The AIM Program's Investment Banking Course

AIM's Private Equity & Investment Banking track is entering its second year.  This semester's Investment Banking course, taught by Jeff Germanotta, will continue to emphasize experiential learning, including group case studies, current events presentations, and guest speakers.  

Jeff Germanotta

Mr. Jeff Germanotta teaches in the AIM program. He possesses more than 35 years of experience in investment banking, commercial banking and corporate planning, including extensive experience with commercial services, distribution, industrial and logistics business models.  His current activities include:

• Adjunct Instructor at Marquette University, teaching investment banking and private equity courses within the Applied Investment Management Program.
• Limited Partner and member of Supply Chain Equity Partner’s Advisory Board; a Florida based private equity firm established to invest in middle-market North American supply chain service businesses. 
• Limited Partner and Special Advisor to Greenbrair Equity Group LLC; a New York based private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in the global transportation, logistics and distribution industries.
• Opportunity International’s Board of Governors and Ambassador’s Council; the world’s largest not-for-profit microfinance organization headquartered in Illinois. 

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Germanotta was a Principal and Managing Director of William Blair & Company LLC, a Chicago-based global investment-banking firm. While at Blair, Mr. Germanotta was Co-Head of the Supply Chain Services practice within the Corporate Finance Department and Co-Group Head for the Equity Research Department’s Business Services practice.  As an investment banker, he assisted clients with the formulation and execution of numerous strategic initiatives, including capital raises and M&A activities.   As an equity analyst, Mr Germanotta was consistently recognized in the Financial Times/StarMine“World’s Top Analysts” rankings.

Mr. Germanotta holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an M.B.A. from Marquette University. 

Talking about the course he said, "We're privileged to have numerous practitioners presenting real world examples of sell and buy-side M&A, leveraged finance, debt and equity offerings and more.   The class will explore shareholder wealth creation and key value drivers such as sources of sales growth, operating profit enhancement, the impact of income taxes, working capital and fixed capital investment,and the cost of capital.  We'll further employ a variety of valuations techniques , such as trading multiples, precedent transactions, discounted cash flow, leveraged buyout analysis, and accretion/dilution analysis to various investment scenarios.  Examples will include leverage buyouts, take-private transactions, dividend recaps, tender offers, and equity offerings."


Dr. David Krause, AIM program director said, "I am excited to have Mr. Germanotta as a part of the AIM instructional team. He has outstanding academic and institutional experience - and he has a passion for teaching. We will be adding a PE/IB club and brining many speakers to campus this semester. Thanks to the alumni and investment professionals for their support of Jeff and the AIM program's PE & IB track."