BIOGRAPHIES
JEFFREY A. ALLRED |
Jeffrey A. Allred is a partner in the Atlanta office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, concentrating in corporate strategy, governance, acquisitions, and finance. Mr. Allred is a member of KFBSF Private Equity Funds’ Board of Directors and Investment Committee. He is the former CEO of Griffeon Group, LLC, a strategic advisory firm. Before founding Griffeon, he served eight years as President, COO, and board member of Premiere Global Services, Inc. (NYSE: PGI), a global provider of on-demand communications technologies. Mr. Allred received a BA, with highest honors (1976), a JD with honors (1980), and an MBA (1980), all from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. |
ART BAKER | FACULTY ADVISOR |
Art Baker is a Clinical Associate Professor of Finance at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Prior to his role at Kenan-Flagler Business School, Art taught at Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and the Investment Banking Institute. Before Art's teaching roles, he served as Chief Strategy Officer for SmartStart, an American manufacturer of alcohol-monitoring technology and held finance executives roles at Fortune 500 companies such as AAA and General Motors. Prior to that, Dr. Baker worked as an investment banker for RBC Capital Markets. Art received his MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, his Ph.D. in economics from Moscow State University, his BS in business from Oklahoma City University, and holds a CFA certification. |
JEFF BICKSLER |
Jeff Bicksler is President of Godwin Capital Group, LLC an Atlanta based closely shared family office investment team for a close-knit group of like-minded families and foundations. Godwin serves as a comprehensive CIO for its families providing investment solutions that range from portfolio construction and allocation to comprehensive solutions for alternative assets. Of particular focus for Godwin are direct investments in profitable small- and mid-sized companies where management teams are aligned and value the patient nature of Godwin’s capital.Prior to founding Godwin in 2021, Jeff spent 10 years in the single family office investment world with the family offices of the Thomas G. Cousins family (Nonami/4612 Group) and George D. Johnson, Jr family (Johnson Management). Mr. Bicksler holds a MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and both a BBA and MAcc from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He is a former KFBSF PE Fund manager and served as the CEO and CFO during his tenure (2011-2013). He is also a licensed CPA in Georgia, avid golfer, and an instrument rated private pilot. |
JOE CANADY |
Joe Canady has been at UNC for over a decade in numerous roles across campus. He is currently the Assistant Dean of Finance at the Kenan-Flagler Business School. In his previous positions at UNC, Joe served as a Director in the Provost’s Office, and Senior Advisor to the Chancellor. His career began at UNC as the Director of Operations for Kenan-Flagler’s online MBA program, MBA@UNC. Prior to his roles at UNC, Joe served as VP of Global Finance Operations at Bank of America, responsible for the implementation and management of corporate governance and risk processes within the bank’s corporate finance function. Before Bank of America, Joe worked at Deloitte as a Senior Manager providing management, risk, and IT consulting services. Joe received his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and his BSBA in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. |
JEFF PERSINGER |
Jeff Persinger is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience building and leading innovative companies currently serving as Managing Partner at Advest Financial, an alternative asset manager focused on opportunities in commercial real estate. Prior to joining Advest, Jeff was the Chief Executive Officer of BioPharm Communications, an omnichannel marketing company that provides digital marketing campaigns and services to leading pharma and biotech clients. Jeff co-founded the company in 2005 and led BioPharm through sixteen consecutive years of growth. Jeff also led an investment round from a private equity firm, managed the strategic acquisition of a data and analytics company, and orchestrated the eventual sale of BioPharm to a Fortune 500 company. Prior to pursuing his entrepreneurial passion, Jeff had over 15 years of leadership experience in sales, marketing, and finance with several top global technology and pharmaceutical companies. Jeff holds a MBA and a BS in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina and is a member of the Leadership Council at the UNC Entrepreneurship Center. |