About

Ms. Graham is in charge of Business Development at KippsDeSanto & Co., a premier investment banking firm headquartered in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Ms. Graham spent almost 6 years as the Manager of Business Development for the Corporate & Securities-Technology practice of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP where she was viewed as a strategic advisor to prospects and clients in the Defense, Aerospace, and Federal IT sectors.

Ms. Graham’s primary focus is to build awareness about KippsDeSanto’s capabilities among prospective clients and develop and maintain relationships with current and past clients.  She prides herself as being a very active member in many local industry and charitable organizations including NVTC, MD Tech Council, MAVA, Fairfax Chamber, and AFCEA.  Ms. Graham was also just recognized as Woman of the Year-Runner–Up for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  She received her B.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland.

Mr. Yim is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and has been with the firm since 2007.

Mr. Yim has over 15 years of experience in providing transaction advisory and financial consulting services to leading defense and technology firms.  Mr. Yim leads deal teams and is active in marketing the services of KippsDeSanto.  Mr. Yim has significant merger and acquisition advisory experience, working on numerous transactions for leading private equity firms, public companies, and private and family-owned businesses.

Prior to KippsDeSanto, Mr. Yim was an Associate in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Financial Advisory Services group.  During his tenure, Mr. Yim provided transaction & compliance opinions and financial consulting to more than 200 clients, both public and private, covering a wide array of industries, including aerospace, defense & government, technology, business services, professional sports franchises / venues, telecommunications, healthcare, retail, and engineering & construction.

Mr. Yim received a B.S. in International Economics from The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  Mr. Yim is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Mr. Schmidt is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and co-heads the Aerospace / Defense Group.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Schmidt was a Senior Vice President in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of its Aerospace·Defense·Government Services industry investment banking group, where he focused on sellside and buyside M&A advisory engagements, sourcing growth capital, and conducting strategic alternatives assessments.  Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey’s ADG practice, Mr. Schmidt was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, serving in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States in various combat arms assignments.  He also served in the Pentagon on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, working on classified intelligence assessments and transformation efforts, and he served on the U.S. Army Staff, working on equipment modernization and weapons testing.

Mr. Schmidt earned a B.S. in engineering (aeronautical) from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an M.S. in operations research from the Naval Post Graduate School, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Ms. Troendle is a Managing Director with KippsDeSanto & Co. and has an extensive background providing government technology and aerospace and defense firms with transaction-related advice.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Ms. Troendle was a Vice President at Bluestone Capital Partners, a boutique investment bank focused on the aerospace, defense, and government services market, where she focused primarily on transaction execution and related advisory services.

Prior to joining Bluestone Capital Partners, Ms. Troendle was in the Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services Investment Banking Group at Stifel, where she worked on M&A engagements as well as equity and debt capital markets transactions.

Ms. Troendle received an M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a B.S. from Vanderbilt University with a double major in Political Science and Economics.  She is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Mr. DeSanto is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and has a broad base of experience in providing transaction advisory services.

Prior to founding KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. DeSanto was a Senior Vice President in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Aerospace·Defense·Government industry investment banking group.

Mr. DeSanto has deep experience advising shareholders, boards of directors and management teams of over 100 companies in connection with strategic alternatives assessments, acquisitions, sales and divestitures, going-private transactions, raising of private debt and equity financing, fairness opinions, solvency opinions, and general corporate planning.

Mr. DeSanto was recognized in 2011 with the award for Dealmaker of the Year – Investment Banker by the Association for Corporate Growth’s National Capital Chapter.  With respect to technology companies and merger & acquisition trends, Mr. DeSanto has been a frequent speaker and is often quoted in various publications, including Washington Technology, Government Computer News, and Fortune Magazine.

Mr. DeSanto received a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.  He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative and Principal (Series 7, 63, 24).

Mr. Marlin is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and heads the Technology Solutions Group.

Prior to co-founding KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Marlin was an Associate in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a member of Houlihan Lokey’s Aerospace·Defense·Government industry investment banking group.  Previous experience also includes work as an Associate with Harris Williams, as a Summer Associate at JPMorganChase, and as an Investment Associate at the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group.

Mr. Marlin is a frequent speaker on mergers and acquisitions involving aerospace / defense and IT firms and has been quoted in publications including The Washington Post, Federal Times, Washington Technology, G2X, and GovConExec, amongst others.  Mr. Marlin was recognized in 2012 by SmartCEO – Washington’s Best of Banking.  He is a past board member of the Association of Corporate Growth National Capital Chapter (having served as President), the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce board, and the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business MBA Alumni Advisory Council.

