Shawn is a Managing Director with Lazear Capital Partners and manages the Northeast Ohio/Cleveland market.

A Cleveland-area native, Shawn brings over 30 years of diverse corporate finance, investing, operations and advisory experience to Lazear.  On the principal side, Shawn has spent over 15 years focused on the middle market and lower middle market, sourcing, evaluating and managing private equity investments with The Edgewater Funds (Chicago), South Franklin Street Partners and Cyprium Partners (fka Key Principal Partners).  Several of these investments were in ESOP companies where he saw firsthand the compelling benefits and “win-win-win” nature of an ESOP transaction.

On the Investment Banking and Advisory side, Shawn has spent over five years working with a wide variety of client companies, founders and families, all in the middle market, helping them chart the appropriate course for their needs, whether it be a capital raise, a restructuring, a sale or a merger of their business.  It was in this arena where he was first introduced to ESOP transactions.  He worked with Carleton, McCreary, Holmes & Co. (nka Key Capital Markets) and Loughlin-Meghji and Company.

In addition to his PE/Investing and Investment Banking background, Shawn gained operating experience in his role as Senior Vice President of Operations and Administration at Big Rock Sports, a North Carolina-based distributor of hunting, fishing, camping and marine products and accessories, where he was responsible for the efficient operations of six warehouses across the country totaling over 500,000 sq. feet, with 300 associates and 110,000 sku’s.

His first role was in internal operations as a Treasury Analyst at Key Bank, and he also gained valuable insight and experience as a Commercial Loan Workout Officer at Key, working with challenged companies.

Shawn is also a serial entrepreneur, having started and run several successful smaller enterprises early in his career.

Shawn received his B.S. degree, cum laude, from the undergraduate division of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the undefeated freshman football team.  He received his M.B.A. degree, with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.