Annual Capital Markets Panel and Luncheon 2025

Jeffrey A. McNamara – Managing Director, M&A Advisory and Co-Head of the Chicago Office of Kroll, LLC

Jeff McNamara is a Managing Director in the Diversified Industrials M&A Advisory practice at Kroll and Co-Head of the Chicago office. Jeff specializes in executing mergers and acquisitions (M&A), private placements and other corporate finance mandates as a member of the firm’s Diversified Industrials M&A practice. Jeff’s clients have included publicly traded, private equity sponsored and family-owned businesses across a range of industries, including manufacturing, specialty distribution and industrial services.

Prior to joining Kroll, Jeff worked at Lincoln International, where he advised private equity firms, hedge funds and other financial institutions in the valuation of illiquid and complex assets. Jeff started his career in investment banking at Renaissance Capital Group, advising on middle market merger and acquisition transactions.

Jeff received an MBA and MS in Accountancy from DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and a BS in Business Administration from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. He is a FINRA Series 7, 63 and 79 registered representative and served on the Midwest Manufacturing Committee for the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG). Jeff is also a frequent speaker on topics concerning M&A and corporate finance. 

John Swift, CFA®, CPA – Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer

John has more than 30 years of institutional and private wealth management experience.  He started his career as an Investment Analyst and ultimately a Portfolio Manager for a large Wall Street firm, Neuberger Berman.  In the 90s he headed up the well-respected Investment Consulting and Pension Consulting practice of Ibbotson Associates where he worked with some of the largest public and private pension plans and investment management firms.  John joined the Private Client Wealth Management practice of Bernstein Research and Investment Management in 1999, and then formed his own investment advisory practice serving the investment management and wealth planning needs of both wealthy families and institutions in 2003.

John is a Chartered Financial Analyst®, a Certified Public Accountant, and earned his Master’s Degree from the University Of Chicago Graduate School of Business with emphasis in Quantitative Finance and Econometrics.  He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Iowa State University.  John is a Finance Instructor for both the Becker/Schweser CFA Review Program, as well as Loyola University, and he has won Chicago Magazine’s “Chicago’s Top Private Wealth Managers” award since its inception in 2010.