About Us | Healthcare Transaction Advisors | Physician Growth Partners

Who We Are

Our senior leadership team is involved at every stage of these processes — bringing our experience in investment banking and growth capital, transaction advisory, and operational expertise to secure optimal results for your practice.

Michael Kroin

CEO and Managing Partner

B.A. – Accounting, Indiana University
M.B.A. – Finance, Indiana University

As CEO and Managing Partner of Physician Growth Partners, Michael Kroin leads transaction execution and strategic development for independent physician practices and groups. Michael started his career as a healthcare investment banker at Brown Gibbons Lang & Company. He worked with specialty physician practices, positioning them for transactions to private equity, medical groups, hospitals, health systems and other strategic buyers. As a key advisor in these transactions, Michael helped clients maximize their value and achieve the goals of shareholders.

At PGP, Michael uses his understanding of the healthcare landscape to guide clients through each transaction. At every stage of the process, Michael’s hands-on and innovative approach gives clients the value of experience and senior leadership insight, positioning them for the best possible outcomes and helping them to achieve their goals and succession plans.

Ezra Simons

Partner

B.A. – Finance, Indiana University

Ezra is a healthcare investment banker and investor. He is co-founder and Partner at Physician Growth Partners (PGP), a boutique sell-side investment banking firm focused on representing independent medical groups in transactions with private equity. Alongside his partner, Michael Kroin, Ezra has grown PGP into the leading transaction advisor to physician groups nationally, completing more than 30 sell side transactions over the last two years with a team of 15 dedicated professionals.

Outside of its transactional work, PGP actively advises and invests alongside physician entrepreneurs seeking to build their businesses. Ezra is passionate about guiding physician entrepreneurs through each stage of the business building lifecycle across the healthcare ecosystem. He holds a degree in Finance from Indiana University.

Robert Aprill

Managing Director

B.A. – Sports Management, The University of Michigan
M.B.A. – Finance, The University of Tennessee

As a Managing Director at Physician Growth Partners, Robert works with founder and provider owned businesses in the healthcare services industry as they prepare for and ultimately pursue a transaction. Robert specializes in providing transactional advisory services across a wide range of provider-based sectors including physician practice management and behavioral health services. Robert’s work focuses on understanding the transactional goals of a business and its’ owners and managing a customized, client-focused process that delivers an exceptional result. 

Prior to Physician Growth Partners, Robert started his career at Provident Healthcare Partners where he led the firm’s origination and execution efforts in multiple healthcare services sub-verticals, specializing in advising business owners through transactions with private equity and strategic acquirers.

Thomas Cunningham

Director of Business Development

B.B.A. – Management, Roosevelt University

A 15-year strategy and business development leader in the healthcare industry, Thomas joined PGP as Director of Business Development in 2023 to spearhead continued growth for the firm through strategic client development, industry relations, and brand initiatives.

Prior to joining PGP, Thomas most recently led business development for Levin Associates, a leading research and publication firm focused on healthcare M&A.  Prior to that, Thomas served as Principal at Dark Horse Consulting, a go-to-market strategy consulting firm, working alongside orthopedic surgeons while helping a number of early stage healthtech and medtech startups commercialize and scale.

Thomas is passionate about collaborating with the PGP Advisory Team and representing independent physicians.

Jeremy Murphy

Vice President

B.S. – Finance, DePaul University

Jeremy joined PGP in 2018 and has spent his entire professional career working on transactions in the provider services space across a multitude of different specialties. He focuses on all aspects of the transaction process, including transaction strategy and positioning, financial analysis, due diligence, and ultimately deal execution. In addition to his depth of experience in transaction advisory, Jeremy has spent time consulting some of PGP’s clients that are not yet prepared to transact with private equity. Operational consulting experience has included day to day oversight of practice operations, key performance indicator development and tracking, new service line implementation, and recruitment at both the provider and management level.

Jeremy leverages his mix of experience in advisory and operational consulting roles to support clients comprehensively through their transaction process, or in helping their business get to the scale they desire before pursuing a transaction

Jake Dangovian

Vice President

B.B.A. – Accounting, Indiana University
M.B.A. – Finance, Indiana University

As an Advisor, Jake is responsible for buy-side and sell-side transaction execution, operational and strategic management of portfolio companies, and new investment sourcing. His expertise in acquisitions and financial operations helps identify opportunities to acquire and grow platform companies. He is able to leverage his previous experience to support clients in receiving maximum value with their transactions.

