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Team

Senior advisors

Fortitude’s senior advisors have decades of experience, initially gained at top tier U.S. and global investment banks, in negotiating and executing successful transactions. Our team offers additional unique perspective, gained from being entrepreneurs, serving on the boards of companies and nonprofits, and decades of investing our own capital in privately-held businesses.

Founders serving founders

As fellow entrepreneurs who have founded and successfully built our own firms, we understand that our clients have carefully cultivated their solutions, brand and organizational culture. We respect and appreciate that our clients own their businesses, and that it’s personal.

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Informed and objective advisory services, free from conflicts of interest

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Dedicated and extensive due diligence and transaction support

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Customized strategic and financial analysis, alternatives and advice

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Respect for the importance of strategic
and cultural fit

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Guidance from seasoned investment banking advisors

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Private and confidential transaction process

Headshot of Sean Kelly, Founder and CEO of Fortitude Advisors, a technology investment bank.

Sean Kelly

Founder and CEO

Sean Kelly is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortitude Advisors. He has 29 years of professional experience and has been focused on investment banking for the last 27 years. Over the course of his career, Mr. Kelly has personally executed dozens of successful M&A, equity and debt transactions for leading middle market companies. He has advised clients across the U.S. and internationally, including Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

Prior to founding Fortitude, Mr. Kelly founded CGTX in 2007 and successfully grew the firm into Austin’s leading technology investment bank. Prior to CGTX, he served as President and Head of Technology Investment Banking at Cappello Group, a Los Angeles-based middle market investment bank. Over the course of a decade with Cappello, Mr. Kelly founded and led the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications investment banking practice.

Before joining Cappello, Mr. Kelly was an investment banker in the Silicon Valley office of DMG Technology Group, Deutsche Bank’s industry leading technology practice, headed by Frank Quattrone. At Deutsche Bank, he advised clients in the semiconductor, software and telecommunications industries – the beginning of a career-long focus on advising high performing technology and technology-enabled businesses.

Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Kelly was an investment banker in the mergers and acquisitions group at Alex. Brown & Sons in San Francisco. At Alex. Brown, he advised financial institutions, including commercial banks, real estate investment trusts and specialty finance companies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kelly worked at Phillips Associates, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning for Fortune 500 companies, and PondelWilkinson, a leading investor relations consulting firm. He started his career by following family tradition and serving in the U.S. Army.

Mr. Kelly serves as a senior advisor to Arma Partners, a leading European technology investment bank. He has served as a strategic advisor to Waterfall, a pioneer in mobile marketing software, and on the board of directors of MMGY Global, a leading digital marketing firm. Mr. Kelly currently serves on the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Austin, where he has personally raised over $15 million in donations, including the largest gift in the club’s 50+ year history. He previously served on the boards of: The Fifty, a healthcare-focused charity; College Forward, a non-profit provider of college access and persistence services to disadvantaged students, and; Professional Veterans of America, a non-profit network of military veterans.

Mr. Kelly earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance from the University of Southern California. He continues to contribute to USC and serves as a mentor and advisor to both undergraduate and graduate students. In his free time, Mr. Kelly enjoys spending time with his family, reading, music, travel, mountain biking and water sports.

Registered representative of BA Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, Fortitude’s regulatory compliance partner. Fortitude and BA Securities, LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities.

Sean Kelly is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortitude Advisors. He has 29 years of professional experience and has been focused on investment banking for the last 27 years. Over the course of his career, Mr. Kelly has personally executed dozens of successful M&A, equity and debt transactions for leading middle market companies. He has advised clients across the U.S. and internationally, including Eastern and Western Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

Prior to founding Fortitude, Mr. Kelly founded CGTX in 2007 and successfully grew the firm into Austin’s leading technology investment bank. Prior to CGTX, he served as President and Head of Technology Investment Banking at Cappello Group, a Los Angeles-based middle market investment bank. Over the course of a decade with Cappello, Mr. Kelly founded and led the firm’s technology, media and telecommunications investment banking practice.

Before joining Cappello, Mr. Kelly was an investment banker in the Silicon Valley office of DMG Technology Group, Deutsche Bank’s industry leading technology practice Read more >> Sean Kelly

Headshot of Chris Scarborough, Managing Director at Fortitude Advisors.

