William Blair Continues Investment Banking Growth With Consumer and Retail Managing Director

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--William Blair, the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management, announced today that it has further expanded its investment banking team with the addition of William Kallop as a managing director in the firm’s consumer and retail group. Based in Chicago, Kallop will focus on clients across the consumer and retail sector, including consumer services, food and beverage, and enthusiast brands.

“We are thrilled to welcome Will as a senior member of William Blair’s consumer and retail team,” said Adam Filkin, head of consumer and retail investment banking at William Blair. “His deep experience and relationships across the consumer and retail space will complement our existing leading capabilities and our ability to continue to deliver best-in-class outcomes for our clients.”

Kallop’s investment banking background includes experience across the advisory landscape, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, IPOs, joint ventures, raid defense, spin-offs, divestitures, and other strategic financing solutions for both sell-side and buy-side transactions. Kallop’s relationship network connects clients from consumer products, consumer services, food, and beverage companies with private equity, institutional, and other strategic investors. Kallop joins from Goldman Sachs, where he served as a managing director in the consumer/retail and cross markets groups within the investment banking division and as co-COO of the GS Veterans Network. He earned his M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and his B.S. in finance and management from the University of Virginia. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Kallop served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps.

“I have long admired William Blair as a competitor and am honored to join this extraordinary team of bankers,” said Kallop. “As trusted advisors to company founders, CEOs, and owners, this team is renowned for delivering the very best outcomes for clients. I look forward to applying my experience and relationships to contribute to this team’s continued leadership in the space and to help drive further growth of William Blair’s consumer and retail franchise.”

About William Blair Investment Banking

William Blair’s investment banking group enables corporations, financial sponsors, and owner/entrepreneurs around the world to achieve their growth, liquidity, and financing objectives. Drawing on the collective intellectual capital and deep sector expertise of a global team that reaches over 20 cities on four continents, the investment banking group brings a rigorous and innovative approach to corporate board advisory projects, mergers and acquisitions, and equity and debt financing. From 2017 to 2021, the team advised on more than $680 billion in completed transaction volume.

About William Blair

William Blair is the premier global boutique with expertise in investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet our clients’ evolving needs. As an independent and employee-owned firm, together with our strategic partners, we operate in more than 20 offices worldwide.*

*Includes strategic partnerships with Allier Capital, BDA Partners, and Poalim Capital Markets.