Jake has experience in various accounting and finance roles, with an extensive background in real estate and private investments. Immediately prior to joining PGP, he led the finance department at a real estate development company. Jake started his career in public accounting as a licensed CPA.

James Perrone

Vice President

B.S. – Finance and Accounting, DePaul University

James joined Physician Growth Partners in 2022 where he focuses on all aspects of the transaction process, including transaction strategy and positioning, financial analysis, due diligence, and ultimately deal execution. James has several years of experience advising healthcare companies and related businesses on both sell-side and buy-side transactions.

Prior to joining Physician Growth Partners, James was an associate in the healthcare group at Lincoln International. He began his career at RSM US LLP in the business valuation department.

Andrew Holm

Vice President

B.S. – Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MSc – Finance, Royal Holloway, University of London

As an Advisor, Andrew is responsible for buy-side transaction execution, operational and strategic management of portfolio companies, and new investment sourcing. Andrew began his tenure at PGP in 2018 on the sell-side transaction advisory team and transitioned to PGP’s investment team in 2019.

Andrew is an expert in strategic growth in the health care space and deeply familiar with the day-to-day challenges of managing growth stage companies. He works daily with portfolio company founders to formulate and implement strategic initiatives across all departments of the business. Andrew’s experience on both the advisory and investment teams at PGP has lent to exceptional knowledge of companies’ lifecycle from initial investment to successful exit.

Sali Asani

Vice President

B.S. – Finance, DePaul University

Sal provides sell-side transaction advisory services to healthcare businesses in partnership with private equity. He started his career as an investment banker advising founder-owned businesses in pursuit of a transaction across a multitude of sectors. At PGP, Sal’s focus revolves around the entirety of the transaction process, including but not limited to, financial analysis, due diligence, and execution.

Sal utilizes his depth of experience in advisory to facilitate successful processes for clients pursuing a transaction.

Jay Farkas

Transaction Advisor

B.S. – Finance, DePaul University

Jay provides transaction advisory and support to independent physician platforms. He started his career at Physician Growth Partners after completing the Analyst Internship Program with the firm. Jay has worked solely with healthcare services businesses supporting mergers & acquisitions, valuation, and operational consulting. Prior to joining the firm full time, he graduated from DePaul University with a B.S in Finance Honors.

At PGP, Jay leverages his deep knowledge of the healthcare services landscape to drive and support successful processes throughout the various healthcare specialties.

Nick Charalab

Transaction Advisor

B.S. – Finance and Business Analytics, Indiana University

As a Transaction Advisor, Nick provides support along all relevant steps of the transaction process. Prior to joining Physician Growth Partners, he had experience working with a multi-specialty healthcare platform, allowing him to leverage this knowledge into his current role. Nick graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Finance and Business Analytics.

Nick utilizes his experience in a healthcare setting to ensure optimal client outcomes throughout transactions at Physician Growth Partners.

Christopher Chase

Transaction Advisor

B.S. – Finance, DePaul University

Chris joined Physician Growth Partners in 2020 while finishing his B.S. in Finance Honors from DePaul University. He provides financial analysis, market research and due diligence for our sell-side M&A advisory team. At PGP, Chris works exclusively with healthcare services businesses across a multitude of industry verticals.

Chris utilizes his deep knowledge of the healthcare services industry to provide tailored support in every stage of the transaction process to ultimately achieve our clients’ goals.

Robert Philbin

Transaction Advisor

B.S. – Economics, Clark University
M.B.A. – Finance, Clark University

Bobby joined the firm as a Transaction Advisor upon finishing his M.B.A in Finance from Clark University. He provides support in all relevant stages of the transaction process between healthcare businesses and private equity. Bobby utilizes his knowledge and experience working with physician-owned practices, across a variety of healthcare specialties, to create a personalized approach to M&A and ultimately achieve clients’ goals for the future of their business. His focus at PGP is primarily on valuation, due diligence, preparation of marketing materials, and execution.

Christopher Batio

MARKETING DIRECTOR

B.S. – Journalism, Illinois State University
M.A. – Public Affairs, University of Illinois

As the Marketing Director at Physician Growth Partners, Christopher is responsible for the firm’s communications, publishing, events, social media, and online presence.

Prior to joining Physician Growth Partners, Christopher spent many years leading marketing and business development teams at some of the largest and most successful law firms in the US.  He began his career as a journalist and government spokesman.

Contact Us

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432 N. Clark Street, Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60654

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