About
This webinar, hosted by The Food Institute, will look at the major M&A trends in the food and beverage industry in 2024, featuring a presentation by John Siegler of BMO Capital Markets followed by a round-table discussion between Siegler, BMO Managing Director and Team Leader of the Food, Consumer and Agribusiness Group Betsy Erdelyi and The Food Institute Vice President of Content and Client Relationships Chris Campbell.

John Siegler will discuss food and beverage industry trends impacting M&A: how macro-economic policies, the shifting deal-making sentiment post-election, and capital markets volatility are affecting the transaction environment across major consumer industry sub-segments and what financial and growth characteristics companies must demonstrate to be valued highly by both strategic and financial buyers.

The topics covered in the webinar will include the following:

  • Why major CPG acquisitiveness remains stable and a core growth strategy

  • How tighter credit markets, inflationary expectations, forecasted tariff/trade policies, and a more lax regulatory environment will impact deal sentiment, valuations, and go-to- market timing

  • What sub-segments are hot and what consumer trends are attracting entrepreneurship, growth investment, and acquisition activity

  • Private equity investing: platforms; process discipline and negotiation tactics; risk tolerance; consumer behavior analytics; valuation dynamics

  • Thoughts on the robustness of the M&A market for the 2nd half of 2025 and current preparation requirements as one plans for a potential sale


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    Sponsored by:

    BMO
    Food, Consumer and Agribusiness Group

    Whether you’re a producer, processor, retailer or distributor every company throughout the food and beverage continuum needs a financial partner that understands the factors that impact their business. From emerging consumer trends and industry consolidation, to commodity fluctuations and economic cyclicality, BMO’s Food, Consumer, and Agribusiness Group understands the issues affecting your company and are dedicated to serving the entire food and beverage industry – from farm to consumer.

    To learn more about how we can help, visit https://commercial.bmo.com/en/us/industry-expertise/food/.

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    When
    Wednesday, April 16, 2025 · 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT -4:00)
    Presenters
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    John Carey Siegler
    Managing Director and Head of Food, Consumer, and Retail Middle Market M&A at BMO Capital Markets
    John Carey Siegler is a Managing Director and Head of Food, Consumer, and Retail Middle Market M&A at BMO Capital Markets. Mr. Siegler has been an investment banker for more than 35 years. Prior to his role at BMO, John was a Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, Piper Jaffray, Dain Raucher Wessels and Volpe Brown & Whelen, where he ran each firm’s private placement group and consumer/retail investment banking teams. Additionally, he founded and served as a managing partner for Capital Run LLC, which was merged into D.A. Davidson. Previously he was at Montgomery Securities and Paine Webber, Inc. in San Francisco.

    Mr. Siegler has worked as a financial strategic advisor to leading food/beverage, consumer, technology, and retail/restaurant companies. He has advised on IPO’s, private placements, fairness opinions, and merger and acquisition transactions for a broad variety of companies including Nature Nate’s, Harvest Food Group, Qualitek, Three Bears Alaska, Vero Water, Ebbets Field Flannels, Black Bear Diner, Rogue Creamery, Bubbies Mochi, La Tortilla Factory, Mod Pizza, Cabela’s, Organic to Go, Pacific Coast Restaurants, Gart Sports, Wycoff Farms, Cool Cuts 4 Kids, Zoots, LeeAnn Chin, House of Blues, Seattle Hospitality, Image-X, Blue Rhino, Rosella’s Fruit & Produce, Tweeter, Crocs, Guitar Centers, Wild Oats Markets, Rainforest Café, Rock Bottom Restaurants, Cross Town Trader, Nordstrom.com, and WeddingChannel.com.

    He graduated from Princeton University in 1977 and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1982.
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    Betsy Erdelyi
    Managing Director and Team Leader at BMO Bank’s Food, Consumer & Agribusiness Group
    Betsy is a Managing Director and Team Leader in BMO Bank’s Food, Consumer & Agribusiness Group, where she is responsible for initiating and executing corporate banking transactions and facilitating advisory assignments for North American value added food processing companies including dairy, bakery, beverage, snack, and fruit and vegetable processors. Her career in corporate banking spans over 30 years with experience in a number of disciplines. Prior to joining BMO, Betsy worked at Fleet Bank and Union Chelsea National Bank in New York and her previous experience includes in and out of court financial restructurings. Betsy joined BMO in 1995.

    Betsy is a Board Member of the IDFA Executive Counsel and the IDFA Cheese Segment Board and is a Board Member of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association.
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    Chris Campbell
    Vice President of Content and Client Relationships at The Food Institute
    Chris Campbell has been with The Food Institute since 2015, and currently serves as Vice President of Content and Client Relationships. He helps lead content direction across the company’s written, video, and podcast content. Additionally, he is the host of The Food Institute Podcast and acts as moderator for a variety of the company's webinars, seminars, and livestream events. Chris has covered several elements of the industry in his time with The Food Institute, including markets analysis, regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, and demographic reviews, giving him a comprehensive view of the state of the industry. Chris is an alumnus of Rutgers University, and is an avid hiker in his spare time.
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