Franco Silva

Franco Silva joined Prairie Capital Advisors in 2007 and is a shareholder in the firm. He leads Prairie’s downtown Chicago office and the firm’s ESOP Construction Advisory practice. Franco’s work focuses on partnering with construction business owners and management teams to navigate the complexities of ownership transition. He develops tailored strategies aligned with each client’s long-term objectives and executes numerous ESOP transactions annually within the construction sector. He advises construction companies on employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) formations and capital-raising engagements, with a focus on ownership transition planning in the construction industry.

Franco is actively involved in the employee ownership community and is a frequent speaker at national conferences and industry forums, including the Construction Financial Management Association (“CFMA”), National Center for Employee Ownership (“NCEO”), and The ESOP Association (“TEA”). Thought leadership topics include ownership transition planning, ESOP advisory, capital management, and succession planning. In addition, Franco is a past President of The Illinois Chapter of The ESOP Association and has authored thought leadership for Prairie, CFMA, and the Associated General Contractors (“AGC”).

In 2019, Franco was recognized as a Top 40 Under Forty Honoree by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (“NACVA”).