William Blair expands to Denver with addition of Managing Director

By Edlyn Cardoza

William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, recently announced the addition of Michael Nelson as managing director in the firm’s growing Technology investment banking team. Drawing on his deep FinTech sector expertise and industry relationships, Nelson will play a pivotal role in the firm’s FinTech advisory growth, while expanding its investment banking footprint to include Denver.

“We are thrilled to have Mike, an investment banker with a unique and strategic eye for FinTech, join our growing, industry-leading Technology team,” said Peter Dalrymple, co-head of Technology investment banking at William Blair. “His addition continues an exciting period of momentum for our FinTech practice, the larger Technology group, and investment banking as a whole.”

“Our FinTech practice’s expertise centers on the complex technology behind payments, banking, insurance, wealth management, cryptocurrency, the office of the CFO, and regulatory compliance,” added Chris Lane, co-head of the Technology group. “Mike’s proven track record in these sectors, as well as his broader technology industry experience, will help us augment and elevate the solutions we provide across the industry.”

Nelson joins William Blair with a career spanning more than 20 years, most recently serving as managing director at FT Partners. Nelson’s experience in FinTech investment banking serves as a valuable differentiator in the counsel he can provide to clients about both the fintech vertical and trends in the broader technology market. Nelson’s expertise covers the full spectrum of advisory solutions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital raising, IPOs, and private placements. Nelson received his M.B.A. in finance from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his B.A. in economics from Brigham Young University.

“It is an honor to join William Blair’s FinTech franchise, a vital subsector within the firm’s comprehensive Technology group,” Nelson said. “The environment is collaborative and team-oriented, providing me with the opportunity to directly impact clients at a market-leading firm well known for its expert advice, integrity, strong values, and great people.”

In addition to FinTech, William Blair’s Technology investment banking group serves clients in broader technology subsectors including enterprise software; benefits and HR technology; digital media and marketing technology; e-commerce / e-retail; education technology; enterprise IT; gaming; human capital management; insurance technology; legal technology; managed services; outsourced / IT solutions providers; financial technology; security; and systems. The Investment Banking group’s expansion to Denver follows office openings in Charlotte (2017), Amsterdam (2019), and Atlanta (2020).