Mark Attanasio: Hillcrest Merchant Managing Partner Discusses Toronto’s Start-Up Market
As the co-founder of Hillcrest Merchant Partners, Toronto’s Mark Attanasio has a bird’s-eye view of Canada’s flourishing venture capital market. Along with managing partner Donato Sferra, Attanasio nurtures early-stage and mid-market growth companies. The partners describe Hillcrest Merchant Partners as a “boutique” merchant bank that focuses on a number of industries, including mining, gaming, industrials, and technology. Their services include equity and debt structuring, reverse takeovers, M&A and the private-to-public process. We caught up with Mark Attanasio to discuss his path to success and to take a look at the world of venture capital. Can you trace your career path for us? Mark Attanasio: Well, after I graduated from the University of British Columbia, I started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers. It was incredibly helpful to get first-hand experience in audit and advisory services, while also earning my CPA. After that, I joined National Bank Fi...