CPA
Director
Tom DeSimone joined Prairie Capital Advisors in 2011 and is a shareholder in the firm. He has extensive experience in advising middle-market companies on ESOP transactions (representing both companies and ESOP trustees), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial opinions, corporate valuation and other investment banking advisory services. Tom also works with boards of directors and companies on mature ESOP planning and sustainability. In addition, Tom is instrumental in ensuring operational efficiencies across Prairie’s offices and production teams.
Tom is a frequent speaker in various forums, including the National Center for Employee Ownership, The ESOP Association, the Illinois CPA Society and the Great Game of Business, as well as at corporate speaking engagements. He presents on topics such as ownership transition, ESOP transactions, and culture and communication within ESOP companies. In addition, Tom sits on the board of directors of a company that provides cyber research and development services to the federal government. Tom was also recognized as a Top 40 Under Forty Honoree in 2021 by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA), as well as a 2021 Americas Rising Star Dealmaker award winner by M&A Atlas.
Corporate Directorships:
Prior to joining Prairie, Tom was an accountant at Neohapsis, Inc., a governance, risk and compliance consulting firm, where he worked directly with executive management on operational accounting and financial analysis initiatives.
Tom holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in the state of Illinois as well as a Master of Accounting Degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He also currently holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 securities licenses.
