires a strategic pivot for the DeepSignal March 19 ACG Demo Day activation.

  • Critical Evidence Gap: The available intelligence does not contain any confirmed August–November 2025 public statements (LinkedIn, PE Hub, Axial, etc.) regarding AI deal-sourcing intent, analyst bandwidth constraints, or explicit software stack expirations (SourceScrub, Grata, Inven) for PE leaders in the Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, or Twin Cities chapters.
  • Alternative High-Leverage Nodes: Instead of regional chapter heads, DeepSignal should target national ACG Board Directors who explicitly hold Business Development and Origination titles. Prime targets include Aaron Polack (Lion Equity Partners) and Tony Hill (Trivest Partners).
  • Elevated Add-on Volume Context: The wealth management sector provides a clear proxy for the analyst bandwidth strain DeepSignal targets. In Q1 2026, RIAs with over $1B in AUM drove 45% of all M&A transactions, indicating massive add-on processing volume [19].
  • Event-Driven Activation: While Demo Day is March 19, the ultimate convergence point for these leaders is DealMAX 2026 in Las Vegas (April 27–29), which will host over 3,200 dealmakers and serves as the definitive venue for late-stage pipeline conversion [9], [13], [20].

1. Evaluation of AI Deal-Sourcing Intent & Analyst Bandwidth (Aug–Nov 2025)

The primary research objective was to identify explicit intent signals regarding AI deal-sourcing and manual workflow frustration from August to November 2025. The provided evidence contains no public quotes, panel appearances, or LinkedIn posts matching these criteria.

However, the evidence does confirm the macro-environment of "elevated add-on volume" that causes analyst bandwidth strain, specifically within the RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) roll-up space. Processing CIMs (Confidential Information Memorandums) at this scale is notoriously manual.

  • In Q1 2026, firms with $1B+ in AUM represented 45% of total transactions [19].
  • High-quality smaller firms (under $1B AUM) are seeing valuations between 7x and 15x [22], driving aggressive proprietary sourcing efforts by PE backers to avoid competitive auction multiples.

For DeepSignal, this means the symptoms of bandwidth strain (high transaction volume in fragmented markets) are fully documented, even if the explicit intent statements from specific regional ACG leaders are currently missing from the dataset.

2. Target Firm AUM Profiles & Deal-Sourcing Software Stacks

We are targeting PE firms in the $200M–$2B AUM range that are non-users of SourceScrub, Grata, or Inven. The current dataset does not provide tech-stack intelligence or contract expiration dates for any specific firms.

Furthermore, the firms explicitly profiled in the evidence operate at a much larger scale than the $200M–$2B target, highlighting a mismatch between the provided market data and DeepSignal's ideal customer profile (ICP):

  • Constellation Wealth Capital (CWC): Targets RIAs with a minimum of $2B in AUM, typically investing in platforms between $5B and $30B in AUM [4].
  • Mercer Advisors: A PE-backed RIA integrator operating at a massive $100B-plus AUM scale [8].

Deal Architecture Comparison: High-Volume Add-On Targets

To effectively pitch DeepSignal’s AI capabilities to origination leaders, understanding their target evaluation metrics is critical for custom POCs.

Feature / Requirement Constellation Wealth Capital (CWC) Mercer Advisors Sub-$1B "Add-on" Market
Target AUM Size $5B – $30B (Min $2B) [4] Integrator platform ($100B+) [8] < $1B (High velocity add-ons) [22]
Equity Architecture Minority; existing owners must retain >50% [24] Full integration / Family-office model [23] Typically majority buyouts
Margin / Revenue Profile 30%–40% EBITDA margins [12]; >90% recurring fee-based [16] Financial planning focus [23] Highly variable
Growth Definitions Organic growth is net of attrition, excludes recruiting/M&A [21] M&A and structural integration Valued at 7x–15x multiples [22]

Insight for DeepSignal: When running POC pitches for origination leaders evaluating RIAs, the AI must be configured to extract specific financial nuances from CIMs—such as "recurring fee-based revenue percentages" [16] and exact definitions of organic growth (excluding inorganic additions) [21].

3. Prioritizing ACG Leadership for Warm Introductions (2025–2026)

Because regional chapter heads in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and Twin Cities with explicit AI intent are absent from the evidence, DeepSignal must route its warm-introduction network through national ACG Board Members with Business Development titles.

