Financial Poise

About Tom McDonough

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Tom McDonough is the Founder and Managing Partner of TJM Capital Partners, a boutique Merchant Bank focused on the Senior Living, Energy, Agribusiness and Water industries. TJM serves partners in a variety of principal and Board level roles, including providing private equity and growth capital to portfolio companies as well as providing senior level capital and strategic Board level leadership.  Tom has led the successful completion of over 100 private equity, M&A and capital markets transactions.  Earlier in Tom’s career, he established and led the BMO Capital Markets’ M&A effort after beginning his career in the Credit Suisse (First Boston) M&A Group.

In addition to his capital markets related activities, Tom has extensive operational experience, serving as CEO of the following portfolio companies:

  • Aquion Partners (a water filtration company), where he was instrumental in increasing the value of Aquion from $5 million to over $60 million upon the successful exit from Aquion;
  • CES (a pipeline maintenance and construction business), where Tom led a successful turnaround from a negative EBITDA performance to an EBITDA of over $12 million in a 12 month period;
  • AFFS (a consumer finance company), where he founded the company, served as its first CEO and continues to serve on its Board.

Tom received a joint degree of Juris Doctor / Masters of Management from Northwestern University’s School of Law (where he as a member of the Law Review) and J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, with concentrations in corporate law and finance.  He graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in History.  Tom self financed his undergraduate and graduate degrees through scholarships and entrepreneurial efforts.