Chris Scarborough

Managing Director

Chris Scarborough is a Managing Director with Fortitude Advisors. Mr. Scarborough has been an investment banker advising companies in the technology and media industries for 25 years. He has served as a strategic and financial advisor to public and private companies, as well as private equity and venture capital firms.

From 2010 through 2019, Mr. Scarborough was a Partner at CODE Advisors, a leading boutique investment bank focused on emerging growth companies in technology and media.

While at CODE, Mr. Scarborough advised numerous founder led companies in multiple transactions, including multiple private financings, IPO, secondary financing, and acquisition advisory for advisory, multiple private financings for Spotify, and pre-IPO financing for Twitter. In addition, Mr. Scarborough advised on The Wirecutter’s sale to The New York Times and Pocket’s sale to Mozilla, among many other transactions.

Prior to CODE Advisors, Mr. Scarborough served as a Director in Technology Group of Credit Suisse from 1998 through 2009. Mr. Scarborough began his career as an Analyst in the M&A Group of DMG Technology Group.

Mr. Scarborough is an Executive Director of Mixman Technologies, a startup in the music technology industry. He serves on the Board and as Treasurer of Techbridge Girls, a non-profit focused on enhancing STEM education opportunities for underprivileged girls in K-12. Mr. Scarborough is also a member of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Menlo Park City School District.

Mr. Scarborough graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, with a BAS in Systems Engineering and a BSEcon in Finance and Real Estate.

Mr. Scarborough resides in Menlo Park, CA, and enjoys skiing, biking (mountain and road), hiking, and many other outdoor activities.

Registered representative of BA Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, Fortitude’s regulatory compliance partner. Fortitude and BA Securities, LLC are separate, unaffiliated entities.

Chris Scarborough is a Managing Director with Fortitude Advisors. Mr. Scarborough has been an investment banker advising companies in the technology and media industries for 25 years. He has served as a strategic and financial advisor to public and private companies, as well as private equity and venture capital firms.

From 2010 through 2019, Mr. Scarborough was a Partner at CODE Advisors, a leading boutique investment bank focused on emerging growth companies in technology and media.

While at CODE, Mr. Scarborough advised numerous founder led companies in multiple transactions, including multiple private financings, IPO, secondary financing, and acquisition advisory for advisory, multiple private financings for Spotify, and pre-IPO financing for Twitter. In addition, Mr. Scarborough advised on The Wirecutter’s sale to The New York Times and Pocket’s sale to Mozilla, among many other transactions.

Prior to CODE Advisors, Mr. Scarborough served as a Director in Technology Group of Credit Suisse from 1998 through 2009. Mr. Scarborough began his career Read more >> Chris Scarborough

Headshot of Shawn Walsh, Managing Director of Advisory for Fortitude Advisors.

Shawn Walsh

Managing Director, Advisory

Shawn Walsh is a Managing Director, Advisory with Fortitude Advisors. He has over 20 years of experience working with leading middle market companies. During his career, Mr. Walsh has successfully executed a wide range of transactions; including private equity transactions, merchant banking, mergers and acquisitions, private placements of equity and debt, initial public offerings and high yield debt placements.

Most recently, Mr. Walsh founded Imperial Private Equity, where he focused on implementing digital transformation and technology enabled systems and processes for privately-­owned lower middle market manufacturing and value added distribution businesses.

Prior to founding Imperial, Mr. Walsh was a Vice President at Growth Capital Partners where he was responsible for the origination, coordination and execution of company sales, mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and private placements. His most recent transaction experience includes private capital placements and equity investments with leading businesses in the healthcare, energy, aviation, manufacturing and business services industries.

Before joining Growth Capital Partners, Mr. Walsh was an associate at King Capital Partners, a Dallas based family investment office where he executed divestitures and capital raises. Mr. Walsh first began his career at Fieldstone Private Capital Group, a New York based investment banking firm where he executed mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and corporate divestitures.

Mr. Walsh holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Business Administration with honors from The Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University with a concentration in Finance and Financial Investing. He is active in multiple charitable organizations; including serving on the Butler School of Music Advisory Board (University of Texas), and being a former Board and Committee member of Escondido Golf and Lake Club, the 1883 Council (University of Texas), Greer Garson Gala, Young Texans Against Cancer and Leadership in Action Dallas.

