Our Team

Our team is composed of experienced and trusted professionals focused on building relationships with our clients throughout the process. Each member possesses extensive market knowledge and expertise with the skills to serve both domestic and international companies.

About Us

Assisting clients in achieving their business goals for over 15 years.

Leadership

LEADERSHIP

Steven Pappas

PARTNER, M&A MI M&A ADVISOR

Steve is an experienced M&A professional with 15 years as an M&A Advisor and over 20 years in business management and sales leadership. He’s a skilled business development professional with a strong sense of urgency and connection to Business Owners and C-level executives. Prior to his M&A career, Steve was an executive within the Information Technology industry.

Steve is the former President of Connecticut Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) a community of trusted advisers to privately-held businesses and Association for Corporate Growth (AGC), a global association of professionals involved in mergers and acquisitions. Being active in these associations allows Steve to share his experiences and ideas with other professionals within the M&A industry. In addition to these professional organizations, Steve is a member of New Haven Manufacturers Association (NHMA) an active association of business owners and advisors.

Steve holds a designation as a Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&A MI), the professional standard in middle market transactions, and he specializes in manufacturing, distribution, technology and B2B service companies.

LEADERSHIP

Jeffrey Rich

PARTNER, M&A INVESTMENT BANKER, CFA

Jeff Rich has 25 years’ experience in buying and selling companies both nationally and internationally.
His clients include founders, family businesses, private equity groups, family offices, venture capital firms and corporations
Jeff loves to help company owners navigate the challenges of selling their companies and get them to the finish line. Jeff is himself a business owner, having founded or acquired several companies.

Prior to Touchstone, he worked as a proprietary equity trader, owned a large stake in a publicly traded uranium company, and provided insurance solutions to many of the world’s largest law firms.
When he is not serving clients, you might find Jeff in his church, backpacking with his six children in the mountains of Colorado or relaxing with his wife on a beach in Mexico.

LEADERSHIP

Deborah Agrafojo

PARTNER, M&A INVESTMENT BANKER

Deborah has influenced and directed strategic and owner-operator mergers and acquisitions in many different fields. She believes strongly that assisting a business to grow and develop strong practices is the best way to create a company that is poised for exit planning or gaining an equity growth partner.  Deborah supports industries including Food and Beverage, Life Sciences, Specialty Trades, and Business Services. 

Deborah took a less traditional route to investment banking, completing her FINRA certification after several other career choices.  As a young teen, she started her very first business – a commercial cleaning service.  Her passion for learning and drive for success included studying Microbiology, English Education, American History and Allergy Adapted Baking. 

Currently Deborah serves as President of XPX Hartford collaborating to help their private company clients build business value, transfer ownership and create a legacy of success in their lives and their communities.

Advisors

ADVISOR

Roy E. Johnson

M&A INVESTMENT BANKER

Roy has over forty years of business experience – encompassing corporate financial management, business consulting, entrepreneurship, education, investment banking, and mergers/acquisitions. His major corporate accomplishments include implementing company-wide capital appropriation and financial planning systems, along with shareholder value-based performance measurements, acquisition and internal investment valuations, and debt/equity financings, at Pitney Bowes.

Prior to this company, he held financial positions at General Foods, W. R. Grace, and Hertz Rent-a-Car. Roy was a founding shareholder, board member and financial advisor for a medical device company from 1988 through 2001. He raised capital for the initial transaction (a buyout) and assisted in the subsequent valuation and sale of the company. From 1993 through 2008, he was a partner with Vanguard Partners, a management consulting firm that he co-founded. He also co-founded another consulting firm, Corporate Strategy Inc., in the mid-1980s.

His consulting work has been broad-based and includes strategy development, financial planning and analysis, business and financial performance metrics, cost management and financial modeling.

His accomplishments have been featured in CFO magazine. He has written several articles and a book, Shareholder Value – A Business Experience, which was published in October 2001. He was also a contributing author to The Valuation Handbook, a 2010 publication.

Most recently, he has been involved in investment banking and financial advisory work, leading clients through the process of raising capital and buying/selling businesses. He has also been engaged in business analysis and valuations. Roy earned his Bachelor of Arts at Upsala College and his Master of Business Administration at Rutgers University.

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ADVISOR

Mark Hill

M&A ADVISOR

Mark has had a 25-year Wall Street career in Equity Trading which included roles as a Managing Director at such investment banks as Bear Stearns, ING, and Furman Selz. At Carlson Capital, a $5B Texas-based Hedge Fund, he was Head of Equity Trading in the areas of equity investing, including Merger Arbitrage and the transportation, industrial, and commodities sectors. As an operator, Mark was a partner at G2 Systems, a software implementation firm that specialized in accounting and financial risk management. G2 served clients that were major investment banks and Hedge Funds. Additionally, he has been a principal at Peak Funding Group, an asset-backed lender in the residential real estate industry. Mark holds a B.S. in Economics from the Tisch School at New York University.

