Our team members:

Brandt Brereton, Co-Founder, Managing Director

Brandt Brereton is a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Brereton, Hanley and Company. Working in the capital markets since 1987, he has more than a decade of experience in providing strategic and financial advice to owners of closely held private and public companies and in negotiating their divestitures to Fortune 500 buyers. Mr. Brereton’s financial advisory experience spans many industries from Agriculture, Food and Beverages to Construction, Tax Consulting, Financial Services and Facilities Services.

Prior to founding Brereton, Hanley and Company, Mr. Brereton managed and grew a family owned distribution business for two years gaining valuable experience and empathy with his clients.

Previously, he had been with the investment banks of Kidder, Peabody & Co., Inc. and Bateman Eichler-Hill Richards, Inc, respectively providing corporate finance and asset management services to clients.

Mr. Brereton holds a B.A. in Finance from San Jose State University and is currently attending Harvard’s Business School Executive Education Program. He is an NASD and SEC registered securities principal and a licensed California Real Estate Broker.

William Brereton, Co-Founder, Chairman

William Brereton is a Co-Founder and Chairman of Brereton, Hanley and Company. He is responsible for overall company administration.

Mr. Brereton has extensive experience with private and publicly held emerging growth companies. Prior to co-founding Brereton, he oversaw the management of his personal business investments. Previously, he was the CEO of a privately held company, which he had divested from a larger business unit. Mr. Brereton is a skilled negotiator and has managed, as a principal, the acquisition of a privately held company by a larger publicly traded company. He eventually re-acquired the business. He was also involved in the merger of two privately held firms, which subsequently resulted in an initial public offering in excess of $180 million.

In additon to his board level service to many privately held companies, he is also serves the non-profit community as well as serving on various sub-committes of the Rotary Club of Downtown San Jose. He is also an active board member of the American Cancer Society, VIA Rehabilitation Services and the YMCA.

Jared Hanley, Principal

Jared Hanley is a Principal with Brereton, Hanley and Company. He heads up Brereton’s industry research effort. Mr. Hanley has six plus years of investment banking and consulting experience with a broad base of capital raising and mergers and acquisition experience.

Prior to joining Brereton, Mr. Hanley was an analyst with Lehman Brothers, Salomon Smith Barney and Wedbush Morgan Securities, serving regional and national clients in a variety of industries. He has also developed expertise in financial modeling and business valuation. Mr. Hanley authored several major publications while at Lehman Brothers, including overviews of the Asset Management and E-Finance Industries.

Mr. Hanley founded a successful SAT tutoring company. He authored, financed and produced an extensive SAT course curriculum that is now in widespread use.

Mr. Hanley has a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Cognitive Science, both from Yale University. He is also a level two candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst Program.

Robert Soto, Principal

Robert Soto is a Principal with Brereton, Hanley & Company. He is an experienced operating executive who specializes in restructuring and repositioning companies.

Mr. Soto’s background covers more than 25 years of operating executive management experience with technology-based companies. He was instrumental in the turnaround and positioning of numerous companies for future growth effecting $70+ million in bottom line improvements. A disciplined strategist with a track record of developing new markets while utilizing existing capabilities, he has implemented operational improvements taking growth planning from concept to completion.

Mr. Soto has been CEO, President and COO of a number of companies. His focus has been on technology companies in transition, where dynamic decision-making have been key in positioning companies for growth and improved performance.

Companies at which Mr. Soto held senior executive positions include: NETg -- a $70M world leading multimedia software and management platform company, Ampex Video Systems Corporation -- a $100M broadcast systems company, Braegen Corporation -- a $35M large-scale networking and computer products company, and Ball Corporation Computer Products -- a computer peripherals and systems company.

He also has managed early stage companies. Examples include SuperSite.Net, an e-business solutions company for semiconductor equipment markets, OverNite Software, an enterprise-wide software solutions provider for the process industries, and Valley Data Sciences, a software driven solutions company. Mr. Soto has also consulted on various projects at the request of senior executives and the board of directors of both large and medium size companies including IBM, Litton Solid State, Electroglas, and General Monitors.

Mr. Soto has B.S, Engineering and MBA degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles.

George J. Demos, Principal

George J. Demos is the founder and principal of CFO Resources. Mr. Demos has spent over 20 years in public accounting and private industry. His industry experience includes several years as the Chief Financial Officer of a leading international agricultural company as well as CFO positions in wholesale distribution, medical practice management and insured group benefits.

In Mr. Demos' years in private industry he has been involved in mergers and acquisitions, which include medical practices, wholesale beverage distribution, agricultural companies, and packing operations, including the largest potato packing operations in California. He was part of a management team that began a nationwide insured group benefit company, raising startup capital and providing organizational expertise. Mr. Demos has led many successful computer systems conversions ranging from industry specific applications and general accounting software to proprietary software systems. He has been instrumental in the restructuring of administration systems and operations to ensure efficient, accurate, and timely management information, thereafter using such tools to increase profitability.

Mr. Demos spent several years in public accounting assisting clients in the areas of operational consulting, business consulting, and mergers & acquisitions as he led the development of a Management Consulting Services division as a partner of a regional CPA firm.

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