Shawn Walsh is a Managing Director, Advisory with Fortitude Advisors. He has over 20 years of experience working with leading middle market companies. During his career, Mr. Walsh has successfully executed a wide range of transactions; including private equity transactions, merchant banking, mergers and acquisitions, private placements of equity and debt, initial public offerings and high yield debt placements.

Most recently, Mr. Walsh founded Imperial Private Equity, where he focused on implementing digital transformation and technology enabled systems and processes for privately-­owned lower middle market manufacturing and value added distribution businesses.

Prior to founding Imperial, Mr. Walsh was a Vice President at Growth Capital Partners where he was responsible for the origination, coordination and execution of company sales, mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and private placements. His most recent transaction experience includes private capital placements and equity investments with leading businesses Read more >> Shawn Walsh

Jim Ballard, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Jim Ballard

Advisory Board

Jim Ballard serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He has had a distinguished 35-year career as a senior executive, entrepreneur and investor. Mr. Ballard currently serves Read more >> Jim Ballard

Jim Ballard serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He has had a distinguished 35-year career as a senior executive, entrepreneur and investor. Mr. Ballard currently serves as the Chairman of Firstox Labs, a biotech company that offers a proprietary, minimally invasive method of blood testing for a variety of applications. He is also an active investor in a variety of technology and tech-enabled businesses.

Prior to Firstox, Mr. Ballard was a significant investor in, and Vice Chairman of Smart Start, a leading provider of ignition interlock systems which he helped grow from a few million in sales to the global leader in the industry, with over $100 million in revenue. He joined Smart Start as Chief Operating Officer in 1994, was promoted to President and COO in 2000, CEO in 2013 and Vice Chairman in 2015. At Smart Start, Mr. Ballard was instrumental in the design, development and launch of the company’s technology and products. He also led the company through multiple strategic and financing transactions, including a successful sale to leading private equity firm, Abry Partners.

Mr. Ballard joined Smart Start after eight years with Pearle Vision Corp., working in manufacturing operations, retail and manufacturing financial analysis, and purchasing. He moved quickly up the ranks and through multiple departments at Pearle Vision, gaining a breadth of operational experience that proved to be a valuable foundation for his later career.

Mr. Ballard has served on multiple corporate and non-profit boards over the course of his career. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Texas, and his MBA in International Business from the University of Dallas.

Paul Beverly, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Paul Beverly

Advisory Board

Paul Beverly serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Mr. Beverly has a 30+ year track record of leading and growing dynamic technology businesses. Most recently he served as President Read more >> Paul Beverly

Paul Beverly serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Mr. Beverly has a 30+ year track record of leading and growing dynamic technology businesses. Most recently he served as President of Gemalto where he led the Identity & Biometrics organization. The company is a global leader in digital security solutions to enterprises, major telecoms, financial institutions and government agencies. Mr. Beverly exited the company in late 2019 following the sale and successful transition of Gemalto to its new buyer, Thales, concluding in a $5.5 billion transaction.

Mr. Beverly began his career in Schlumberger as a member of the executive management team to build the Security & Software Division inside Schlumberger and completed the IPO of Axalto at a $700 million valuation. After two years, the company executed a merger with its largest competitor to form Gemalto creating the undisputed market leader.
During his career Mr. Beverly progressively held Executive and C-level positions in Product Management, Sales, Marketing, Investor Relations, M&A, Strategy and P&L Operations. Under his leadership businesses consistently improved customer satisfaction, increased sales and grew bottom line while creating a highly motivated team environment and winning culture.

Mr. Beverly has worked in numerous countries across the globe and lived in Paris, FR before permanently residing now in Austin, TX. He has actively served on numerous civic, industry and technology start-up Boards during his career.

Mr. Beverly earned his Business and Economics Degree from Auburn University and Professional Management at Harvard Business School. Paul’s main interests outside “work” are being with family, all outdoor activities, ball sports, old stuff, music, reading and philanthropic activities.

Steven Dapper, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Steve Dapper

Advisory Board

G. Steven Dapper serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Steve has had a long and rewarding career in advertising, marketing and digital marketing where he is a Read more >> Steve Dapper

G. Steven Dapper serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Steve has had a long and rewarding career in advertising, marketing and digital marketing where he is a recognized expert and innovator.He is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded, led, bought and sold leading companies in the industry.

