Fred Petito, CM&AA, CEPA

Fred Petito is President and Lead Advisor of Transworld Ascend, a New Jersey business brokerage and M&A advisory firm focused on confidential business sales, exit planning, and sell-side advisory for privately held companies, generally valued between $500,000 and $25 million. What distinguishes Fred is his detailed understanding of how business sale transactions are structured, marketed, negotiated, and closed, and his ability to guide owners through each stage of the process with clarity, discipline, and discretion. His experience spans valuation analysis, recasting and normalization of earnings, buyer positioning, confidential marketing strategy, preparation of teasers and Confidential Information Memorandums (CIMs), buyer screening, deal structuring, negotiation of Letters of Intent and asset purchase agreements, and management of diligence through closing. Fred advises business owners through valuations and the complexities of business sales, negotiations, and due diligence. He is particularly effective at helping owners understand how buyers evaluate a business, what drives value, what creates risk, and how to prepare for a smoother and more successful exit. Fred has more than 25 years of experience as a C-level executive and senior leader across multinational companies, founder-led businesses, roll-up acquisitions, and startup environments. That operating background gives him a practical perspective that resonates with business owners and helps him assess how a company is likely to be viewed by buyers in the market. He began his career as an attorney with experience in commercial, estate planning, and tax law. Fred is a Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor (CM&AA), Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Board Certified Coach, and Certified Leadership Coach. He earned a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Pace University and completed the Executive Development Program at Columbia Business School. He is also an Executive Committee Member of the New Jersey Chapter of the Alliance of M&A Advisors and is active in the broader M&A and business-owner community through educational programming, speaking, and thought leadership on exit planning, valuation, and the business sale process.