Meet the 20 Most Successful M&A Bankers of 2025

Title: Head of global mergers and acquisitions

Number of deals: 5

Total deal value: $153.4 billion

Hogan joined Wells Fargo in May 2023 after a 27-year career at Morgan Stanley, where he served as the star technology banker and co-head of global technology M&A. Since his arrival, he has been a primary architect of the bank’s meteoric rise in the advisory rankings, helping Wells Fargo jump from 17th place in 2024 to 9th place in 2025, according to LSEG’s league table for global M&A. This year marks Hogan’s inaugural appearance as a rainmaker.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Netflix on its more than $80 billion contested blockbuster merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
• Advised Cox Enterprises on its roughly $35 billion strategic consolidation and merger with Charter Communications.
• Advised FuboTV on its business combination with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV.

Title: Chairman of global M&A

Number of deals: 7

Total deal value: $149.2 billion

After a decade as global head of M&A at Barclays, Posternack became the practice’s chairman in 2024. Spending more time advising top clients has paid off, as Posternack is on the Rainmakers list for the second year running, adding nearly $200 billion in deal value in a career and ranking No. 2 overall this year. Posternack’s decorated career spans nearly four decades. After getting his start at Dillon, Read & Co. in the 1980s, he joined Lehman Brothers in 1995; Barclays acquired Lehman in 2008 during the financial crisis.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised the special committee of Paramount’s board of directors on its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, in competition against rival bidder Netflix.
• Advised DigitalBridge, an asset manager focused on digital infrastructure like data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, on its sale to SoftBank for $4 billion.
• Advised Waters, a manufacturer of chemistry software and instruments, on its merger with medical tech company BD’s biosciences and diagnostic solutions business in a nearly $18 billion deal.
• Advised Global Payments on its acquisition of Worldpay from GTCR and FIS for $24 billion.

Title: Chairman of global M&A

Number of deals: 9

Total deal value: $124 billion

Baronoff has been chairman of global M&A at Merrill Lynch since 2000, overseeing the business. He originally joined Merrill Lynch in 1986 and has held various leadership roles, including head of retail and consumer M&A. His 2025 performance was marked by high-volume advisory roles in the transportation, consumer goods, and infrastructure sectors. This is Baronoff’s second appearance on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Norfolk Southern in its roughly $85 billion acquisition by Union Pacific, a massive consolidation in the North American railroad industry.
• Advised JDE Peet’s in its approximately $18 billion acquisition by Keurig Dr Pepper.
• Advised Sempra Infrastructure Partners on the $10 billion sale of a 45% non-controlling stake to KKR.

Title: Co-head of technology, media, and telecommunications investment banking

Number of deals: 11

Total deal value: 122.8 billion

Britton serves as the co-head of TMT investment banking at Goldman Sachs, where he has led the firm’s coverage of the red-hot tech sector for over two decades. Based in San Francisco, his 2025 activity encompassed transactions in the gaming, enterprise software, and artificial intelligence sectors. Notably, Britton acted as a key advisor during OpenAI’s transition to a public benefit corporation. This marks Britton’s fourth appearance on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Electronic Arts as financial advisor in its $55 billion all-cash take-private transaction by a consortium led by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Silver Lake.
• Advised OpenAI as financial advisor on its recapitalization and the subsequent $40 billion sale of a stake to an investor group led by SoftBank Group Corp.
• Advised Permira and Warburg Pincus as financial advisor in the $8 billion take-private acquisition they led of Clearwater Analytics.
• Advised Niantic on the approximately $4 billion sale of its game business to Scopely.

Title: Co-head of US investment banking

Number of deals: 3

Total deal value: $116.5 billion

Mendelow joined Evercore in 2001 and has risen through the ranks over the past 25 years, advising on a slew of communications, media, and technology deals. Along with Naveen Nataraj (No. 15), he was promoted to co-lead US investment banking in 2020 and sits on the management committee. This is his first year on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Warner Bros. Discovery on its contested sale to Netflix.
• Advised Cox Communications, the cable TV giant, on its $35 billion sale to telecom conglomerate Charter.
• Advised Astound Broadband on its $400 million investment from PE firm Stonepeak.

