Our Team

Michael E. Collins

Managing Principal

mcollins@equinovacapital.com
Direct: 312.854.8036
Mobile: 312.282.5462

Michael E. Collins is a partner and Managing Principal of EquiNova Capital Partners, LLC. Working from our Chicago office, he is focused on sourcing transactions, M&A advisory and executing private equity investments. His industry research includes authoring scores of articles for various publications, covering M&A best practices and trends in the building products industry and macroeconomic environment. Mike is a frequent moderator, presenter and speaker at industry associations, trade shows and online webinars. Mike has nearly 30 years of investment banking, financial advisory and transaction experience.

Mr. Collins began his career in 1995 as an investment advisor at what was then Dean Witter Reynolds. Several years after that company’s merger with Morgan Stanley, Michael was part of a small group of advisors that were invited to join the high net worth client division of Morgan Stanley. In the Private Wealth Management Group, Michael focused on meeting the complex investment needs of entrepreneurs and high net worth families. He joined Jordan, Knauff & Company in 2003, where he sourced and led the successful completion of numerous building products transactions.

Mr. Collins earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in Finance from Central Michigan University in 1994. At CMU, he was a member of the first class of Centralis Scholars and studied in Tokyo, Japan. In 2004, he received a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on finance and entrepreneurship from the University of Chicago. He lives in Chicago with his wife and their three children.

Walter S. Kurek

Managing Principal

Walter S. Kurek is a partner and Managing Principal of EquiNova Capital Partners, LLC. Based in Chicago, Walt works on M&A transactions and completing equity investments in private companies. Walt has over 35 years of executive, investment banking and transaction experience.

Mr. Kurek began his career at Arthur Andersen in the firm’s Enterprise Group practice, which focused on privately-held companies generating revenues in the $10 million to $100 million range. Following Andersen, Walt led the leveraged buyout of a manufacturing company and later was a principal with a boutique investment banking firm heavily involved in the consolidation of the rental industry. Over the course of his career, he has been involved with over one hundred middle market companies in his capacity as an investment banking advisor, manager and investor.

Mr. Kurek holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago. Walt has served on the Board of Directors of various private sector, public sector and civic organizations. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Walt lives in Chicago and is the proud father of twin daughters, Julie and Laura.