Background and Experience
Paragon Capital Group, LLC was formed in May 2006. The founders have over 25 years of investment banking and financial advisory experience and have advised on over 100 M&A and capital raising transactions with aggregate value in excess of $10 billion
In March 2007, ParaCap Group, LLC ("ParaCap"), our broker/dealer was formed
and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paragon Capital Group, LLC.
In January 2008, we formed Paragon Investment Advisors, LLC to serve as general partner of Paragon Small Cap Fund I, which began trading in February 2008. PIA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paragon Capital Group, LLC.
Biographies
William G. Areklett, Co-Founder / Managing Director
Mr. Areklett founded Paragon Capital Group ("PCG") with Jeffrey S. Boyle in May 2006. Together with Mr. Boyle, Mr. Areklett oversees the advisory, capital raising and investing activities of ParaCap Group, which is PCG's broker/dealer subsidary, and directs the investment strategy of Paragon Invesment Advisors, which is a PCG subsidiary that serves as the general partner of a long/short equity hedge fund. As an investment banker and financial advisor for 15 years, Mr. Areklett has been responsible for capital raising and M&A transactions totaling several billion dollars. During that time, he has gained significant expertise in the real estate, insurance, industrial and consumer sectors.
Prior to founding ParaCap, Mr. Areklett was a senior investment banker for five years in the Cleveland office of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. At FBR, he was responsible for business origination and processing in the Midwest region and headed its national homebuilding practice. Previously, Mr. Areklett worked for seven years in the Investment Banking Division of McDonald Investments. As a Managing Director, he helped run the Industrial Manufacturing and Distribution Group and initiated coverage of the telecom equipment and contract manufacturing industries. Before working at McDonald, he specialized in asset valuations as part of the Valuation Services Group of Arthur Andersen & Company in New York City.
Mr. Areklett received a Masters of Management degree with distinction from the accelerated 4-Quarter program at Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He also received a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Quantitative Economics from Stanford University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Jeffrey S. Boyle, CFA, Co-Founder / Managing Director
Mr. Boyle founded Paragon Capital Group with William G. Areklett in May 2006. Together with Mr. Areklett, Mr. Boyle oversees the advisory, capital raising and investing activities of ParaCap Group, which is PCG's broker/dealer subsidary, and directs the investment strategy of Paragon Invesment Advisors, which is a PCG subsidiary that serves as the general partner of a long/short equity hedge fund. Throughout his 20-year career, Mr. Boyle has been responsible for capital raising and M&A transactions totaling several billion dollars. During that time, he has gained significant expertise in the insurance and financial services sectors.
Prior to founding Paracap, Mr. Boyle was a Managing Director and the Head of Insurance Investment Banking Group for Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. At FBR, Mr. Boyle was responsible for founding the insurance practice which became a leading insurance equity underwriter. Additionally, he led multiple recapitalization, merger and acquisition and run-off transactions for insurance company clients while with FBR. Previously, Mr. Boyle worked for five years in the Financial Institutions Group of McDonald Investments where he was involved in executing numerous merger and acquisition transactions in the bank and thrift and insurance sectors. Before working at McDonald, he worked for four years as a bank examiner for the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and prior to that as a financial analyst with Capitol American Financial Corp.
Mr. Boyle is a Chartered Financial Analyst and received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Akron.
Charles R. Crowley, Principal / Managing Director
Charlie Crowley joined Paragon Capital Group, LLC in 2010 and is Managing Director and Principal. He has over 25 years of financial services industry experience, including over 20 years of investment banking. Mr. Crowley specializes in merger advisory and capital raising services for banks and thrifts as well as other financial services companies. Before joining Paragon Capital, Mr. Crowley was a Managing Director at Stifel Nicolaus where he spent five years focused on the firm’s community banking clients.
Prior to joining Stifel Nicolaus, Mr. Crowley established a Midwest community banking practice for Friedman Billings Ramsey through the creation of a Cleveland office. Prior to joining FBR, Mr. Crowley was a Managing Director and head of the Financial Services Group at McDonald Investments.
Mr. Crowley began his investment banking career at Trident Financial Corporation. Mr. Crowley is a Certified Public Accountant and started his career with Peat Marwick in Akron, Ohio where he specialized in the auditing of financial institutions.
Mr. Crowley received his B.A. and M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Michael C. Voinovich, Principal / Managing Director
Michael Voinovich joined Paragon Capital Group, LLC in 2010 and is Managing Director and Principal. In his 11 year investment banking career, he has completed numerous merger and acquisition transactions and capital raising assignments for financial institutions nationwide. Before joining Paragon Capital, Mr. Voinovich was a Managing Director at Stifel Nicolaus where he spent five years focused on the firm’s community banking clients in the Midwest and built a Western States practice.
Prior to joining Stifel Nicolaus, Mr. Voinovich was an investment banker at Friedman Billings Ramsey and at McDonald Investments. Prior to becoming an investment banker, Mr. Voinovich was a Corporate Finance Management Associate at KeyCorp.
Mr. Voinovich received his B.S. from John Carroll University
Chris M. Chapman / Vice President
Chris Chapman joined Paragon Capital Group, LLC in 2010 and is a Vice President. His focus is on merger advisory and capital raising services for banks and thrifts as well as other financial services companies. Before coming to Paragon, Mr. Chapman spent more than four years with
Stifel Nicolaus in the firm's financial institutions and real estate investment banking groups.
Prior to joining Stifel Nicolaus, Mr. Chapman worked for KeyBanc Capital Markets in the Real Estate Equity Research Group and Mayfair International, a technology-focused investment firm, as a research associate.
Mr. Chapman received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and his M.B.A. from The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.
Istvan Nadas joined Paragon Capital Group, LLC in 2010 and is an associate. His focus is on merger advisory and capital raising services for banks and thrifts as well as other financial services companies. Before coming to Paragon, Mr. Nadas worked for Stifel Nicolaus in the firm's financial institutions investment banking group.
Prior to joining Stifel Nicolaus, Mr. Nadas worked as a product analyst at Bristol West Insurance, where he supported the underwriting process for auto and home insurance across five states totaling over $150 million in written premium. Previously, Mr. Nadas held internships at Ninth Street Capital Partners, Boyd Watterson, Merrill Lynch, and Beese & Fulmer Investment Management.
Mr. Nadas received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.S. from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.
Steven Danford joined Paragon Capital Group, LLC in 2010 as an associate after interning with the group in 2008-2009. He supports the merger advisory, capital raising and investing activities of ParaCap Group as well as the investment strategy of Paragon Investment Advisors, which is a PCG subsidiary that serves as the general partner of a long/ short equity hedge fund.
Prior to joining Paragon, Mr. Danford worked as an analyst at The Premium Group where he performed research on the medical professional liability insurance market and supported the creation of an innovative underwriting process. Mr. Danford held internships with Paragon and CBIZ.
Mr. Danford received his B.S. from John Carroll University.