Title: Global chairman of investment banking and M&A

Number of deals: 9

Total deal value: $113.5 billion

Ventresca has spent more than three-and-a-half decades at JPMorgan and has served as global chair of JPMorgan’s investment banking business since 2020, according to LinkedIn. A third-time rainmaker, Ventresca has advised on deals across a range of industries, from industrials to consumer retail.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised on Warner Bros. Discovery’s contested sale to Netflix for more than $80 billion.
• Advised on the $12 billion merger of paint producer Akzo Nobel and coatings company Axalta.
• Advised Amphenol, a global electronics manufacturer, on its nearly $11 billion acquisition of network infrastructure provider CommScope’s connectivity and cable solutions business.

Title: Cofounder and partner

Number of deals: 7

Total deal value: $113.3 billion

Effron co-founded Centerview Partners in 2006, establishing the firm as a prominent independent advisor to the world’s elite corporations, offering big-bank power within the boutique banking landscape.

Over a career spanning four decades, he has advised on complex strategic mergers and high-profile activism defenses across the media, consumer, and industrial sectors. His 2025 activity included leading roles in major media-sector consolidations and significant industrial-technology acquisitions. This marks Effron’s fourth appearance on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Paramount as the lead financial advisor in its more than $80 billion transaction involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
• Advised Emerson in its $17 billion acquisition of the remaining stake in the industrial software company Aspen Technology.
• Advised Baker Hughes as joint lead financial advisor in its $14 billion acquisition of energy technology provider Chart Industries.

Title: Global head of advisory and M&A

Number of deals: 13

Total deal value: $105.2 billion

Aiyengar has been at JPMorgan for decades and became the head of advisory and M&A in 2024. She’s advised on more than a trillion dollars’ worth of deals — from ones involving investment bank Morgan Stanley to ones involving luxury giant LVMH — and topped last year’s Rainmakers list.

In addition to being involved in initiatives to mentor women at JPMorgan, Aiyengar is considered one of the financial services industry’s most influential female leaders.

Her 2025 deals included:

• Advised Kimberly-Clark in its $49 billion acquisition of Kenvue, a consumer health company.
• Advised a group of investors, including Apollo and Brookfield Asset Management, on their $28 billion acquisition of Air Lease, an American aircraft leasing company.
• Advised on the $9 billion sale of Skechers to private equity firm 3G Capital.

Title: Chairman of Global M&A, Corporate & Investment Banking

Number of deals: 2

Total deal value: $97.1 billion

David DeNunzio has been at Wells Fargo since 2016. Before coming to Wells Fargo, he spent decades at Credit Suisse and years at Kidder, Peabody in the 1980s. This is DeNunzio’s first year on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Union Pacific on its about $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, a landmark consolidation of the North American railroad industry

• Advised Chart Industries, an energy technology provider, on its $14 billion sale to Baker Hughes.

Title: CEO and cofounder

Number of deals: 10

Total deal value: $94.7 billion

Mahmoodzadegan helped founder Ken Moelis launch Moelis & Company in 2007 and has been central to building the boutique into a heavyweight advisor on marquee deals. A former attorney, he moved into investment banking at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in 1995 and joined UBS in 2001, rising to global head of media investment banking. The longtime co-president took the helm as CEO in October 2025, as Moelis shifted to executive chairman under a planned leadership transition. This is his first time on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Netflix on its contested acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for more than $80 billion.
• Advised the investor group led by billionaire investor William Chisolm on its $6 billion acquisition of the Boston Celtics NBA franchise.
• Advised PrizePicks, a sports gaming platform, on the sale of a majority stake to lottery operator Allwyn in a $3 billion deal.

