Vice President, Partnerships

About Ascend

Ascend empowers entrepreneurial CPAs to reach their goals with an innovative growth model that brings their firms into the new age. Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a modern platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a large CPA firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition, best-of-breed technology, a catalytic leadership system, shared back-office services, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges and reach their full potential. Founded in January 2023, the company attained revenues sufficient to qualify it as a Top 100 U.S. accounting firm within six months of operations.

For more information, visit ascendtogether.com.

About Alpine Investors

Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm that is committed to building great companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine prides itself on fostering cultures where people value empowerment, diversity, fairness, integrity, and intellectual honesty. Founded in 2001, Alpine specializes in investments in companies in the software and services industries. Alpine has over $17 billion in AUM and has offices in San Francisco, New York, and Salt Lake City.

For more information on the firm, visit www.alpineinvestors.com

Position Summary

Ascend is seeking a Vice President, Partnerships to lead the inorganic growth lever of the Ascend Growth Model. This role will focus on "platform" M&A, from target identification through transaction execution and handoff of our underwritten growth plan. This role is imperative to achieving our BHAG of becoming a top 20 Accounting firm with the most engaged employees in an industry we have revitalized.

Key Responsibilities

1. Pre-LOI Deal Execution:

• Run a pre-LOI deal execution function capable of generating offers for target firms quickly and efficiently.

• Train and manage a team of energetic deal professionals that support the Ascend strategy and can process a high volume of opportunities.

• Produce pitch and diligence presentation content that is zero-defect, visually appealing, and reflects the latest information from across our business.

• Run and evolve the due diligence playbook to drive enhanced outcomes.

• Build differentiated seller relationships and become a master of the Ascend pitch.

1. Post-LOI Deal Execution:

• Empower deal captains to run a post-LOI deal execution function capable of closing transactions in a timely manner with high NPS.

• Manage seller relationships and process timelines across multiple deals.

• Choose cost-effective service providers and templatize their work.

• Own negotiations and closing, ensuring signed LOIs translate to closing.

1. Collaboration for Rapid Organic Growth:

• Collaborate with Ascend’s President and relevant Regional President to tee up deals for rapid organic growth.

• Underwrite levers of the Ascend Proven Process to achieve significant organic EBITDA growth.

1. Integration Motion:

• Empower Integration Leader to execute a repeatable, thorough, and seamless integration motion.

• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to ensure all aspects of back-end integration are organized and executed smoothly.

• Collaborate with Partner Firm Leadership Team to ensure front-end integration is well-organized and executed smoothly.

1. Team Leadership:

• Lead a high-performance team focused on platform M&A.

• Uphold the PeopleFirst operating rhythm and fully engage the team to hit its goals.

• Ensure the team is highly engaged, strong culture carriers, and build trust with sellers.

1. Embody Ascend Values:

• Serve Whole-Heartedly: Bring a client service mentality to the M&A process.

• Own It: Deliver on the critical growth lever for Ascend’s long-term success.

• Be Excellent: Ensure processes exude excellence in every way.

• Win Together: Foster teamwork and collaboration across the M&A team.

• Bring the Sunshine: Show enthusiasm and kindness to make the journey joyful for sellers.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in a high-volume investing or transactions seat (investment banking, private equity, corporate development, etc.).
• Bachelor’s degree from a top-tier college or university. An MBA or Master’s degree is highly preferred.
• Unparalleled attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify opportunities and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent leadership abilities with the capacity to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams.
• Previous experience leveraging project management software (Wrike, Asana, etc.) is strongly preferred.

At Ascend, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Ascend hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.