Mr. Marlin received an M.B.A. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business where he graduated Valedictorian.  Mr. Marlin also received a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.  He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Mr. Misantone is a Managing Director at KippsDeSanto & Co. and co-heads the Aerospace / Defense Group.

Mr. Misantone has a broad base of experience advising companies, Boards of Directors, and management teams in the aerospace / defense and government services industry, including buy- and sell-side M&A transactions, fairness opinions, IPOs, and private and public equity and debt placements.  Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Misantone was in the M&A group at Wachovia Securities.  Previously, Mr. Misantone was with Jefferies Quarterdeck, the aerospace / defense group of Jefferies & Co.  Prior to joining Jefferies Quarterdeck, Mr. Misantone worked in the M&A group at Credit Suisse First Boston, and the Debt Capital Markets group at Goldman Sachs.

Mr. Misantone has been a frequent speaker and has been quoted in various publications, including Mergers & Acquisitions, Washington Technology, and The Washington Post.

Mr. Misantone was an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he received BA degrees in Economics and Spanish, Phi Beta Kappa. He also earned an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative and Principal (Series 7, 63, 24).

Mr. Wilson is a Vice President with KippsDeSanto & Co., a premier investment banking firm headquartered in Washington, DC.

Mr. Wilson has more than seven years of experience providing advisory services on a range of strategic and financial transactions to private and public companies, having held the positions of Analyst and Associate at KippsDeSanto.

He holds a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Accounting from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.  Mr. Wilson is registered with FINRA as an Investment Banking Representative (Series 63, 79).

Mr. Dodson is a Director at KippsDeSanto & Co., with a broad base of experience advising companies, Boards of Directors, and management teams in the technology, software / SaaS, telecommunications, cybersecurity and Defense / Government Technology industries, including buy- and sell-side M&A transactions, leveraged buyouts, corporate divestitures and private and public equity and debt placements.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Dodson was a Director in the Technology, Media and Telecom Group of DC Advisory (formerly Signal Hill Capital), a global middle-market investment bank owned by Daiwa Securities, where he was primarily focused on providing M&A and strategic advisory as well as capital raising solutions for clients.

Prior to joining DC Advisory, Mr. Dodson was an Associate in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse where he worked on M&A, equity, and debt capital markets transactions.  Previously, he worked for Aronson Capital Partners, a boutique investment banking firm focused on M&A and capital raising transactions for GovTech and IT services firms.  Mr. Dodson began his career as a Financial Analyst with General Dynamics focused on financial planning & analysis, strategic planning and M&A / post-merger integration.

Mr. Dodson is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he received a BS in Finance.  He also earned an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative (Series 7, 63).

Mr. Kipps has over 20 years of experience in providing M&A and other transaction advisory services to leading aerospace / defense and technology firms.

Mr. Kipps founded KippsDeSanto & Co. in 2007 and has grown the firm to be the largest investment bank exclusively focused on the Aerospace / Defense and Government Services sector.  Over the years, Mr. Kipps has worked with some of the most successful industry firms both advising them on their strategy as they grew and assisting them with their eventual sale.

Prior to founding KippsDeSanto, Mr. Kipps was a Managing Director in Houlihan Lokey’s Washington, DC office and a leader of Houlihan Lokey’s Aerospace∙Defense∙Government industry group.  Mr. Kipps was also with Peterson Consulting and Tucker Alan where he advised aerospace / defense, engineering, construction and technology companies.

Mr. Kipps was recognized as the Dealmaker of the Year – Investment Banker by the Association for Corporate Growth’s National Capital Chapter.  He is on the Board of Directors of Information Systems Laboratories, Inc., Easter Seals of the Greater Washington-Baltimore Region, and the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia.  Mr. Kipps is a frequent speaker on mergers & acquisitions involving aerospace / defense and technology firms and often provides market commentary to The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, WashingtonExec, and Washington Technology, among others.

Mr. Kipps received his B.S. in Commerce, with distinction, from the University of Virginia.  He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Registered Representative and Principal (Series 7, 63, 24, 79).

Mr. Shin is a Director with KippsDeSanto & Co., with a broad base of experience providing transaction advisory services in diverse end-markets including Industrials and Technology sectors.

Prior to joining KippsDeSanto & Co., Mr. Shin was a Vice President at Houlihan Lokey working across the Global Industrials and Technology, Media and Telecommunication groups in the San Francisco and Dallas offices.  He primarily focused on providing M&A advisory and capital raising solutions.

Prior to joining Houlihan Lokey, Mr. Shin was an Associate at UBS Investment Bank, focusing on M&A advisory and capital raising solutions for global financial institutions (insurance and financial technology verticals).

Mr. Shin earned a B.S. from Baruch College and an MBA from Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.  He is registered with FINRA as an Investment Banking Representative (Series 63 and 79).