Valuations of a Private Company - What They Mean and Why They Matter  

Growing up in a family-owned business, Ryan Hurst developed an early appreciation for the dedication required to build and sustain a successful company. Over his 20+ year career, he has leveraged that perspective to help business owners define their vision and turn it into actionable results.
Ryan is a trusted advisor who helps businesses build and monetize enterprise value. He guides clients through purchases and sales, internal transitions, employee stock ownership plans, and strategic alternatives. Each engagement begins with a clear, transparent discussion of the owner’s goals, allowing Ryan to deliver meaningful value and build lasting trust during complex transitions.
As Partner and Leader of RKL’s Business Consulting Services Group, Ryan oversees transaction advisory, valuation, exit planning, litigation support, and forensic accounting services. He also contributes to the firm’s Private Wealth offerings, supporting high-net-worth individuals and families with integrated financial solutions.

Tony Parisi Managing Director Strategic Exit Advisors

Tony is a Managing Director at Strategic Exit Advisors (SEA), an investment bank focused on helping entrepreneurs sell their businesses. SEA’s mission is to guide clients through the most significant transaction of their lives, with a strong emphasis on people, culture, and legacy. By evaluating buyers through this lens and creating competitive tension among strategic acquirers, SEA consistently delivers stronger outcomes—improving client deals by an average of 44%.
With over 30 years of experience, Tony brings expertise across mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and operations. He has served as an investment banker, CFO, lender, and investor across industries including technology, energy, telecom, construction, and manufacturing.
Tony holds a degree in Economics and History from Brown University. He lives in Berwyn, Pennsylvania with his wife, Michelle, and enjoys coaching sports, golf, platform tennis, and Philadelphia sports.

Moderator

Lee Sentnor Professional Practice Director Corporate Governance BDO

Lee has spent more than 13 years with BDO as part of the National Professional Practice office within BDO’s Center for Corporate Governance, which is designed for financial executives and those charged with governance of both public and private companies. She is responsible for the development and presentation of continuing professional education webinars, on-demand and podcast programs and thought leadership pieces on a variety of matters related to corporate governance. These topics include board committee roles, responsibilities and best practices, in addition to emerging corporate governance issues. She is further involved in our firm’s board of director forums and custom client presentations as well as participating in external events for corporate directors.