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Team
Matthew Carpenter
Managing Director
With 25 years of experience, Matthew is a senior investment banker specializing in advising client companies, business owners and private equity in mergers and acquisitions, strategic company sales, capital raising and valuation in the industrial technology, healthcare and aerospace/defense markets. His career has been defined by helping companies and investors navigate complex transactions in high-stakes environments where deep sector expertise and key relationships are critical to success. Matthew is an industry expert in Iconia’s core verticals and maintains ongoing relationships with industry players and strategic acquirers as well as capital sources, bringing to the firm a unique view of the value drivers and leverage points of clients relative to the acquirer and capital base. He works to place clients with their preferred acquirer or capital source, at maximum value and with a transaction on their terms. He also executes long term strategic acquisition campaigns for buy side clients and assists private equity groups with acquisitions and portfolio divestitures.
Past clients and transactions include: industry leading public and private companies (ex, Curtiss-Wright, Moog, Standex, Roper); international industrial tech companies (ex, Spirax Sarco, Nidec); major private equity groups and numerous Fortune 500 companies (ex, Parker Hannifin, RTX, Xylem).
Prior to Iconia Partners, Matthew was the Founder and Managing Director of Carpenter & Company, a Charlotte, NC based investment banking firm focused on strategic company sales in the industrial tech and healthcare markets. Matthew was also a Managing Director with Philpott Ball & Werner, an investment banking firm with offices in Charlotte and Boston, where he led M&A advisory for the Industrial and Healthcare verticals. Matthew has been a featured speaker at industry conferences, frequent guest lecturer at university finance and MBA programs, and is an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) with the American Society of Appraisers.
Based in North Carolina, US.
Charlie Carroll
Managing Director
Charlie has 7+ years of experience across deal origination, capital markets, and investment banking. As Managing Director, Charlie leads all busienss development, deal origination investor outreach, and firm strategy across M&A advisory and Capital Markets engagements. Prior experience in deal origination & marketing within renewable energy and commercial sectors.
Under Charlie's leadership, ICONIA has grown from a capital advisory practice into a full-service investment banking firm with a structured M&A advisory division, and an Independent Sponsor platform, focused on acquiring companies within industrials, manufacturing, and business services – targeting businesses with $3M–$10M in revenue and $1M–$5M in EBITDA.
Based in Brisbane, Australia.
Jimmy Palacios
Managing Director – Operating Partner
Jimmy Palacios brings 25+ years of experience at the intersection of private equity, M&A, and operational transformation. Jimmy provides embedded operational support for Growth Advisory engagements – working directly with management teams to drive EBITDA enhancement, technology modernization, and sale-readiness ahead of M&A processes. He also supports buy-side diligence for acquisition targets, evaluating operational infrastructure, technology risk, and integration requirements.
Prior to ICONIA, Jimmy held Operating Partner roles at PE-backed companies with $1.2B+ in revenue, where he was responsible for technology infrastructure, M&A integration, and operational improvement programs. He has served in advisory and consulting capacities with Deloitte, EY, IBM, and NTT Data – working across industries including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and technology.
Based in California, US.
Argyri Poblete
Managing Director – Finance & Operations
Argyri Poblete is a Managing Director at ICONIA and serves as Head of Finance and Operations, overseeing compliance, accounting, strategy, and operational infrastructure across the firm.
Argyri played a central role in establishing ICONIA's Independent Sponsor platform where his key roles include strategy, accounting, and operations. Prior experience includes roles in government finance at the Australian Taxation Office, providing a strong foundation in regulatory compliance and financial governance.
Based in Brisbane, Australia.
SENIOR ADVISORS & OPERATING PARTNERS
Robert Blumenfeld
Senior M&A Advisor
Bobby brings 30+ years of investment banking and private equity experience to ICONIA as Senior M&A Advisor. Bobby currently serves as Managing Director at AIAC, a $3 billion industrials-focused family office with over 80 portfolio companies. Bobby also serves as Executive Director at ACG New York, one of the largest and most active chapters of the Association for Corporate Growth, providing access to a broad network of middle-market M&A professionals, private equity firms, and corporate development teams.
At ICONIA, Bobby leads M&A and Private Equity strategy – providing senior oversight on deal structuring, buyer engagement, and transaction execution. His dual role as both a buy-side principal at a major industrials family office and a senior sell-side advisor provides a uniquely informed perspective on buyer dynamics and transaction negotiation.
Based in New York, US.
Claude Sapp
Operating Partner
Claude Sapp brings 20+ years of private equity and operating experience as an independent sponsor, with a focus on global manufacturing, industrial services, and business services. Claude has structured and led transactions ranging from $3M to $100M+ including platform acquisitions, bolt-on roll-ups, operational turnarounds, and transitions to employee ownership structures.
Claude maintains extensive buy-side relationships with family offices and private equity groups seeking manufacturing and industrial acquisition opportunities. As Operating Partner for ICONIA's Independent Sponsor transactions in North America, he oversees deal sourcing and post-acquisition operational improvement for the platform's target opportunities.
Based in Nevada, US.
David Velikonja
Strategic Advisor – Infrastructure & Energy
David Velikonja brings 20+ years of capital markets experience with a focus on infrastructure, energy, and cross-border project finance. David specializes in large-scale infrastructure transactions and maintains deep institutional relationships with Canadian pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, and global infrastructure-focused investment funds.
At ICONIA, David assists with institutional infrastructure capital – managing investor engagement with major pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and infrastructure-focused private equity firms for the firm's energy and infrastructure mandates. David holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School and previously worked at RBC in Canada.
Based in Ontario, Canada.
Jimmy Tsang
Strategic Advisor – Private Credit
Jimmy Tsang brings 15+ years of capital markets and private credit experience across Australia and Asia. Jimmy currently serves as Director at Matrix Capital Management, a private credit and funds management firm with approximately $800 million in assets under management.
At ICONIA, Jimmy provides access to an extensive network of 3,000+ institutional investors, family offices, and private credit funds across the Asia-Pacific region. He serves as the firm's primary capital markets advisor for debt mandates requiring Australian, Southeast Asian, or broader APAC investor engagement – supporting capital raising efforts with introductions, investor positioning, and relationship management across his institutional network.
Based in Sydney, Australia.
CONTACT
Get In Touch
For further information, please contact Charlie Carroll or Matthew Carpenter.