Merit Investment Bank is an award-winning, client-focused team of collaborative advisors. We listen to your goals and objectives, then use our deep-rooted experience, relationships, and proven processes to help achieve them. Our advisors will work alongside your existing team and remain at your side throughout the entire transaction process.
Building a successful business requires confidence, integrity, and grit. We can help you optimize your exit, guide you through the sales process, or find the right acquisition target or investors to grow your business.
J. Craig Dickens
ChairmanCraig Dickens - Chairman
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 31Mr. Dickens serves on the management committee for CDI Global, Merit Investment Bank’s sister organization, which represents cross-border merger & acquisitions in over 30 countries globally. His access to world-class buyers and capital partners is an important part of the service the company provides for all Merit Investment Bank clients.
Joel Price
Executive Managing Director COO/CCOJoel Price - Executive Managing Director COO/CCO
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 22Joel lives in Gig Harbor, Washington with his wife and four children.
Dan Nicklaus
PresidentDan Nicklaus- President
As President and Partner, Dan Nicklaus will oversee market-facing responsibilities for firm and team development and growth, while continuing the legacy of superior client service. Dan had a long career in banking before pivoting to M&A and Family Office Management. In his last role as a Managing Director, he developed a successful advisory practice focused on Middle Market and Multigenerational Businesses. He has an MS in Finance from Pacific Lutheran University, as well as a BA from Central Washington University, where he currently is a board member of the CWU Foundation. Dan is based out of the company’s headquarters south of Seattle.
Chris Barnes
Managing DirectorChris Barnes - Managing Director
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 31Chris Barnes is a Managing Director at Merit Investment Bank with three decades of experience in investment banking, principal investing, and corporate development. He has successfully structured, negotiated, and closed over $1 billion in capital raises and $1 billion in M&A transactions.
Barnes has worked with a number of leading financial services firms including Lehman Brothers, Tucker Anthony Sutro, and Cleary Gull. He also successfully ran his own investment banking firm (Sarowdin Partners) for 10 years which focused on providing senior-level, Wall Street-quality investment banking services to companies at the lower end of the middle market.
Barnes holds the FINRA Series 7, 79, and 63 licenses.
David Gerber
Managing DirectorDavid Gerber - Managing Director
David founded three technology companies and has extensive experience in technology mergers and acquisitions, go-to-market, commercialization and growth strategies, sales leadership, and building global alliance teams. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at Hu-GPT, which is at the forefront of AI deep fake detection and has advised various companies in the technology sector.
Gerber holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Penn College and an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix. David lives in San Clemente, CA with his wife of 42 years, is a one handicap, and is a very proud grandpa.
Todd Ostrander
Managing DirectorTodd Ostrander - Managing Director
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 31As Managing Director, Todd Ostrander runs the Tech practice for Merit Investment Bank and co-leads the TMT practice for its global affiliate CDI Global. He has closed multiple transactions worth in excess of $160 million.
As a four-time venture-backed Founder / CEO in the tech industry, Ostrander is able to turn complex problems into significant market opportunities due to his understanding of finance, procurement, strategic marketing, and product strategy. Collectively, he has raised nearly $100 million for his own companies and has created in excess of $1 billion in market value throughout his career. Ostrander currently sits on the Board of Directors of Zxerex Corporation, Cellar Door Media and Lockr.io.
David Wanetick
Managing DirectorDavid Wanetick - Managing Director
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 24As Managing Director, David Wanetick provides clients with unique perspectives in articulating the value of their companies. His ability to communicate business strategy to our team and clients has resulted in great success. He is an expert in valuing intangible assets as he has valued thousands of patents and created the Certified Patent Valuation Analyst designation. As the author of Business Model Validation, Wanetick has a keen sense for explaining companies’ business models to investors and strategic acquirers. He has negotiated a wide variety of financial transactions and even authored The Strategic Negotiator and created The Institute for Strategic Negotiations.
Gabriele Chodosh
Sr AssociateGabriele Chodosh - Sr Associate
Gabriele is an investment banker and advisor with experience in sell-side M&A transactions across industries such as SaaS, CPG, Retail, Professional Services, and B2B Manufacturing. He assists clients in executing transactions valued between $5 million and $200 million and provides startups and middle-market businesses with strategy and operations consulting services. Previously, he worked for boutique banks, Orca Capital and Meridian Capital, and served as an advisor at Alternative Ownership Advisors, guiding founders through feasibility studies on alternative exit strategies, including trust-ownership transitions.
Gabriele graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. His professional interests span energy, AI, coding, and clean tech, reflecting his commitment to innovation, sustainability, and environmental conservation. Outside the office, Gabriele is known for his love of film, food, and philosophy.
Erich Woermann
AssociateErich Woermann - Associate
Erich Woermann is a first-year Associate at Merit Investment Bank & Company. Erich initially joined as a spring intern and is now with the firm full-time. He is responsible for providing analytical support on Capital Offerings, Mergers and Acquisitions and other advisory services. Prior to Merit Investment Bank, Erich served as a Project Manager at a local Property Management company.
He graduated from the University of Washington Bothell School of Business and received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.
Chadbyrne R. Dickens
Business DevelopmentChadbyrne R. Dickens - Business Development
Year of Experience: 20For decades, Chad has assisted various organizations in business development and supporting C-Suite to scale their efforts in support of clients.
Chad is very client-focused, helping clients learn more about the M&A process and navigating how to best achieve excellent results. Client satisfaction and enablement are Chad’s primary focus. Having worked with marquee firms such as Fortress Investment Group and US Bank, Chad can effectively guide clients successfully through the process. Chad possesses the ability to wear many hats while making everyone feel comfortable.
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Our core values reflect what it takes to deliver complex transactions that achieve above-market outcomes.
Integrity
Intelligence
We have the analytical and emotional intelligence to analyze vast amounts of tangible and intangible data and then formulate compelling arguments to advance our clients’ objectives.
Insight
Instinct
We have an aptitude for getting deals done, for analyzing data, for making sense out of chaos, for crafting engaging stories, and for relating well to others, and have the ability to find a way forward where others may not.
Intensity
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