Over the course of his career, Steve has worked with a wide variety of leading global brands, including Agilent Technologies, American Express, BASF, Capital One, HP, L.L. Bean, Microsoft, NCAA, Ritz Carlton, Sony, The North Face, Travelocity and Western Union. He is a thought leader in the industry and has spoken in over 15 countries on the evolution and future of the digital marketing.

Most recently, Steve was the Founder and Chairman of Hawkeye, a leading data and digitally-focused marketing agency operating in the U.S. and Europe. He and his team built Hawkeye organically and through 14 acquisitions over the span of 20 years. Ultimately, he sold the firm to Publicis, a publicly-traded French holding company, where he continued to serve for another five years as the Chairman and CEO of Publicis Hawkeye.

Prior to founding Hawkeye, Steve served as Chairman and CEO of Rapp Collins, a division of DAS, an Omnicom subsidiary. Before joining Rapp Collins, he served as President and CEO of Wunderman Worldwide, an integrated data marketing firm with over 2,000 employees across the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Earlier in his career, Steve founded and sold Henderson Dapper to Ketchum, a national advertising firm. Steve served on the board of directors of the Direct Marketing Association for 15 years, two of which he served as Chairman. He also served on the board of Big Apple Circus for four years, putting smiles on the faces of underprivileged children in New York City.

Mr. Dapper is a native of Iowa (the Hawkeye state), where he graduated from Iowa State. In addition to being an active investor and board member, Steve enjoys contributing his time and resources to many charitable organizations.

Jay Gibson, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Jay Gibson II

Advisory Board

Honorable John H. (Jay) Gibson, II serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Most recently, he was the first Chief Management Officer of the United States Department of Defense, Read more >> Jay Gibson II

Honorable John H. (Jay) Gibson, II serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Most recently, he was the first Chief Management Officer of the United States Department of Defense, being responsible for managing the business operations of the Department and serving as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense on establishing policies for, and direction of, enterprise business operations, including business transformation.

Mr. Gibson also served as the Deputy Chief Management Officer prior to this position. Both positions were nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate.

Mr. Gibson was formerly the President and CEO of XCOR Aerospace, Inc. a spacecraft and rocket engine development company. At XCOR, he led the organization in developing and producing highly reusable and affordable engines and vehicles with low service requirements. XCOR provided engines and platforms to dramatically increase the viability of space missions and opportunities across diverse markets.

Prior to joining XCOR, Mr. Gibson held several leadership roles at Beechcraft Corporation including Senior Vice President, Global Mission Support (Group CEO), Vice President, Special Mission Aircraft (Group CEO), and as Vice President (CFO) of the Government Business.

Prior to joining Beechcraft, Mr. Gibson served as the Assistant Secretary of the United States Air Force (Financial Management/Comptroller and CFO) in Washington, D.C., where he was the principal advisor to the Secretary on all financial management matters. This position was nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Mr. Gibson entered public service as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Management Reform) where he identified, evaluated, prioritized and pursued defense wide opportunities for management and process improvement. He also served as Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Financial Management).

Throughout the balance of his career, Mr. Gibson has held numerous private sector leadership positions with various companies, including roles as Chief Financial Officer, Managing Director, and Chief Operating Officer with diverse exposure and extensive experience across a number of industries in both publicly traded and privately held companies including private equity owned.

Mr. Gibson earned an MBA in Business/Finance from the University of Dallas, and also earned a BBA in Finance and a BA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Gibson has served on private sector boards as well as in numerous civic and philanthropic endeavors.

Lyle Green, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Lyle Green

Advisory Board

Lyle Green serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Born in 1971 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, by his mom after losing his father at the age of four, he had a panache for sports Read more >> Lyle Green

Lyle Green serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. Born in 1971 and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, by his mom after losing his father at the age of four, he had a panache for sports from a young age, having played baseball and football throughout his high school years. At the age of 16, Green had his first brush with the squared circle, and immediately caught the ‘boxing’ bug. In 1996, campaigning at 165lbs, he went on to win the most coveted prize in amateur boxing, the Golden Gloves in Ohio.

