Jim has over 20 years of investment and merchant banking experience and has completed over $35 billion of advisory and financing transactions. Jim founded The Mercanti Group in 2001 after leaving Credit Suisse First Boston/Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ) where he was head of its Consumer Group specializing in branded products. Prior to joining DLJ, Jim was Head of Investment Banking at Dain Rauscher. Before joining Dain in 1997, Jim was a partner with William E. Simon/Aurora Capital, a leveraged buyout firm based in Los Angeles. He also held investment banking positions at Drexel Burnham Lambert and E.F. Hutton and was chief financial officer of a $14 billion investment and lending firm. Jim has worked with clients such as Cabela�s, Caribou Coffee, Chronimed, Eagle One, Elizabeth Arden, Empi, Graham Webb, Gucci, K2, Norwest Equity Partners, Pulmonetic Systems, Rural Cellular and Weston Presidio. Jim received a BBA from the University of Notre Dame. |