Olsen Palmer Expands M&A Practice with the Addition of Managing Director Preston Simons, Launch of Texas Office

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Olsen Palmer LLC (“Olsen Palmer”) is pleased to announce the hiring of Preston Simons as Managing Director and the corresponding launch of a Dallas office. Mr. Simons will lead the firm’s practice in providing M&A and related strategic advice to community banks in Texas and Oklahoma, including sell-side M&A advisory, buy-side M&A advisory, valuations, fairness opinions, and Board-level assessments of strategic alternatives. This is Olsen Palmer’s 6^th office overall – and its 2^nd office launched in 2023 – complementing the firm’s headquarters in Washington D.C. and existing offices in Chicago, Denver, Birmingham, and Kansas City.

Mr. Simons brings approximately 15 years of experience working with and advising financial institutions. Most recently, Mr. Simons was a Managing Director with Dallas, Texas-based Commerce Street Capital, LLC in the Financial Institutions Group where he advised community banks on sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions, valuations, and capital raises. Over the course of his career, Mr. Simons has advised on over 40 successful M&A transactions and over half a billion dollars in debt and equity issuances. A Texas native, Mr. Simons graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with both a BS in Mathematics and a BBA in Finance.

Christopher Olsen, Olsen Palmer’s Managing Partner, said, “We are very excited about Preston joining the Olsen Palmer team as well as the formal launch of our bank M&A advisory practice in Texas and Oklahoma. To consistently provide the elite M&A and strategic advice that our clients demand and deserve, we hire very selectively. Preston’s expertise and client-first philosophy exceeded our expectations and we are confident he will do the same for clients.” Mr. Olsen continued, “We are also pleased to expand our geographic presence by bringing our thoroughly independent, best-in-class M&A advice and execution to high quality community banks in Texas and Oklahoma.”

“For approximately 15 years I have enjoyed advising banks in transformational decisions to maximize shareholder value in some of the best markets in the country. My decision to join forces with Olsen Palmer afforded the unique opportunity to launch an office and initiate coverage for a nationwide firm that is consistently ranked as a leader in the community bank M&A arena. I’m thrilled to be able to bring the firm’s innovative, proven, and thoughtful approach to community bank investment banking to my home state of Texas and to Oklahoma,” said Mr. Simons. “I look forward to continuing to build lasting relationships and to helping banks reach their strategic aspirations with the resources and reputation of Olsen Palmer behind me.”

For more information regarding the new Dallas office, contact Preston Simons, at 214-396-8972 or [e-mail].

About Olsen Palmer

Olsen Palmer LLC is an independent investment banking firm that exclusively advises community banks across the spectrum of Mergers & Acquisitions. By design, Olsen Palmer combines the M&A expertise of a traditional investment banking firm with the agility, responsiveness, and lack of conflicts of an independent firm. Specializing in sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, valuations, fairness opinions, branch acquisitions and divestitures, and Board-level assessments of strategic options. For more information, please visit www.OlsenPalmer.com.