Primary Outreach Nodes (National BD & Origination Leaders)

  1. Aaron Polack (Lion Equity Partners): Polack is a prime target. He serves as Partner and Head of Business Development for Denver-based Lion Equity Partners [10], [15]. He was the ACG HQ board chair for the 2025–2026 term and is transitioning to immediate past chair [10]. His deep ties to the board make him an ideal top-down referral node.
  2. Tony Hill (Trivest Partners): Hill holds the title of Principal of Business Development at Trivest Partners and serves as a Director at Large for the 2026–2027 ACG board [17]. Note: Trivest has historically had a strong ACG presence, as David Gershman (Partner/General Counsel at Trivest) recently ended his board term [18].
  3. Kevin Prunty (LongWater Capital Solutions): Senior Managing Director serving as incoming board chair and chair of the ACG finance committee [14].

Regional Expansion Tactics

While specific origination leaders for the target regional chapters are missing, the structural networking opportunities are verified:

  • Chicago: The ACG Chicago New Member Reception (hosted at Randolph Tavern) is a curated environment where Board Members and Committee Chairs are explicitly present to facilitate introductions [1], [5]. DeepSignal SDRs should utilize new memberships to physically place themselves in the room with these committee chairs.
  • Other Regional Alums: Lynn Sommer (Managing Director, BDO) is a confirmed alumnus of the ACG Boston board [2]. Though at an advisory firm rather than a PE firm, she represents a verified warm-intro node into the Boston PE ecosystem. The late Richard Jaffe was similarly a highly influential figure in the growth of the ACG Philadelphia chapter [3].
  • Other Regions: Steve Castino (2024-2025 ACG Chairman) is based in the Orlando chapter [7], and Josh Hollingsworth is a former president of the Indiana chapter [11].

The DealMAX 2026 Conversion Event

Any POC pitched prior to the March 19 ACG Demo Day should be positioned with a closing timeline tied to DealMAX 2026. Taking place April 27–29 in Las Vegas, the event expects over 3,200 dealmakers and executives [9], [13], [20]. Securing a successful DeepSignal pilot with a firm connected to Polack or Hill prior to April allows the platform to be discussed peer-to-peer on the DealMAX floor.

Limitations & Open Questions

This analysis is strictly bound by the provided documentation. Significant evidence gaps exist regarding the core research prompt:

  • Lack of AI Intent Signals: No data is available regarding PE Hub, Axial, M&A, or The Deal quotes from August–November 2025 regarding analyst bandwidth, deal sourcing frustration, or AI evaluations.
  • Missing Software Stack Data: We cannot confirm which firms are currently contracted with SourceScrub, Grata, or Inven, nor can we confirm Q1-Q2 2026 expiration timelines.
  • Target AUM & Geography Mismatch: The PE profiles provided (e.g., Constellation Wealth Capital, Mercer) vastly exceed the $200M–$2B AUM target. Furthermore, we lack confirmed Heads of Origination actively leading the Boston, Philadelphia, and Twin Cities chapters for 2025-2026.

Sources

[1] New Member Reception — https://www.acg.org/chicago/events/new-member-reception-4 · professional [2] ACG Announces Its 2026–2027 Board of Directors — https://www.acg.org/news-trends/news/acg-announces-its-2026-2027-board-directors · professional [3] Meet ACG’s New Chair and Board Members for 2024-2025 — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/acg-chair-board-members-2024-2025/ · professional [4] How do private equity investors value RIAs? 9 questions answered — https://www.capitalgroup.com/advisor/practicelab/articles/how-private-equity-investors-value-RIAs.html · professional [5] New Member Reception — https://www.acg.org/chicago/events/new-member-reception-4 · professional [6] ACG Announces Its 2026–2027 Board of Directors — https://www.acg.org/news-trends/news/acg-announces-its-2026-2027-board-directors · professional [7] Meet ACG’s New Chair and Board Members for 2024-2025 — https://middlemarketgrowth.org/acg-chair-board-members-2024-2025/ · professional [8] How do private equity investors value RIAs? 9 questions answered — https://www.capitalgroup.com/advisor/practicelab/articles/how-private-equity-investors-value-RIAs.html · professional [9] New Member Reception — https://www.acg.org/chicago/events/new