Gilbert harrison financo biography channel
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Gilbert Harrison Saying Farewell to Financo
Gilbert W. Harrison, a fixture in the M&A, retailing and fashion circles for decades, is retiring Dec. 31 from Financo Inc., the boutique investment banking firm he established 47 years ago.
Through his outsized personality and assertive manner of pursuing business, Harrison established Financo as a vibrant boutique banking firm with a wide reputation exceeding the size of the company’s annual volume, which sources placed between $20 million and $30 million, depending on the year.
John Berg continues as Financo’s chief executive officer and will leave the title of chairman unfilled at least for the time being. Five years ago, Berg, a seasoned M&A, corporate finance and private equity banker, bought an equity interest in Financo and became ceo, and Harrison began gradually winding down his involvement.
“I agreed with John that I would stay for five years and retire after that. Five years goes very fas
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Inter Parfums, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: IPAR) (the “Company” or “Inter Parfums”) today announced the appointment of Gilbert Harrison, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of investment banking firm, Financo LLC, to its Board of Directors, effective today. With the addition of Mr. Harrison, the size of Inter Parfums’ Board increases to nine members, six of whom are independent. His initial term will expire, and he will stand for re-election at the Company’s next Annual Meeting of Stockholders in September 2018.
Mr. Harrison has more than 50 years of experience in corporate finance and strategic transactions, specializing in the consumer products space. He began his career in 1965 practicing corporate and securities law in New York and Philadelphia. In 1971 he founded Financo, which he grew to become one of the leading independent middle market transaction firms in the country. In 1985, Financo was acquired by Lehman Brothers, where the firm’s primary efforts were focused on increasing its exper
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Gilbert W. Harrison Dishes on Being a ‘Deal Junkie’
There’s much about Gilbert W. Harrison and his career that looms large.
Fifty-plus years in investment banking. Hundreds of deals consummated. A colorful reputation far exceeding the size of Financo Inc., the boutique banking firm he founded. A Rolodex with about 10,000 names. An assertive, persistent, sometimes off-putting manner. The rumbling voice. The bushy eyebrows.
“There’s no question about it. A lot of business I did could only have succeeded because inom was aggressive. On the other grabb, it pissed some people off and I lost business because of it,” Harrison told WWD. “You keep calling them up. You keep pushing a deal. You think the deal should be done and it’s not. They’re not paying attention to it. My biggest frustration was when inom knew a deal made sense and you couldn’t get the other side to see it. However, on the whole, it was more positive than ne