Meet Our Team

 

Eric L. Togneri is co-founder of the VR Mergers and Acquisitions office in South Atlanta (VR M&A). Before founding this office, Eric held various positions of increased responsibility during fifteen years in the consumer products goods industry. His professional tenure includes managerial level positions in sales, category management, and trade marketing. Eric has been associated with several high profile brand acquisitions and divestitures in the health and beauty industry. His most recent mergers and acquisitions work has focused on licensing and marketing of four brands focused on international extensions into new categories. This experience has provided in-depth exposure to the creation and execution of numerous successful brand expansion initiatives.

 

Prior to founding this office of VR M&A, Mr. Togneri held the position of Trade Marketing Director at Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, a leading manufacturer of over-the-counter brands such as Advil, Centrum, Robitussin, and ChapStick. In this position Mr. Togneri managed trade strategy and investment for the entire Wyeth Consumer Healthcare portfolio, providing budgetary oversight and corporate responsibility for brand growth initiatives. Mr. Togneri has recently completed consulting engagements with several major manufacturers including Pfizer, American Marketing Enterprises, and Wyeth; and retailers including Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, and Albertson's. During his fourteen years in consumer products goods, Eric held several key positions including leadership of the Wyeth Category Management team for top US Drug retailers and sales management for top customers at both Wyeth and L'Oreal. His experience spans seven of the top ten health and beauty care categories. Mr. Togneri is a graduate of the University of Iowa and received his Masters in Business Administration degree from the J.M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh.

 

Michael Togneri

Managing Partner

 

Michael Togneri is the Managing Partner of the VR M&A. Mike brings to each client relationship, the highest level of integrity, combined with over 35 years of sales, marketing and management experience with small, middle market and large corporations. Currently, Mike serves as Chairman of the Board and is the former CEO of a southeast regional environmental services company. During his diverse career, he has held the following key management positions with private and public corporations: Vice President of Sales and Marketing for a national farm equipment manufacturer; a Divisional Vice President and General Manager for a Fortune 500 environmental services company; President of a "contract" manufacturing company; and co-founder of a national biosolids management services company.

 

Mike's career experience gives him in-depth knowledge for business start-ups, managing multi-million dollar businesses, developing and executing a "roll-up strategy", launching product lines, writing and executing business plans, and private business valuations. As an intermediary, his experience will assist the seller in positioning their company in maximizing their enterprise value. Further, his experience will assist the buyer in selecting the right business that closely matches the buyers' financial objectives and management strengths. Mike attended St. Andrews Presbyterian College with a major in marketing. He also holds a Georgia Real Estate License.

 

Drake Bivins

Qualifying Broker

 

Currently serving as Broker for VR Mergers and Acquisitions and Tri-State Realty Group, Drake’s brokerage career began in 1987.  After completing his MBA at Georgia State University, he focused primarily on Commercial Real Estate for many years in the Atlanta area.

 

Drake moved into the residential real estate market representing local and national builders in their new home subdivisions several years later.  He was soon promoted to Managing Broker for a national franchise brokerage working with builders and developers managing new and resale agents as well as training new agents on staff.  He further diversified owning a residential construction company building new homes and renovating older estate homes in the Northern Atlanta market. Drake later became Managing Broker for another national brokerage firm managing a residential resale office and now oversees transactions for VR.

 

Jean Peck

Commercial Realtor

 

Through her relationship with VR, Jean now has the ability to sell businesses under the #1 business brokerage brand in the world. Jean’s diverse background includes service in the United States Air Force as a pilot with the Alaska Air National Guard.  She continued her flying career with United Airlines for another 15 years, but decided on a change in livelihood in 2004 when she became a licensed REALTOR.

 

Jean brings her zest for life and its challenges to every commercial real estate and business deal.  It is her pleasure to help her clients and customers bring their real estate desires to life.

 

Theresa Togneri

Business Intermediary

 

Theresa Togneri is a Sales Associate and founding member of VR M&A. Theresa has a distinguished career as a publisher, an educator and community leader that has spanned the last fifteen years. Theresa founded Biz. Magazine, a unique local magazine with relevant content for small to mid-sized businesses with advertising appeal to the B2B product and service provider. As and educator, she served as a foreign language teacher specializing in Spanish and exploratory curriculum in linguistics, French, Latin, German and Japanese. She held numerous leadership positions at the Junior and Senior High level including Event Planner, Activities Coordinator, Fundraiser, Curriculum Developer, Translator and Coach. Theresa plays an active role in the community with leadership roles in Mothers of Preschoolers, church activities, and community social initiatives. All of these accomplishments pale in comparison to her contribution to her family including her two sons Joseph and Joshua. In all, a solid background of leadership, coaching and education. Ms. Togneri is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Spanish and a focus on the sciences.

 

Kimberly Castaneda

Director, Business Development

 

Kimberly manages Business Development for VR Mergers & Acquisitions. Prior to working with VR Mergers & Acquisitions, Kimberly has held various with both Sell-side and Buy-Side Intermediary firms in the mid-west. Kimberly was previously with Mallard Capital Partners in Chicago. While working at Mallard, she coordinated all potential deal flow for Mallard with the Private Equity Groups and Strategic Acquirers. She was involved in acquisitions in a variety of industries. Including: Consumer Goods, Healthcare, Housewares and Business Services. She has been involved in the completion of acquisitions totaling over $400 MM during her tenure with Mallard. Kimberly is a member of Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), and International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) and has completed several courses to obtain the CBI license (Certified Business Intermediary).

 

VR is the most successful company in the world at selling and buying businesses.

 

VR Has Sold More Businesses in the World Than Anyone.®