James Loftis, CM&AA

Professional Summary

I build relationships that turn into revenue. Over 12 years I've sold everything from digital marketing products at GoDaddy to $300M+ M&A transactions at Blue River Financial Group — always with the same approach: understand the client's real problem, earn their trust, and deliver more than I promised. As a Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor (CM&AA), I've supported founder-owned businesses through transactions ranging from $7M to over $300M in enterprise value, while my background in enterprise and B2B sales gives me a relationship-first instinct that pure deal-advisors often lack. I've worked alongside C-suite executives and business owners, closed complex multi-year deals, and built pipelines from scratch — always with a whatever-it-takes mentality.

Selected Accomplishments

Closed three lower middle-market M&A transactions totaling $387M+ in aggregate enterprise value, including a landmark deal exceeding $300M
Ranked Top 20% nationwide for front-line B2B sales performance at GoDaddy
Exceeded $1M in personal monthly sales at Tesla, selling its luxury EV lineup
Doubled a national dealership pipeline from 70 to 140+ accounts in under a year at Text2Drive
Designed a 5-step client success framework adopted company-wide across Zurich Insurance's dealership network
Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor (CM&AA)

Core Expertise

Business Development & Enterprise Sales · M&A Advisory & Deal Origination · Sell-Side Advisory · Founder & Executive Relationship Management · Private Equity & Strategic Buyer Relations · Transaction Management & Due Diligence Coordination · Team Training & Enablement · CRM & Pipeline Management · Consultative/Trust-Based Negotiation

Professional Experience

Vice President, Business Development & M&A

March 2021 – Present

Blue River Financial Group

Advise founder-owned businesses throughout the lower middle market on strategic sale transactions, acquisition opportunities, valuation positioning, buyer outreach, and transaction execution — serving private equity and corporate clients through a trust-first, consultative process that consistently shortens deal timelines.

Led M&A transactions ranging from $7M to $300M+ in enterprise value
Closed three lower middle-market transactions totaling more than $387M in aggregate value
Built relationships with strategic buyers, private equity firms, and investors
Coordinated due diligence among buyers, sellers, attorneys, accountants, and advisors
Worked across manufacturing, industrial services, business services, franchising, automotive services, and home services

Value	Transaction	Role
$300M+	Ace Hardware	Participated in a landmark transaction
$75M	Precision Machining & Calibration	Advised ownership through sale process
$12M	Janitorial Services Company	Assisted ownership through transaction closing

Client Success Consultant

May 2019 – March 2021

Zurich Insurance

Trained and supported 30+ dealerships nationwide in launching Zurich's Service Lane Sales product, becoming a go-to resource for implementation strategy
Helped one top dealership surpass $1M in gross sales within six months by designing a structured SMART goal system tailored to their team
Developed a repeatable 5-step success plan adopted across multiple locations as the standard onboarding framework

Southeast Customer Success Manager

November 2017 – April 2019

Text2Drive

Doubled the dealership pipeline from 70 to 140+ accounts in under a year through targeted outreach, referrals, and consistent relationship management
Trained dealership staff on SaaS platform integration, customer messaging workflows, and service recall automation
Drove measurable increases in dealership profitability and customer satisfaction scores by redesigning communication flows end-to-end

Owner Advisor

October 2016 – August 2017

Tesla

Managed the full sales cycle for Tesla's luxury EV lineup, consistently exceeding $1M in personal monthly sales
Guided prospects through complex purchase decisions — EV technology, financing structures, charging infrastructure — using a patient, education-first approach that earned repeat referrals

Customer Development Team

November 2014 – September 2016

GoDaddy

Ranked in the Top 20% nationwide for front-line B2B sales performance across GoDaddy's entire sales organization
Promoted into GoDaddy's highest-grossing sales division, consistently exceeding quota selling websites, domains, and digital marketing solutions to SMBs
Developed a deep understanding of what drives online visibility for SMBs — knowledge that continues to inform how I sell and consult today

New Business Development

November 2013 – August 2014

Shred-It, Inc. — Troy, MI

Built a recurring information-security sales pipeline from scratch across a 300-mile territory, earning a CISP designation in federal information risk regulations (HIPAA, HITECH, FACTA, GLB) along the way.

Personal Vacation Planner

March 2011 – November 2013

Carnival Cruise Line — Miramar, FL

Consumer-facing in-house salesperson for the world's largest cruise line, consistently ranking in the top 25% of the internal sales division after completing Carnival's formal 8-week sales training program.

Education & Certifications

Marketing (B.S.) — Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL

Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor (CM&AA)

Certified Information Security Professional (CISP)