Green started his career at Cincinnati Bell Long Distance, where he developed and managed a new division for CBLD comprised of alternative services to basic long distance. He then led sales and marketing for two international telecommunications providers, World Exchange and Vista Telecom. In 1998, Green was instrumental in the sale of Vista Telecom to Interoute Telecommunications of London, England. He then worked at major Hollywood talent agency, Endeavour, before returning to the world of communications with a position as VP of Sales and Marketing at Patriot Communications in 1999, a division of Initiative Media. Under Green’s direction, Patriot Communications doubled revenue during his tenure.

In 2002, Green became co-founder and Vice President of Sales & Marketing at MarkeTouch Media. In 2003, he was instrumental in the acquisition of I-Mark, an automated messaging business. Over the next 20 years Green played a vital role in growing MarkeTouch into the pre-eminent provider of pharmacy patient engagement software and services. In 2021, he was closely involved with his partners in the sale of MarkeTouch to OmniCell, a publicly traded healthcare solutions provider. Green remains an active investor and advisor in healthcare technology, and he is known throughout the industry for his work ethic, direct style of communication, and outstanding relationships. In addition to his career in healthcare technology, he is the co-founder of Sheer Sports Management (2014), a boxing management company.

Green studied at the University of Cincinnati and earned his degree in Communications, graduating with honors. Outside of work, he spends his time with his wife of 17 years, his 3 daughters and son.

Han Park, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Han Park

Advisory Board

Han Park serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He is a pioneer of the esports industry, with over 20 years of experience founding, building and leading gaming organizations. Read more >> Han Park

Han Park serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He is a pioneer of the esports industry, with over 20 years of experience founding, building and leading gaming organizations.

Mr. Park currently serves as the CEO of Payment Labs, a stealth start-up, which he founded in 2018, to provide an automated, end-to-end solution for organizing prize payments. As CEO, Mr. Park leads the team on ideation,product development, business planning and business
development initiatives.

Prior to Payment Labs, Mr. Park was the Co-Founder and President of ESS Agency, a unique event production and technology company, which specializes in video game entertainment. At ESS Agency, his responsibilities included the planning and managing of daily operations, forming strategic partnerships, and generating new business opportunities. Under Mr. Park’s leadership, ESS Agency solutions have been used by major consumer brands, advertising agencies, game publishers, television networks and video game leagues.

In 2014, Mr. Park sold ESS Agency to Turtle Entertainment and the Electronic Sports League (ESL), where he managed the day-to-day operations of the Americas division as President until 2018. At Turtle Entertainment America, Mr. Park’s responsibilities included operations of the newly-built 25,000 sq. ft. broadcast studios in Burbank, CA, where the ESL’s North American activities, events and broadcasts were conducted.

Mr. Park was active with ESL Gaming through the company’s majority acquisition by Modern Times Group (MTG) in 2015. Mr. Park ultimately exited his stake in ESL Gaming in 2022, when the company was acquired by Savvy Gaming Group, via its financial sponsor Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, for over $1 billion and combined with FACEIT to form the largest esports organization in the world.

Mr. Park holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Pre-Med from Swarthmore College.

Jeff Pepper, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Jeff Pepper

Advisory Board

Jeff Pepper serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He has a 20+ year career in developing, selling, and implementing mission-critical enterprise resource planning (ERP) Read more >> Jeff Pepper

Jeff Pepper serves on the Advisory Board of Fortitude Advisors. He has a 20+ year career in developing, selling, and implementing mission-critical enterprise resource planning (ERP) and student information system (SIS) software solutions for the K12 vertical industry.

Mr. Pepper began his software career as a product manager at Prologic Technology Systems, a leading provider of K-12 ERP solutions. collaborating with clients and developing system requirements before ascending to the position of President. At Prologic, where he was also a significant shareholder, he focused on executive responsibilities and transitioning the company from a traditional on-premise software solutions company to a software as a service model.

In 2018, Mr. Pepper played a key role in Prologic’s successful sale to Frontline Education, Thoma Bravo’s leading EdTech platform. Mr. Pepper currently serves as the Vice President of ERP Solutions at Frontline.

