Christopher S. Saponari joined The Peakstone Group as Managing Director, where he advises founder-led and middle-market companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital formation and other strategic transactions. He brings more than 20 years of experience as an investment banker, investor and operator.
Saponari began his investment banking career at Bear Stearns in the acquisition finance group and later joined Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital within the financial sponsors group. He also brings direct investing experience as part of the family office investment team at Iroquois Capital Partners.
Building on his advisory and investing background, Saponari transitioned into investor-operator roles, where he led, scaled and exited multiple lower- and middle-market businesses. He drove EBITDA growth through operational transformation, disciplined capital allocation and hands-on execution. This experience shapes his advisory work: a focus on how businesses generate cash flow and where operational improvement can unlock it.
Saponari also applies data and machine learning techniques to operational problems, using them to streamline workflows, surface hidden inefficiencies, support scalable growth. He incorporates this lens when he evaluates transaction opportunities.
He holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BBA in economics from the University of Georgia. Saponari is a former United States Air Force officer and a licensed pilot. He lives in Nashville with his wife and family.
