Security & Homeland Security

Imperial Capital's Security Industry team is among the most experienced in the sector, offering superior advisory, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. Imperial's Security Industry professionals, employing their extensive knowledge of and experience in multiple Security Industry vertical markets—from leading-edge technologies to traditional physical security companies, including companies focused on Homeland Security, Government and Enterprise markets, providing boards and management with strategic and financial advisory, public and private debt and equity financings, and capital structure and restructuring advisory services.

Our professionals' experience extends to the following Security Industry markets:

  • Video surveillance and network analytics
  • Identification and biometrics
  • Enterprise solutions, including employee access, identification management, human resources, IT, and perimeter security
  • Background screening and "reputation management"
  • Explosives/bio-/radiological sensors, and other product technologies
  • Systems integration
  • Security monitoring (commercial and residential)
  • Security consulting
  • Physical guard and armored transport services
  • Location-based services

For further information please contact:

Investment Banking

John E. Mack III

Co-Head, Investment Banking Group
Head of Mergers and Acquisitions
(310) 246-3705
jmack@imperialcapital.com

John E. Mack III is Executive Vice President, Co-Head of Investment Banking and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Imperial Capital. Mr. Mack joined Imperial Capital in 2008 as part of the firm’s acquisition of certain assets of USBX Inc., an investment banking firm focused on mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Mack was founder and Chief Executive Officer of USBX. Prior to USBX, Mr. Mack served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Protection One, Inc. (NASDAQ: PONE), then the nation's second largest provider of life safety and property monitoring services. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Mr. Mack held the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development, where he was involved in over 200 acquisitions and oversaw the company’s growth from approximately 30,000 subscribers and $17 million in revenue to more than 1.6 million subscribers, $600 million in revenue and an enterprise value of over $2 billion. Before joining Protection One, Mr. Mack was a Senior Executive Officer with Westec Security, Inc. and prior to Westec he was a Senior Executive Officer with MCM, Inc., dba FAFCO Solar of Northern California. Mr. Mack earned a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Institutional Sales and Trading

Jeff Kessler

Managing Director
Capital Markets
(212) 351-9701
jkessler@imperialcapital.com

Jeff Kessler is Managing Director, Institutional Sales and Trading at Imperial Capital based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Kessler focuses on producing the firm’s quarterly security industry reports and whitepapers, as well as providing direct support for the firm’s clients looking at investments in the security industry sector. Prior to joining Imperial Capital, Mr. Kessler was a Senior Research Analyst with Lehman Brothers for 20 years, and published the “Security Industry Annual”, considered by many to be the definitive guide to trends and growth metrics for the security sector. In 2006, in its first poll, Security Magazine named Mr. Kessler as one of the “25 Most Influential People” in the security industry. In the years that Institutional Investor ranked “Security” analysts, Mr. Kessler was consistently ranked #1.

 

Michael McManus

Managing Director
Investment Banking Group
(310) 246-3702
mmcmanus@imperialcapital.com

Michael McManus is a Managing Director, Investment Banking in the Los Angeles office of Imperial Capital, focusing on the Homeland Security, Defense, and Security markets. Most recently, Michael was a Managing Director with USBX Advisory Services, LLC prior to its acquisition by Imperial. He joined USBX from SmallCap Corporate Advisors, LLC, which he founded to bring bulge bracket investment banking expertise to smaller publicly traded companies that were underserved by large investment banks. Prior to founding SmallCap, Mr. McManus was with Jefferies Quarterdeck in both the Los Angeles and Washington D.C. offices. While with Jefferies, Mr. McManus focused on the aerospace, defense and government services sectors and specialized in public company merger, acquisition and financing transactions. Mr. McManus has also worked for CIBC World Markets and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ.) During his five years with DLJ, he gained broad experience with all product and advisory skill sets. Additionally, while with DLJ in London, Mr. McManus co-founded the European exclusive sales practice to focus on cross-border, middle-market sell-side transactions.

Prior to attending business school, Mr. McManus served in the U.S. Army for over seven years, in various capacities including Tank Platoon Leader and Headquarters Company Executive Officer. Mr. McManus received an B.S. in Computer Science from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an M.B.A with distinction from the S. C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

Jay Beaghan

Managing Director
Investment Banking Group
(310) 246-3716
jbeaghan@imperialcapital.com

Jay Beaghan is Managing Director, Investment Banking Group in Imperial Capital's Los Angeles office, focusing on M&A and Finance for Technology and Business Services companies. Mr. Beaghan brings nearly 20 years of middle market Technology and Business Services investment banking experience to Imperial Capital, with a background across well over 100 merger, acquisition, equity and debt transactions aggregating to more than $7 billion in value. Most recently, Jay led Technology Investment Banking for USBX Advisory Services, LLC where his M&A transaction results in Security Technology, Software and Business Services (SaaS, BPO, Technology Enabled Services, etc.) served as notable benchmarks in their respective markets. Mr. Beaghan has served as interim CFO for a private HRO Services company and was a senior investment banker with Robertson Stephens where his focus areas included Security Technology, Infrastructure Software, Applications, Digital Media Technology, Storage & Networking, Semiconductor Design and Communications / Wireless. He has led financings involving venture capital funds, private equity firms, strategic investors, private investments in public equities, and public equity or convertible debt offerings, as well as having represented both buyers and sellers in the context of M&A advisory assignments. Mr. Beaghan earned his B.B.A. (Accounting) from Notre Dame and his J.D. (Securities, Corporate Law, Tax and M&A) from Loyola. He is a non-practicing member of the California Bar.

Robert Wagner

Managing Director
Investment Banking Group
(310) 246-3624
rwagner@imperialcapital.com

Bob Wagner is Managing Director, Investment Banking Group, based in Imperial Capital's Los Angeles Office. Mr. Wagner has significant expertise is the global Aerospace and Defense industry. Prior to joining Imperial Capital, Mr. Wagner co-founded the Aerospace and Defense practice at Wachovia Securities where he led numerous buy-side and sell-side M&A advisory assignments and capital raising transactions for a broad range of aerospace and defense industry suppliers and prime contractors. Financing transactions included syndicated bank loans, 144A high yield bonds and convertible notes and underwritten common equity offerings. Prior to joining Wachovia, Mr. Wagner spent over 10 years with CIBC in New York and Los Angeles focusing on leveraged finance, sponsor focused, pre-workout recapitalization transactions and other domestic and international corporate finance transactions.