ADVISOR

Joseph Von Ehr

M&A ADVISOR

Joe has over twenty-five years of M&A, financial and operational experience, both domestically and internationally. He began his career with Price Waterhouse and CFO experience at iconic companies such as Xerox, Colgate-Palmolive, GE, Singer, and Hercules Chemical. During 12 years of his tenure at Xerox, Joe had M&A responsibility for both the buy-side transaction process for strategic and tactical acquisitions, as well as supporting sell-side/divestment engagements.

Joe has a BA in History from Fairfield University and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University. He is a Professional-In-Residence at Fairfield University, mentoring business students to prepare them for their careers.

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ADVISOR

Tom Zhang

M&A ADVISOR

Tom has over 20 years of technology and business development experience in a variety of industries. Prior to joining Touchstone Advisors, Tom was an M&A advisor helping clients on buyside transactions through his own consulting firm. He mainly focused on tech-driven companies in materials/chemicals, clean energy, medical devices, and electronic component industries in the North American and European markets. He works with companies ranging from high-tech startups to multibillion dollar public companies.

Early in his career, Tom was a scientist leading product development from R&D to commercialization and worked with BD Medical, Siemens Energy, and United Technologies. Tom is passionate about discussing technology and its social impacts through the lens of public policy. Tom has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Ga Tech and a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado. He is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)®.

ASSOCIATE ADVISOR

Travis Bokina

M&A ADVISOR
Travis Bokina is an Associate M&A Advisor at Touchstone Advisors, having joined in 2023. Travis supports M&A deal execution, business development and marketing initiatives.

Travis has 12 years’ experience in business finance. Prior to joining Touchstone Advisors, Travis spent close to a decade advising individuals, families, and businesses on their insurance needs. On the commercial side, he has analyzed business practices to ensure they are properly covered but also utilized life insurance as part of his strategy to prepare business partners with buy/sell agreements in the unforeseeable event that something was to occur.

Travis earned his B.A. in Finance and his MBA from Lindenwood University. On the personal side, Travis coaches ice hockey at various youth levels, high school, and the NCAA Division 1 and 3 levels. Currently he serves as an Assistant Coach for the NCAA Division 3 Albertus Magnus College.

ADVISOR

Mecheal Hamilton

M&A ADVISOR

Mecheal Hamilton has over 25 years of experience in financial sales, management, and business development. As a seasoned professional, she is dedicated to delivering exceptional results and has honed her skills in cultivating [business] relationships, driving revenue growth and consistently generating outstanding results for her clients.

By leveraging her expertise, market insights and strategic thinking, she has also contributed to the overall success of the organizations she has worked with.

Mecheal’s commitment to family and maintaining close relationships defines her both personally and professionally. She is dedicated to continuing her career driving growth, building relationships, and making a lasting impact in the financial sector.

Mecheal lives in Farmington and is a proud parent to two children and a loving grandparent to Max. Her son, Michael, has established a successful insurance career in Connecticut while her daughter, Margaux has embarked on an exciting path in California, pursuing a career in comedy. Despite the distances, they manage to maintain a close bond and cherish the times they can be together for vacations and holidays.

ASSOCIATE ADVISOR

Jorge Boero

M&A ADVISOR

Jorge began his career creating and managing networking events in the oil and gas industry where his outstanding results proved his ability to connect the dots inside the corporate world. Recruited by a Slovak VC, Jorge spent over 7 years dealing with Investors Relationships, in sectors such as Startups, Life Science, Green Technology and FinTech.

Jorge was born in Bolivia in the middle of a Diplomatic Family and later left Bolivia at age 15. He graduated high school from The People´s Republic of China and later traveled to Slovakia to study Organizational Management at Comenius University, specializing in Corporate Conflict Resolution. He has a Master´s degree in Foreign Commerce from the Valencia Polytechnical University.

ADVISOR

Lauren Altschuler, CBI

M&A Advisor
Lauren’s extensive experience in business sales, leadership and marketing combined with her role as a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI), positions her exceptionally well to guide the sale of privately held businesses. Her primary focus is on enabling sellers to realize the full potential of their investment by converting their hard-earned business value into liquid assets. This process is carefully managed to ensure maximum returns.

Her approach is client-centric, with a strong emphasis on understanding and prioritizing the specific goals of each business owner. By leveraging her expertise, Lauren enhances the value of her clients’ primary asset—their business. This involves strategic planning and coordinating with the right transition team to ensure all elements are aligned for a successful and profitable transaction.

