Nathan Pund began working as managing director in Lazard Middle Markets Consumer and Retail Group Aug. 25 after five years of serving the same role for D.A. Davidson & Co., where one of his last deals involved advising CamelBak Products Inc. on its $412.5 million sale to Vista Outdoors Inc.
Pun will be one of four bankers in the group, which is headed by New York-based Managing Director Eric J. Roth. Lazard Middle Markets operates from 43 offices worldwide, including Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, Minneapolis and New York in the United States.
Offered the option to work from any of those locations, Pund told The B.O.S.S. Report Thursday that he and his family opted to relocate from Seattle to Charlotte, NC to be within a four hour drive of their parents and close to the outdoors. A former naval intelligence officer and sponsored triathlete and competitive shooter, Pund continues to enjoy fly fishing, camping and hiking.
“Nate has built a national reputation over nearly two decades as a top financial advisor in the active lifestyle, outdoor and tactical sectors,” said David Solomon, CEO, Lazard Middle Market. “His athletic and military background brings added credibility in these areas.”
Pund got his start in the industry while working at RBC Capital Markets in 2003, when he found himself advising Mountain Hardwear on its sale to Columbia Sportswear. That transaction, together with and the sale of Arc’teryx, Mountain Hardwear and Marmot to strategic buyers from 2001 to 2003, convinced him the outdoor space was poised for growth and consolidation. Unable to convince his boss to set up a practice to exploit the trend, Pund struck out on his own in 2005 to help found Silver Steep Partners with two partners, including Sally McCoy, now CEO for Camelbak Product Inc.
He has since gone on to advise clients in the outdoor, active lifestyle and tactical sectors on 43 M&A and other transactions. In 2006 he advised Eagle Creek on its ale to VF Corp., in 2008 he advised Black Diamond on its sale to a company controlled by its current executive chairman, and in 2009 he advised Chaco on its sale to Wolverine World Wide Inc. In 2010, Pund sold the firm to D.A. Davidson and Co., where he served as a managing director and group head of the Investment Banking, Active Lifestyle Group, prior to joining Lazard Middle Market.
He served in the U.S. Navy as an Intelligence Officer with NCIS, Special Operations Command Central and the Pacific Fleet and is a graduate of Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) School and the Combat Lifesaver Course. He received a Master of Business Administration from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
Lazard's Middle Market is a subsidiary of the renowned financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard Ltd.
