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Adam Birnbaum - Managing Director
Prior to founding Grandwood Securities, Mr. Birnbaum spent over 18 years working with some of the largest investment banks and financial institutions in the world. Mr. Birnbaum joined Dean Witter in 1985 where he supervised investment banking professionals and dedicated groups focused on serving the needs of multi-unit retail and restaurant establishments. During his career at Dean Witter, Mr. Birnbaum was a part of a team that helped to develop and create some of the most innovative securitized franchise finance structures. When Mr. Birnbaum joined Prudential Securities in May of 1997 as a Managing Director, he was one of the first investment bankers at a major full service Wall Street Firm to start and oversee an investment banking group specifically dedicated to serving the needs of business service and outsourcing companies.. During his career at Prudential Securities, Mr. Birnbaum was a member of the Business Review Committee, Investment Banking Fairness Opinion Committee and Group Head Management Committee. He also sat on the investment committee of Prudential’s Roman Arch Venture Capital Fund.
Mr. Birnbaum graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a BS in international business and finance where he was a recipient of the John Ben Snow Academic Scholarship and the Financial Executive Institute’s award for outstanding scholarship in Finance. Mr. Birnbaum received his MBA in Finance from New York University. Upon graduating from New York University, Mr. Birnbaum was with Touche Ross & Co.
Previous to founding Grandwood Securities, Mr. Mortell was a Managing Director and Group Head of the Private Equity Financing Group (“PEFG”) at Prudential Securities’ Investment Banking Division. Under Mr. Mortell’s rein, the PEFG became one of Prudential’s strongest franchises closing over 27 deals in a variety of industries and raising over $750 million of capital. Additionally, Mr. Mortell was involved with a number of other transactions including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, private debt and restructurings. Mr. Mortell was promoted to Group Head after just two years at Prudential and served on a number of different committees including the Roman Arch Fund investment Committee, the Management Committee responsible for running the investment bank and the Fairness Opinion Committee. Mr. Mortell was also a frequent lecturer at Private Equity Conferences and was widely quoted in industry magazines and periodicals.
Previous to Prudential, Mr. Mortell spent six years working for Zolfo, Cooper & Co. as a management consultant specializing in corporate turnarounds and restructurings. While at Zolfo, Cooper & Co., Mr. Mortell represented numerous debtor organizations including bankruptcy and out-of-court restructurings, in addition to representing creditors and creditor committees, both secured and unsecured, and also in and out of bankruptcy. Mr. Mortell also served as an interim chief financial officer for a $120 million specialty retailer.
Mr. Mortell began his career at the General Electric Company (“GE”) graduating from GE’s financial management program with honors and spending two years with GE’s highly-regarded corporate international audit staff.
Mr. Mortell received a B.S. degree from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. and received his MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Chicago. Mr. Mortell was also an instructor in Finance and Accounting at University of Chicago’s School of Continuing Education.
Prior to joining Grandwood Securities, Mr. Dawson was a Senior Associate in the Business Services & Consumer Group with Prudential Securities Investment Banking Group. While working at Prudential, Mr. Dawson worked with some of the leading business services and consumer companies in the world, including Jack Henry & Associates, Bunge Foods, Kraft, Interstate Bakeries and Electronics Boutique.
Before joining Prudential, Mr. Dawson practiced law for over five years focusing on commercial transactions & litigation, banking law, bankruptcy law, real estate law and collections. His clients included General Electric Capital, Chrysler Credit, MBNA and Dillards.
Mr. Dawson received his MBA from The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia and his BGS and JD from Louisiana State University.
Prior to joining Grandwood, Mr. Shotland spent 24 years working with some of the largest Investment Banks in the world. Most recently, Mr. Shotland spent nearly 15 years with CIBC World Markets (and its predecessor firm, Oppenheimer & Co., Inc., which was acquired by CIBC in 1997). From 2000 until 2008, Mr. Shotland was the Managing Director responsible for CIBC's proprietary venture capital investing in Healthcare. Mr. Shotland originated and managed venture investments across the full spectrum of Healthcare companies, including Healthcare Services, Medical Devices, Specialty Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology. In addition, Mr. Shotland represented CIBC on the Board of Director's for several portfolio companies.
From 2003 through 2008, Mr. Shotland also served as President, Director and/or Investment Committee member for several CIBC related entities within CIBC's International Sponsored Private Equity Funds Group.
From 1993 through 1999, Mr. Shotland held several positions within CIBC's Investment Banking Division and served as Managing Director from 1996 through 1999.
Prior to joining CIBC, Mr. Shotland was Vice President at the Investment Banking firm of Societe Generale Securities from 1990 through 1993, an Associate in Investment Banking at Dean Witter from 1988 thhrough 1990; and an Investment Banking Analyst at Dean Witter from 1984 through 1986.
Mr. Shotland received his B.S. degree, summa cum laude, from Boston University with a major in Accounting. Mr. Shotland received his MBA in Finance and Marketing from Columbia University.
Email: dshotland@grandwoodsecurities.com
Brian Zucker
Mr. Zucker has over 20 years experience as a Certified Public Accountant and began his career as a Senior Consultant at both Price Waterhouse and Deloitte Haskins and Sells. He holds a Bachelors degree in Public Accounting from Pace University in New York. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and New York State Society of CPA's. NASD licenses include series 7, 63, 24 & 27.
Adam Birnbaum - Managing Director 
Mylan Dawson - Managing Director
Brian Zucker 