Lauren’s dedication to her clients extends beyond the immediate sale. She is committed to their long-term financial well-being, ensuring that the sale of their business is not just a transaction, but a pivotal moment in securing their financial future. Her comprehensive and meticulous approach in managing the sale process reflects her commitment to excellence and her clients’ success.    
ADVISOR

Dave Clough

M&A Advisor
Dave Clough is an experienced M&A Advisor and business consultant. He brings decades of experience helping business owners with mergers and acquisitions, exit strategies, growth initiatives and staff development. Dave has advised over 100 companies and recently wrote a book, Perfect Hire Blueprint, so that lower middle market businesses could improve their talent acquisition process. When businesses/owners are not quite ready to sell, Dave helps companies grow, develop exit strategies, and gets companies positioned to sell utilizing Touchstone’s Exit Advantage program.

Dave began his career as an Electrical and Computer Engineer, first in design, then sales support, and rather quickly into leadership positions. In large companies, he managed design teams, applications engineers and was the Director of Consulting. Dave was involved in many acquisitions at a tech company, which has grown to be on the Nasdaq-100.

Dave is currently serving as Chairman of the Board for a 100-person mechanical contractor and has helped companies with stints as temporary president and GM. Dave also served a 3-year term as a Selectman for the Town of Acton, MA. While Dave grew up in New Hampshire, most of his career was in Massachusetts. In 2017, he moved to Gilford, NH.External    
ASSOCIATE ADVISOR

Julie Chakrin

M&A Advisor
Julie is an Associate M&A Advisor at Touchstone Advisors. Julie plays a critical role in transaction execution, business development, and marketing initiatives. She has provided consulting services to help businesses grow and thrive since 2008, with deep expertise in business process automation and human resources. Her experience spans a wide range of industries including manufacturing, distribution, B2B and B2C service companies to name a few. She graduated from Brandeis University with a degree in English.
ASSOCIATE ADVISOR

Raymond Foucault

M&A ADVISOR, Consulting

Raymond has successfully raised capital to position many companies for growth and a strategic exit over more than 30 years.
Known for his innovative solutions to dealmaking, over his career he also has founded and built several companies in software, banking, manufacturing and airline. 

He has served as either as CEO or director in each company. Raymond marries the financial acumen gained as a CPA at Arthur Andersen with real world experience.
He has lived the struggle business owners face when they wish to grow quickly and knows how to impart wisdom with a smile and a good joke.
Raymond proven leadership skills and passion for client service add to the strength of our team of proven advisors.
A student of culture the world over, Raymond has visited 72 countries so far, and can’t wait to visit the next 72.

FOUNDER

Michael W. Camerota

J.D., M&AMI PRINCIPAL, M&A ADVISOR

Founder of Touchstone Advisors, Michael Camerota has 40 years of professional and personal experience in business purchases and sales, family business issues, and marketing and sales.

Before founding Touchstone Advisors, Mike was an owner and officer of Camerota Truck Parts, a remanufacturing and distribution company with more than 150 employees, eight locations, and more than $35 million in sales. Earlier, Mike was a practicing attorney in Connecticut for 12 years, founded and served as the director of the University of New Haven Center for Family Business and operated a consulting practice to family businesses.

Mike serves on the Board of Directors of M&A Source, an international organization with more than 350 M&A dealmakers including intermediaries, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, financial planners, and others involved in the M&A process. From M&A Source, he has earned the prestigious designation of Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI), as well as several other professional designations. He is also Past President of the New England Business Brokers Association (NEBBA).

Mike holds a B.A. degree from Providence College and a Juris Doctor degree from the University Of Connecticut School Of Law.

Industry Advisory Board

Support Team

Due Diligence Coordinator

Beginning at the first meeting with a client, The Due Diligence Coordinator gathers and organizes the information and documents necessary to complete the sale. Performing such due diligence early allows us to identify, disclose, and resolve troublesome issues before a letter of intent is signed. Addressing these issues beforehand allows us to present the company’s information and instill confidence in the buyer. This shortens the due diligence period between the execution of the letter of intent and actual closing.

Marketing Coordinator

The role of Marketing Coordinator is essential to identifying the best potential acquirers for our business owner clients. Marketing also plans local events and digital media to advertise to potential buyers.

Specialized CIM Writer

The Confidential Information Memorandum Writer specializes in researching our clients’ industries and competitors. The writer gathers relevant and significant information in one place for potential buyers, a crucial piece in positioning a company in the marketplace.

Research Assistant

Assisting our Due Diligence Coordinator, CIM Writer, and our Advisors. The Research Assistant (RA) gathers data and information to support and verify information in our M&A activities. The RA plays a significant role behind-the-scenes at Touchstone.