Rick Murphy
CEO & Managing Partner
Serial entrepreneur with extensive M&A experience in technology. Rick leads engagements across the full transaction life cycle.
08
About Cogent
Providing TransactionTherapy™ to IT businessowners since 2010
Cogent Growth Partners is an M&A advisory firm working exclusively in the IT services sector. We have helped owners across the United States and Canada buy, sell and merge businesses, carefully, and with their people intact.
- Founded
- 2010
- Coverage
- USA & Canada
- Sector
- IT services only
Our history
Subject matter experts,not generalists
Cogent was founded to bring specialist advisory to a sector that generalist bankers consistently mispriced. Our team members have owned, operated and sold IT services businesses themselves.
Our work is rooted in deep industry knowledge and a systematic, process driven approach to IT services transactions. That process is why deals close, and why they close without unnecessary legal cost.
We advise clients across the USA and Canada, and we remain deliberately small so that a partner is present in every conversation.
Focus
Exclusively IT services
MSPs, MSSPs, cloud and hosted providers, cybersecurity firms and IT consultancies. We do not advise outside this sector, which is why we can be useful inside it.
Transaction Therapy™
Understanding the 'why'before the 'how much'
Traditional processes focus solely on numbers. We invest in understanding the people behind the deal, because trust and alignment determine whether a transaction holds together.
- Partnership
- Building trusting partnerships
- Empathy
- Guiding with empathy
- Strategy
- Insightful strategy
- Continuity
- Ensuring long term success
The method
Five parts of the Cogent method
- 01
Strategic Fit
We test whether the two businesses genuinely strengthen each other before terms are ever discussed.
- 02
Financial Alignment
Earnings quality, recurring revenue and working capital are reconciled early, so expectations hold up in diligence.
- 03
Cultural Compatibility
Service delivery habits, team structures and owner temperament decide whether a deal survives its first year.
- 04
Clear Communication
We sit between both parties, translate intent and keep small misunderstandings from becoming deal issues.
- 05
Post Transaction Continuity
Client retention, staff retention and leadership roles are planned before closing, not after.
Leadership
Partner led on every engagement
George Sierchio
EVP & Senior Partner
25+ years owning and operating services businesses, advising IT owners on profitability, growth and M&A.
Bruce Teichman
EVP & Partner
30 years in IT across engineering, executive management and Fortune 500 M&A strategy.
Mission & values
Expert guidance,delivered personally
Our mission is to help IT services businesses reach their potential through expert M&A guidance and advice tailored to the owner's circumstances.
- Integrity
- We hold the highest standards of integrity in every engagement.
- Expertise
- Deep industry knowledge and strategic advice tailored to each client.
- Client Centricity
- We listen, adapt and provide solutions that serve the client's outcome.
- Collaboration
- We work closely with clients, counsel and partners toward a shared goal.
- Excellence
- We improve continually to exceed client expectations and outcomes.
Industry involvement
Invested in the IT community
Cogent partners with and sponsors organizations that support IT service providers, including industry media, peer groups and vendor communities. We publish Cogent Conversations to share what we see across live transactions.
Next step
Considering yournext transaction?
Speak with a Cogent advisor about your acquisition, exit, merger or valuation goals.