As President of MarshBerry's Financial Advisory Division, Phil Trem brings extensive knowledge in merger & acquisition (M&A) advisory and operations, specifically in the business and technology arenas and is a trusted partner for buyers and sellers who depend on his proficiency at deal negotiation, due diligence, deal execution and integration planning. His experience encompasses the full life cycle of an M&A transaction for independently owned insurance agents & brokers, specialty distributors, wealth management advisors, retirement planning specialists, private equity firms, banks & credit unions and insurance carriers. Phil's objective is to provide clients with a seamless, comprehensive experience.

A vital resource in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), John Wepler has personally advised on more than 300 M&A and Capital Markets transactions since joining MarshBerry in 1991. He is an in-demand industry speaker because of his extensive knowledge in organic growth management, valuation enhancement strategies, business planning, perpetuation, financial management and M&A. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MarshBerry—and CEO of the wholly-owned FINRA registered broker/dealer MarshBerry Capital, LLC —John’s leadership and industry experience has benefited many insurance industry professionals.

Gerard Vecchio works specifically with the Insurance Services Division of MarshBerry. Gerard’s responsibilities include providing strategic and operational consulting services to specialty insurance distributors, insurance carriers and outsourced service providers within the insurance industry.
Gerard has approximately 35 years of experience within the insurance industry where he has gained knowledge related to being a private equity investor in, board member of, and advisor to insurance distributors, underwriters and service and technology providers. Most recently, Gerard was Chief Financial Officer and head of Business Development at Distinguished Insurance Services where he was responsible for sourcing, financing and integrating insurance broker acquisitions.

Mr. Van Gorden is a Managing Director of the Investment Manager, a member of the Investment Committee, and Head of Origination. He joined the Investment Manager in 2015 and has 18 years of industry experience. He previously worked in leveraged finance and private equity at Golub Capital, Abingworth Management, and J.P. Morgan. Mr. Van Gorden is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (M.B.A., 2012) and Northwestern University (B.A., 2006).

Mr. Kindorf is a member of Apogem's Executive Leadership Team as well as a member of the Private Credit Management Committee and Investment Committee. He currently serves as the Co-Head of Sponsor Coverage with a particular focus on Insurance & Financial Services transactions and oversight of the Software & Technology Services practice. Mr. Kindorf founded the firm's Insurance & Financial Services practice in 2008. Prior to re-joining the firm, he served as Vice President in charge of Corporate Development for First Mercury Financial Corp., a publicly traded insurance carrier and MGA, where he led the company’s M&A activities and investor relations. Prior, he worked for Cochran Caronia Waller, a boutique investment bank serving the insurance industry. Mr. Kindorf earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations.

Mr. Roche has thirty years of experience in leveraged finance and has analyzed, originated and structured numerous transactions and served on several investment committees. Mr. Roche’s background also includes leading restructuring efforts at a number of large institutions. Prior to joining Willow Tree in February 2017, he was a Managing Director at GSO, Blackstone’s credit arm.  While at Blackstone/GSO, he led the private origination and execution effort for the firm’s sub-advised BDC platform, FS Investment Corp. and related funds, through its formative period.  During his tenure, this platform grew to become the world’s largest manager of BDCs with $17.2 billion in AUM as of December 31, 2016.  He previously held other senior roles at Blackstone/GSO, including as a Portfolio Manager for GSO’s CLO business.  Before joining Blackstone/GSO, he was a member of the investment team at the Royal Bank of Canada from 2001 until 2005.  Prior to his tenure at the Royal Bank of Canada, Mr. Roche held positions at Fitch Ratings, Inc., Nations Credit, and MetLife Capital.  He graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Economics.

Trevor is a Partner of LMP and a member of its Investment Committee. He joined the firm in 2010. Prior to LMP, Trevor was on the corporate development team at Morgan Stanley and participated in the evaluation and analysis of strategic transactions. Prior to Morgan Stanley, he was an Analyst at JPMorgan in its Technology, Media, and Telecom Investment Banking Group.

Trevor is a member of the Boards of Directors of Americana Partners, Billhighway, Engage People, Inc., Fortis Payment Systems, Net At Work and Warner Pacific, and previously served on the Boards of Directors of Mercer Advisors Inc, Keane Holdings LLC, National Auto Care and Worldwide Facilities LLC. He received his M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Brigham Young University.

Stephen Marquardt is a seasoned private equity professional with extensive experience investing in and building businesses across the insurance and financial services sectors. As an Investment Partner at BV Investment Partners, he focuses on partnering with management teams to accelerate growth, drive operational improvement, and create long-term value. His career reflects a strong track record of sourcing, executing, and managing investments in companies that are reshaping the insurance landscape through innovation, technology, and customer-centric solutions.

With deep expertise in the insurance industry, Stephen brings a strategic approach to identifying opportunities where capital and operational support can unlock significant growth potential. Stephen holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Merrimack College and an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Prior to joining Lightyear in 2020, Trevor was a Principal at Capital Z Partners where he spent nine years working on private equity investments in the financial services sector. Previously, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Citadel where he focused on M&A and corporate finance transactions. He began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Citi.

Trevor holds a B.A. in Economics from Hobart College.

Mr. Gardner is Founder & CEO of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC. He is a passionate student of the insurance distribution industry, having spent his entire 30-year career in the space.

Prior to co-founding Patriot, he was Regional President of AssuredPartners, Inc. (AP), one of the largest and fastest-growing insurance agencies in the United States. At AP, Mr. Gardner had strategic, financial and operational responsibility for its business in the Mid-Atlantic region, including acquisition sourcing and integration. AP is one of the insurance industry’s most notable success stories, acquiring over 150 agencies in its first five years of existence. Prior to AP, Mr. Gardner was a shareholder, Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Executive Committee of Bollinger, Inc., one of the nation’s largest privately held insurance services firms prior to its sale to Arthur J. Gallagher in 2013. In addition to the above, Mr. Gardner has held executive positions at Aon Corporation and Commerce Insurance Services.

Robert J. Klonk is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Unison Risk Advisors, one of the nation’s largest privately held and employee-owned insurance brokerage and risk management consulting firms.

A leader in the insurance field for more than 40 years, Robert led the 2020 creation of Unison Risk Advisors™, formed by the merger of Oswald and RCM&D, a Baltimore, Maryland-based risk and insurance firm. With an entrepreneurial approach, Unison is poised for expansive growth.

Robert demonstrates a steadfast commitment to the advancement and sustainability of the industry at-large and is an advocate for the critical role of the independent broker and advisor.

Klonk previously served as Chairman of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) and currently holds a position on the Executive Committee of the Board. He previously served as the Chairman of the Board of Assurex Global, an exclusive partnership of the most prominent privately held brokers in the world. He has served both organizations in membership and leadership capacities for more than 20 years. He previously was Chairman of The Council of Employee Benefits Executives in Washington D.C., and Council PAC, a political action committee that serves the broker community and employers.

Built on a solid history of developing and implementing breakthrough solutions to meet both the current and future needs of employers, Robert continues to be a prominent thought leader in the insurance industry. He is a frequent speaker and panelist and has been the recipient of various business and leadership recognitions throughout his career. In 2013, Robert was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of Oswald and promoted to the dual role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in February 2020. As a mark of his success and visionary approach, he also was recognized in 2013 as one of the Top 100 Insurance Industry Game Changers in the last century, by Leader’s Edge Magazine and CIAB.