Middle Market Growth Conversations

In a complex and hard-to read economic environment, data can help us understand the dealmaking moment. In the first installment in an ongoing series, Bob Dunn of GF Data joins the podcast to share what the numbers say about middle-market M&A in the first quarter of 2023, including the decline in deal volume and the rising cost of capital.

Macroeconomic challenges and a choppy lending market have weighed on middle market M&A activity and impacted financing structures across industries in 2023, and healthcare is no exception. In this episode, Tim Wentink – a partner at Twin Brook Capital Partners – offers a lender's perspective on the state of the healthcare sector and how dealmaking is evolving in the current market environment. Wentink, who works on healthcare lending opportunities with private equity sponsors, discusses how PE firms and their portfolio companies are financing deals, the volume and types of transactions observed thus far in 2023, and his outlook for the rest of the year. He also talks about how inflation and other macro factors are affecting investment decisions within healthcare, which subsectors are experiencing an uptick in interest among buyers, and where noticeable shifts are occurring within this space. *** This episode is brought to you by Twin Brook Capital Partners, a leading direct lending finance company focused on providing cash-flow based financing solutions for the middle market private equity community. To learn more about Twin Brook, visit www.twincp.com. The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

***In the age of business websites, social media accounts and email marketing, almost every business publishes content, and with that content come media liability risks. Something as simple as having background music in a TikTok video or using a photo from the internet on their website could open a business to legal liability. QBE North America's Andrea Taylor, vice president of underwriting for media liability, and Evynne Grover, vice president and claims practice leader for media liability, discuss the new and complex risks of today's media landscape. From influencer marketing to generative artificial intelligence, a better understanding of today's risks can help companies prepare. For some, that could mean taking out a media liability insurance policy, which gives businesses access to specialized legal representation and expert knowledge of best practices for mitigating risks. To learn more about QBE North America, visit www.qbe.com/us/acg-members. The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by QBE North America, a global insurance leader focused on helping customers solve unique risks to enable a more resilient future. ***As healthcare costs rise, how can employers gain better control of their health plan expenses? QBE North America Vice President, Accident & Health Specialty Markets Matthew Drakeley explains the opportunity for companies to self-fund their health insurance plan and support it with medical stop loss coverage in a captive insurance company. QBE’s 2022 Mid-Sized Company Risk Report found that out of almost 100 risks measured, company executives ranked medical cost inflation and increasing employee benefit costs as among the most concerning. In recent years, the cost of hospital labor, drugs and medical supplies has risen significantly, and hospitals are likely to pass those costs on to health insurers—who will, in turn, pass the bill to employers. Drakeley has effective strategies to gain better visibility, flexibility and control over these rising costs. First, companies can self-fund their health insurance plans and use medical stop loss coverage to guard against an unexpected spike in expenses. Second, companies can place their medical stop loss insurance in a captive to gain even more control over costs. Companies can form their own captive or join one owned by multiple companies, called a group captive, to achieve critical mass for operating efficiency and negotiating power with providers. To learn more about QBE North America, visit www.qbe.com/us/acg-members.*** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by QBE North America, a global insurance leader focused on helping customers solve unique risks to enable a more resilient future. *** Insurance coverage is the most basic form of risk transfer and protects businesses from risks under their direct management and control. However, a business can gain additional layers of protection through contractual risk transfer, in which the business shifts liability for loss to another party. QBE North America’s Tom Lysaught, senior vice president, head of property and casualty claims, and Bobby Steinsdoerfer, senior vice president, retail property and casualty underwriting, join the podcast to discuss the benefits of an effective contractual risk transfer strategy. They detail the varying levels of contractual risk transfer and how to implement an effective contractual risk transfer program. From poorly written contracts to inadequate contract management or handshake agreements, Lysaught and Steinsdoerfer share examples and detail common mistakes that can prevent a business from transferring risk appropriately—potentially resulting in lawsuits, reputational damage, rising insurance premiums and other financial repercussions. They also discuss the importance of securing qualified legal counsel and utilizing resources available through an insurance carrier. To learn more about QBE North America, visit www.qbe.com/us/acg-members. *** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by QBE North America, a global insurance leader focused on helping customers solve unique risks to enable a more resilient future. *** Companies today face a complex and evolving set of employment practices liability risks. Legal and regulatory changes, along with shifting social norms, remote work and rules that vary state by state, have increased the risk of litigation for businesses of all sizes. Midmarket companies are particularly vulnerable to the growing risk of employment practices liability, say QBE North America's Eden Stark, vice president, claims leader for employment practices liability, and Mary Anne Mullin, senior vice president, fiduciary and employment practices liability product leader. Stark and Mullin join the podcast to discuss how they've seen employment practices liability risk increase over the years and share proactive steps that business leaders can take to protect their organizations. They also offer insight into insurance coverage and how a close partnership with an insurance carrier can help a company avoid common employment practices pitfalls or, in the case of legal action, resolve a lawsuit efficiently and cost-effectively. To learn more about QBE North America, visit https://www.qbe.com/us/acg-members. *** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by Twin Brook Capital Partners, a direct lending finance company focused on providing cash-flow based financing solutions for the middle market private equity community. *** Chris Martin, a partner at Twin Brook Capital Partners, joins the podcast to discuss the state of the mid-market. In the interview, Martin reviews transaction activity through the first half of 2022 and explains how market conditions have evolved since the start of the year. He talks about the impact of macroeconomic issues—such as the tight labor market, supply chain disruption, and inflation—on mid-market businesses, and how Twin Brook is working with private equity sponsors and borrowers to navigate the evolving macroeconomic environment. At the end of the conversation, Martin discusses his outlook for the remainder of 2022 and the types of assets and industries he believes are likely to draw PE sponsors' interest over the coming months. To learn more about Twin Brook, visit www.twincp.com. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

