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GUIDING A SELECT GROUP OF
CLIENTS THROUGH THEIR MOST
IMPORTANT STRATEGIC DECISIONSQuartz Advisory Group is a boutique investment bank
and placement agent focused on providing
strategic, financial and advisory services
Who Is Quartz?
Quartz Advisory Group provides strategic, financial and advisory services for companies as they navigate their competitive landscape. Industries we focus on include healthcare, life sciences and technology.
Our philosophy differs from the traditional investment banking model. Every engagement we accept will be managed from beginning to end by a partner or a principal, each with 25+ years of experience.
OUR TEAM
karen Blando
Managing Partner
Karen has over thirty years of experience advising companies and facilitating the execution of several hundred transactions in roles as head of institutional equity sales, director of research and as an investment banker.
Prior to forming Quartz, Karen was a Partner at San Francisco based investment banking boutique, BTIG. Under her leadership, she developed and managed the equity research team, whose primary focus became healthcare and technology. Simultaneous to research, Karen led the equity research sales division, also built from the ground up. Her strength in product knowledge and distribution led her to investment banking where her insight into the intersection of healthcare and technology culminated in forming a newly-focused banking vertical, Digital Health.
Before joining BTIG, Karen was the head of US quantitative research distribution at Macquarie Capital. Prior to Macquarie, Karen spent nearly a decade at Bank of America Securities where she was the head of institutional equity sales. Earlier in her career she held senior institutional sales roles at firms including Cowen and Company and Brown Brothers Harriman.
Karen holds a degree in Finance from Kansas State University.
Michael is a consultant and investor with over 30 years of experience primarily focused on the life sciences and healthcare industries, including medical technology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and services.
Prior to forming Quartz, Michael spent fourteen years as an analyst and health care investor, both long and short, at Jennison Associates, one of the worlds largest investment managers. Prior to joining Jennison, Michael was a consultant for over 15 years, including Boston Consulting Group, to senior managements primarily in the healthcare field focusing on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Mr. Bator holds a BA from Princeton University in Psychology, with a concentration in Neurophysiology, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Michael Bator
Partner
Michael Bator
Partner
Michael is a consultant and investor with over 30 years of experience primarily focused on the life sciences and healthcare industries, including medical technology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and services.
Prior to forming Quartz, Michael spent fourteen years as an analyst and health care investor, both long and short, at Jennison Associates, one of the worlds largest investment managers. Prior to joining Jennison, Michael was a consultant for over 15 years, including Boston Consulting Group, to senior managements primarily in the healthcare field focusing on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Mr. Bator holds a BA from Princeton University in Psychology, with a concentration in Neurophysiology, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Joe Blando
Partner
Joe has more than 30 years of financial service and advisory experience.
Joe began his career in audit and advisory at PriceWaterhouse Coopers. As a commercial banker, he managed a portfolio of real estate development loans and working capital lines of credit. After transitioning to Wall Street, Mr. Blando held senior business development roles at firms including Neuberger & Berman, Merrill Lynch and led investor relations for Wilshire Associates’ private equity fund-of-funds business, covering all categories of institutional asset owners and their consultants. Most recently, he served as the CFO of a NY based family office.
Mr. Blando received a BSBA degree in Accounting from Rockhurst College and an MBA from Tulane University.
Tom is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of healthcare finance, banking, operating and strategy experience as a Chief Financial Officer, investment banker and equity research analyst. Previously, Tom served as EVP & CFO of Cota Healthcare, a Real World Evidence company focused on precision medicine in oncology.
Prior to Cota, Mr. Gallucci was a Managing Director at Cain Brothers, a leading independent healthcare investment banking firm, where he provided merger and acquisition advice, as well as capital-raising services, to the healthcare services sector. As a senior banker he led the firm’s Medical Laboratory practice and co-led its Pharmacy and Outsourced Services practices, working with leading industry players and middle market companies alike, as well as private and public equity investors.
Mr. Gallucci was a highly-ranked sell-side equity research analyst at firms including Merrill Lynch, Lazard Capital Markets and Bear Stearns, having covered a wide spectrum of healthcare services businesses during his career. In 2008, he had the unique honor of being simultaneously named to the Institutional Investor All-America team in two separate categories – Healthcare Distribution/Technology and Healthcare Facilities.
He began his career at Ernst & Young and holds a B.S. with High Honors in Accounting from Lehigh University. He is also a Principal of Strategic Healthcare Advisory and a member of the Advisory Board at Prognos, a leading healthcare data and analytics company.
Thomas Gallucci
Senior Advisor
Thomas Gallucci
Senior Advisor
Tom is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of healthcare finance, banking, operating and strategy experience as a Chief Financial Officer, investment banker and equity research analyst. Previously, Tom served as EVP & CFO of Cota Healthcare, a Real World Evidence company focused on precision medicine in oncology.
Prior to Cota, Mr. Gallucci was a Managing Director at Cain Brothers, a leading independent healthcare investment banking firm, where he provided merger and acquisition advice, as well as capital-raising services, to the healthcare services sector. As a senior banker he led the firm’s Medical Laboratory practice and co-led its Pharmacy and Outsourced Services practices, working with leading industry players and middle market companies alike, as well as private and public equity investors.
Mr. Gallucci was a highly-ranked sell-side equity research analyst at firms including Merrill Lynch, Lazard Capital Markets and Bear Stearns, having covered a wide spectrum of healthcare services businesses during his career. In 2008, he had the unique honor of being simultaneously named to the Institutional Investor All-America team in two separate categories – Healthcare Distribution/Technology and Healthcare Facilities.
He began his career at Ernst & Young and holds a B.S. with High Honors in Accounting from Lehigh University. He is also a Principal of Strategic Healthcare Advisory and a member of the Advisory Board at Prognos, a leading healthcare data and analytics company.
OUR SERVICES
Strategic and financial advisory
We work with our clients to develop critical business development initiatives in all aspects of strategy and capital structure. Raising capital in today’s PE and VC environment, awash with institutional money, is not as difficult as it once was. But finding the right partner, at the right valuation, to invest and grow with your business may be more difficult than ever. Since all capital raises are multi-faceted, rushing out to meet investors may not be the correct strategy. The capital raising process begins by having a clear understanding of the investor landscape, whether its venture capital, private equity, institutional, family offices or foundations and endowments. We strongly advise our companies to seek investors who will be their partners for future growth.
Advise and support the development of financial projections
Critical to execution is a solid capital plan and realistic projections to meet the needs of the growing business.
Develop a Clear and Concise Message
Critical to securing optimal financing options and investor interest is the development of a clear message. We further refine the message into marketing collateral.
