Each member of our team brings unique experience, professionalism and integrity to the sell side M&A advisory process.
Scott Sternstein
Managing Partner
Scott brings a diverse background as an entrepreneur, investor, and business operator to Corporate Investment. His experience spans consumer products, venture capital, hospitality, real estate, and privately held businesses, giving him a practical understanding of how companies are built, operated, financed, and valued.
Prior to Corporate Investment, Scott founded and served as CEO of a consumer products company and held senior operating roles with a rapidly growing hospitality business and a global real estate management firm, where he helped lead new-market expansion and negotiate complex commercial transactions. He later worked with Austin-based Springdale Ventures, evaluating and making early-stage investments in emerging consumer brands.
More recently, Scott has sourced privately held business acquisitions on behalf of strategic acquirers, identified investment opportunities for a private investment fund, and advised privately held businesses. He has underwritten more than 1,000 privately held companies for potential acquisition or investment, developing a deep understanding of the financial and operational characteristics that drive buyer interest and transaction value.
Scott earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business and his B.S. in Environmental Economics from the University of Georgia.
Rob Smithson
Managing Partner
With an exceptionally broad 34-year business background spanning aerospace, automotive, restaurant, construction, and manufacturing industries, Rob is well equipped to help business owners position themselves for the best possible exit through a deep understanding of how their business works. Rob has been involved in M&A activities ranging from $10MM to over $1B in his career. He has also played key roles in raising over $150MM in private equity from angel investors, venture capital, and strategic investors, and has advised both companies and investors on numerous investment opportunities.
As an entrepreneur, Rob has built a company from two people and an idea into an industry leader with sales in over 30 countries and strategic relationships with multiple Fortune 500 companies. He has held VP and division CEO positions with publicly traded international companies as well. As a small business owner, Rob started and ultimately sold a restaurant. As an engineer, Rob was recognized as a Fellow of the Global Society of Automotive Engineers, an honor achieved by fewer than 800 of the Society’s members in the past half century.
At Corporate Investment, Rob helps his clients as a business broker and consultant to achieve maximum value for their businesses when it is time to sell.
Lawrence (Larry) Schumann
Founder Emeritus & Advisor
As he ascended to CEO of a NYSE listed company, Larry participated as the buyer or seller in nineteen merger & acquisition transactions, of companies with sales from $2,000,000 to $250,000,000. With over 25 years of actual deal-making experience, Larry brings an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the merger & acquisition process to his sell-side engagements, resulting in maximum value to the business owner. Larry is a former Executive Vice President for the Texas Association of Business Brokers, and is an active speaker on mergers and acquisitions.
Phillip Wilhite
Founder Emeritus & Advisor
As an entrepreneur who built and sold a successful wholesale distribution business serving the grocery industry in 16 states, Phillip understands the business sale transaction from both the buyer’s and seller’s perspective. His “Big 8” public accounting experience, coupled with experience in completing transactions in the manufacturing, distribution, printing, service, and numerous other industry sectors over his career provide him with insight into the merger & acquisition process. He is an active speaker and writer on business transaction and valuation topics, and received the industry’s highest designation, Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary, held by less than 80 professionals, in 2005. Phillip is also a Certified Business Intermediary, and holder of a Texas Real Estate Salesperson’s License.