As managing director and head of technology within the investment banking group at Stout, Tricia Salinero helps clients navigate the ever-more complex world of technology M&A. In this episode, ACG’s digital editor, Carolyn Vallejo, has a wide-ranging discussion with Salinero about valuations and pricing, promising sectors, and advice for buyers and sellers. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by Twin Brook Capital Partners, a direct lending finance company focused on providing cash-flow based financing solutions for the middle market private equity community. *** Pete Notter, a partner at Twin Brook Capital Partners, joins the podcast to discuss the current state of the market and how experience and consistency have been particularly valuable to sponsors and borrowers in today's environment. In the interview, Notter talks about what deal activity looked like in late 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022, including the pace of activity and the types of M&A transactions underway. He also shares how Twin Brook has been working with sponsors and borrowers through supply chain disruption, labor shortages and other ongoing macroeconomic issues. Additionally, Notter points to the increasing demand for accelerated deal timelines and discusses how Twin Brook's high-touch, relationship-focused approach has helped it support sponsors as they look to close deals quickly. The conversation wraps up with a discussion about the outlook for the remainder of 2022 and what Notter expects to see in the coming months. To learn more about Twin Brook, visit www.twincp.com. **** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.

This episode is brought to you by RSM US, a leading audit, tax and consulting firm focused on the middle market. It's part of a four-part series that looks at how to optimize business performance through the lens of cybersecurity, IT, finance and human capital. *** Marni Rozen, director of management consulting for human capital at RSM, joins the podcast to talk about trends and challenges for talent management today, and how organizations can take a more strategic approach to human capital. Rozen talks about the varying impact that the Great Resignation has had on companies depending on their industry and size, along with ways to mitigate the risk of attrition. She also discusses how current talent trends are impacting M&A, and key steps to take post-transaction to help smooth the integration. At a time when human resources departments are under intense strain, Rozen points to outsourcing and other ways to relieve some of the burden. Finally, she talks about wage inflation, and how employers can be proactive rather than reactive when designing employee benefits programs. More insight into the challenges facing human resources can be found in RSM’s recent Middle Market Business Index: Changing Work Patterns in the Middle Market special report. https://realeconomy.rsmus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mmbi_back-to-work_special_report_jan22-002.pdf To learn more about RSM, visit https://rsmus.com/our-insights/business-optimization.html?cmpid=ola:754855-acg-podcast-series:bb01. *** The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.