Managing Director
Business Valuations, Gordon Brothers
Natural Extension
A native of Wisconsin, Cook earned his undergraduate degree and MBA from the University of Wisconsin in the late 1980s. He then got his actual start in the finance world as an intern in international equities analysis for Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, where he says he whet his appetite for the valuation world.
“I’ve always enjoyed seeing how things are done and I have a mechanical engineering interest as well, so I love seeing the manufacturing side of things,” Cook says, noting that his work at Gordon Brothers often involves clients in the manufacturing sector.
“All the different experiences I’ve had with various firms have provided some form of benefit in my current role,” Cook says. “My current role is a natural extension of my past experiences.”
Cook knows the perfunctory aspects of valuation backward and forward, whether it be putting together information requests or performing complex intangible asset analysis for lending support. However, Cook also knows that a spreadsheet can’t provide all the information a lender might need to approve financing.
During Cook’s career, getting to know companies has become more difficult, especially as the universe of businesses he sees continues to expand, and clientele coming from more sources such as private equity, hedge funds, technology transfer departments at universities and banks of all types. This has led to the valuation of companies doing such varied things as producing oil sands to manufacturing wearable technology.
As new types of industries have become more commonplace, so too have more intangible assets such as brands and other intellectual property. While these assets are not entirely new to the asset-based lending world, they have only really been adopted in the last decade or so.
Cook has distinguished himself as a disruptor in the ABL industry by being one of the first leaders in the sector to incorporate these “hard-to-value” assets types into valuations.
Future Evaluation
Regardless of where someone is performing a valuation or what asset or business type they are examining, Cook preaches the importance of listening to and learning from clients and subject companies to comprehensively understand their businesses and their needs.
“Business and asset valuation has been central to Gordon Brothers’ work for nearly 120 years,” Cook says. “And it will continue to play a vital role in delivering the insight and support our clients need to confidently assess risk, whether it involves tangible and intangible assets. I’m excited for the future of the firm and the valuation industry.”
