The Ones Who’ve Actually Done This Before
Decades of building, buying, and selling businesses—from the trenches to the boardroom. These aren’t career consultants. They’re operators who’ve closed deals from every seat at the table.
Bob Lowrance
Managing Partner
Bob’s not your typical M&A guy—and that’s the point. He’s been an owner, operator, investor, and advisor across dozens of industries and transactions. With over 20 years of deal experience and a track record as CEO of multiple lower-middle market companies, Bob brings hard-earned insight to every conversation.
Before launching Reliant, Bob led northwest operations for a global business brokerage, served as President of Alaska’s largest regional air carrier, and founded several successful startups. He’s worked closely with family offices, handled distressed turnarounds, raised capital, and navigated exits from every angle. Simply put—he’s played every position on the field.
Bob started his career in strategy consulting under a renowned MIT economist and earned his degree from Texas A&M, where he was a Company Commander in the Corps of Cadets and commissioned as a U.S. Army officer. Today, he sits on multiple boards and splits his time between building deals and exploring the wilds of Alaska.
John Gengler
Managing Partner
For over 30 years, John has been building businesses, leading teams, structuring deals, and connecting the dots others miss. His work spans executive leadership, operations, sales, consulting, staffing, and venture development—both in the U.S. and abroad.
A serial builder at heart, John specializes in spotting unmet opportunities, pulling together the right investors and talent, and guiding complex deals to successful outcomes for everyone at the table.
He’s the Founder of the Business Owners Resource Network, Co-founder of the Owners Forum, and a trusted advisor to family offices, PE firms, and wealth managers. Previously, he held leadership roles with ForteONE, Pangent, QuickRamp Ventures, and eJobs.com.
John began his career as a U.S. Army officer after earning an honors degree in Global Studies from the University of Iowa, with a focus on war, peace, and diplomacy issues and Western Europe. These days, when he’s not advising owners or investors, he’s working the family farm in Kentucky or helping his daughter run her PTSD service dog business for veterans and first responders.
Robert Howells
Venture Partner
Robert brings over two decades of experience helping owners navigate the sale of their business—often the biggest deal of their lives. He’s personally closed more than 250 transactions across the U.S. and Canada and has owned several businesses himself, giving him a grounded, no-nonsense perspective few intermediaries can offer.
He’s a certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser and partner in Business Brokers of San Antonio, where he’s guided hundreds of first-time sellers through the process with clarity, discretion, and results. His background also includes strategic account roles at LexisNexis, project management at Westinghouse, and executive work in software and tech-enabled services.
Robert holds a B.S. in Industrial Distribution from the University of Houston and serves as a longtime mentor to students and veterans in his Texas community.
Monique Manley
Business Advisor
Monique Manley serves as a Business Advisor with Reliant M&A Advisors. She focuses primarily on Alaska-based companies and transactions where real property comprises the majority of enterprise value. Monique joins Reliant with an extensive knowledge of Alaska’s unique commercial and residential real estate markets as well as having owned and operated several Alaska-based companies. She works closely with Reliant clients to ensure a seamless and informed experience, from initial consultations and market analysis to closing.
Before transitioning into her roles as an entrepreneur and CEO of two successful businesses, Monique honed her expertise while working for the State of Alaska as well as several non-profits. Her early career immersed her in the intricate world of policy and procedures, strategic planning, and organizational development. Monique’s unwavering commitment to public service led her to make invaluable contributions within the Anchorage School District and at the municipal level.
Outside of work, you’ll find Monique exploring Alaska’s everchanging cuisine landscape or enjoying Anchorage’s live music offerings with her friends. Monique is an avid animal lover and shares her home with her friendly Saint Bernard/Husky companion named Winston (that’s not Winston in the photo in case you were wondering).
Charlie Martin
Venture Partner
Charlie Martin brings more than 35 years of leadership across consumer brands, private equity, food manufacturing, and executive consulting. As President and Founder of Martin Management Partners, he advises businesses on growth strategy, go-to-market execution, turnarounds, and performance improvement. He also serves as an operating partner at LaSalle Capital.
Throughout his career, Charlie has held C-suite roles across major food and consumer goods companies including ACH Foods (Associated British Foods), ConAgra, Pet Inc., and Kraft. He helped scale ACH from $285 million to over $1.2 billion in revenue, leading brands like Mazola, Karo, Fleischmann’s, Weber Grill, and French’s. He also served as President of Papa Charlie’s, a leading manufacturer of Italian beef, and led strategic transformations at Five Continents Ltd. and multiple divisions within ConAgra and Pet.
Charlie is also active in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He has served as a mentor and teacher through Purdue’s Krannert School of Management, and was honored with Junior Achievement’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 for his two decades of service.
He holds a Master of Management from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science from Purdue. Charlie and his wife MJ split their time between Burr Ridge, Illinois and the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Philip J. Franz
Venture Partner
With over 40 years of experience across operations, logistics, manufacturing, and IT strategy, Philip Franz brings deep expertise to middle market companies navigating complexity and change. He has served as interim COO, GM, and CIO for multiple businesses and is the founder of two professional services firms, including SCM-Experts.
Philip’s work focuses on optimizing supply chains, aligning operations with shifting business models, and integrating the right technology to support scale. He has led transformation projects for companies such as First Source, Ecoco, Georgia Nut, Aimco, Bissell, Contigo, and Gallo Wineries. His specialties include demand and supply planning, procurement, distribution, manufacturing ops, and strategic IT implementation.
Prior to joining Reliant, Philip held senior leadership roles at FortéONE, Apptus, Reveal, Daugherty, Harney Management Partners, and Crowe Horwath, as well as operational roles at McDonald’s Corporation, Baxter Healthcare, and Price Waterhouse LLP.
He holds a graduate degree from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Outside of work, Philip enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and road cycling with family and friends.
Tom Wright
Venture Partner
Tom Wright brings more than 30 years of domestic and international leadership in supply chain operations, with executive experience across manufacturing, wholesale, and retail environments. He’s managed materials budgets north of $500 million and logistics operations exceeding $400 million — all while improving service levels, cutting costs, and optimizing working capital.
Since 2011, Tom has executed over 30 mid-market consulting engagements, often stepping into interim leadership roles. His expertise spans SI&OP, MRP, advanced planning and scheduling, IT systems, network design, 3PL oversight, DRP, supplier development, and organizational design — all aimed at aligning supply chain strategy with business growth.
Tom holds a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Kalamazoo College and an MBA in Supply Chain from Michigan State University. Outside of work, you’ll find him downhill skiing or sailing with his family and friends.
Sarah Campbell
Venture Partner
Sarah Campbell brings more than 20 years of investment banking experience, with deep expertise in the consumer and franchising sectors. She has advised private and publicly traded companies across a wide range of transactions, including buy-side and sell-side M&A, divestitures, joint ventures, debt and equity capital raises, IPOs, follow-on offerings, and strategic advisory engagements.
Sarah is the founder of Lemon Pepper Advisors, where she works with businesses on go-to-market execution and growth strategy. She also serves as an Operating Partner with Full Course Funds and as a Lecturer in Finance and Director of Financial Engagement at the University of Central Arkansas.
Sarah earned her MBA in Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business and holds a BA from Vanderbilt University. She and her husband live in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Let’s Talk
If you’re even thinking about an exit or acquisition, let’s chat. No pressure. No pitch deck. Just good advice from people who’ve lived it.