Prior to Prologic, Mr. Pepper spent seven years marketing and managing commodity derivatives portfolios at various firms. Before that, he was a risk manager at a large energy company and was responsible for commodities trading and other internal accounting processes. Mr. Pepper started his career as an auditor at Arthur Anderson in Houston.

Mr. Pepper holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas A&M University.

Clayton Reid, a member of Fortitude Advisors' advisory board.

Clayton Reid

Advisory Board

Clayton Reid previously served as both CEO and Chairman of MMGY Global, a $300 million integrated marketing firm he sold to Peninsula Capital Partners in 2015 and then sold again to Eagletree Read more >> Clayton Reid

Clayton Reid previously served as both CEO and Chairman of MMGY Global, a $300 million integrated marketing firm he sold to Peninsula Capital Partners in 2015 and then sold again to Eagletree Capital in 2023.

Considered one of the travel industry’s top minds in marketing and strategic planning, he has worked with global travel, destination, and hospitality companies for three decades, including Bermuda Tourism, Disney, Lufthansa, Marriott, Princess Cruises and Uber. Heavily involved with industry advocacy, Clayton is a sought-after speaker and has been featured by news organizations such as Bloomberg, CNN, Fox Business, NBC News, NPR, The New York Times, and Vice News. He has served on boards including The Kansas City Zoo, Hospitality Sales and Marketing International, The New York City Hospitality Council, The United States Travel Association, Visit Kansas City and The World Alpine Ski Championships. He is a strategic council member of Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) in their global travel advisory practice and has worked with global consultancies such as Bain Capital and McKinsey.

Clayton has been awarded the American Express Steven Harvey Achievement Award for Marketing and has been selected for the exclusive Arthur Page Society. In 2022, he received the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the global travel industry.

Clayton is an advocate for sustainability and social cause in travel, being featured by Skift and Forbes for MMGY’s global push to make travel a platform for equality and understanding. He is involved with not-for-profit advocacy, including Midwest Innocence Project, Operation Breakthrough and Watts of Love, and he serves on corporate boards including MMGY Global and global transportation provider, WHC Worldwide.

Clayton has lived on three continents and has worked extensively in a variety of cultures & business environments. He considers travel the most important bridge for building understanding, cultural empathy & economic opportunity. He graduated from The University of Kansas with a B.A. in Journalism & Business Marketing and studied Hospitality and Tourism at New York University’s School of Professional Studies.

The Fortitude Advisors team collaborating on a project in the Austin office.

Execution team

In addition to our senior team, we employ a dedicated team of experienced analysts and associates who execute with depth and precision. Most members of our execution team have gained prior transaction experience with regional and national investment banks, which provides a strong foundation for training them further on our more comprehensive execution model.

Fortitude Team: Stone, Caleb, Chris

Fortitude is a highly technical M&A and corporate finance firm where every member of our team regularly engages in advanced LBO modeling, transaction scenario analyses, root level due diligence and extensive data analyses on our clients. We take pride in the depth and quality of our work, which underpins our strategic and financing advice, and our clients benefit from more efficient and effective transaction processes.

If you have technical M&A transaction experience and strong financial modeling skills, and are looking to join a growth-oriented, committed and highly collaborative team, please contact us.

  • Photo of downtown New York City, where Fortitude Advisors has a presence.
    Headshot of Sean Kelly, Founder and CEO of Fortitude Advisors, a technology investment bank.

    “At Fortitude, we make a personal commitment to our clients. Our team’s relentless focus on depth and quality of execution leads to exceptional transaction outcomes.”

    — Sean Kelly, Founder & CEO, Fortitude Advisors
  • San Francisco skyline.
    Headshot of Chris Scarborough, Managing Director at Fortitude Advisors.

    “Our senior bankers have been working with market defining tech companies for over 25 years. We have deep, extensive global relationships to leverage for our clients.”

    — Chris Scarbarough, Managing Director, Fortitude Advisors
  • Photo of downtown New York City, where Fortitude Advisors has a presence.
    Headshot of Shawn Walsh, Managing Director of Advisory for Fortitude Advisors.

    “Fortitude’s focus on advising only founder, family and partner owned businesses is unique. It aligns our interests with those of our clients, and optimizes outcomes.”

    — Shawn Walsh, Managing Director, Fortitude Advisors