Title: Co-chairman, global mergers and acquisitions

Number of deals: 12

Total transaction value: $87.5 billion

Ingrassia is a 40-year veteran of Goldman Sachs, currently serving as the co-chairman of global M&A. He previously held leadership roles as the head of Americas M&A and the consumer retail group. His 2025 activity was defined by high-value transactions in the consumer health and retail sectors, as well as notable advisory roles in professional sports and media. This is Ingrassia’s sixth appearance on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Kenvue (formerly Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health) as lead financial advisor in its about $49 billion acquisition by Kimberly-Clark.
• Advised Sycamore Partners in its $24 billion acquisition of Walgreens Boots Alliance.
• Advised the buyer group led by billionaire investor William Chisholm in its nearly $6 billion purchase of the Boston Celtics.
• Advised WK Kellogg in its $3 billion sale to Ferrero International.

Title: Vice chairman, investment banking

Number of deals: 1

Total deal value: More than $80 billion

Nelson Walsh has spent nearly four decades at Morgan Stanley, where he’s now the vice chairman of investment banking. This is Walsh’s first time on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Union Pacific on its roughly $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, a landmark consolidation of the North American railroad industry.

Title: Founder and managing partner

Number of deals: 3

Total value of deals: $82.5 billion

Cardinale founded RedBird in 2014 after 20 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was a partner in the merchant banking division. The sports, media, and financial services investor has since made several high-profile investments, including David Ellison’s Skydance Media, and completed transactions, including the acquisition of Italian soccer club AC Milan. Under Cardinale’s leadership, RedBird has grown to manage about $14 billion in assets for major global institutions and family offices. This year marks Cardinale’s first time on the Rainmakers list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Skydance and Paramount on the more than $80 billion proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
• Advised RedBird on its sale of a strategic stake in the professional cricket team Rajasthan Royals to investment firm Siguler Guff.
• Advised B5 Studios on its launch and initial R&D partnership with Meta. Terms were undisclosed.

Title: CEO

Number of deals: 1

Total deal value: $81.8 billion

Klein now runs his own boutique advisory firm, but he was once one of the most prominent big bank M&A chiefs. He joined Salomon Brothers in the 1980s, which became part of Citigroup in the late 1990s. At Citi, he held top roles in the investment bank and was viewed as a contender for CEO before his departure in 2008. He went on to launch M. Klein & Co., advising on high-profile transactions, and has also launched several special purpose acquisition companies, so-called “blank check” companies.

This is Klein’s first year on the Rainmakers list, thanks to his advisory role on the year’s most contentious megadeal:

• Advised Paramount on its more than $80 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, in competition against rival bidder Netflix.

Title: Co-head of US investment banking

Number of deals: 9

Total deal value: $75.6 billion

This is Nataraj’s third year on the Rainmakers list. The technology, media, and telecommunications banker joined Evercore in 2002 and, like Daniel Mendelow (No. 5), was promoted to lead US investment banking in 2020 and is a member of the firm’s management committee.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Calpine, a power company, on its sale from investment firm Energy Capital Partners to energy conglomerate Constellation for $27 billion.
• Advised Dayforce, an HR and workforce management software firm, on its $12 billion sale to tech investor Thoma Bravo.
• Advised CommScope on the nearly $11 billion sale of its connectivity and cable solutions business to Amphenol, an electronic and fiber optic connectors manufacturer.

Title: Head of financial institutions group M&A, Co-Head of media & communications M&A

Number of deals: 19

Total deal value: $72 billion

Loriferne has been at JPMorgan since 2006 and made the Rainmakers list for the first time last year, when he advised on deals involving BlackRock and Nippon Life.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Rithm Capital on its $17 billion acquisition of Crestline, an alternative investment manager.
• Advised on the $14 billion sale of Mr. Cooper, a mortgage servicer, to Rocket Companies, a fintech platform.
• Advised EQT and communications infrastructure provider Zayo on their nearly $10 billion acquisition of Crown Castle’s fiber and small cell business.

Title: Partner and co-president of investment banking

Number of deals: 21

Total value of deals: $71.2 billion

Centerview’s Tokat had one of the most active healthcare M&A years on Wall Street. Advising exclusively on the sell side, he worked across biotech, pharmaceuticals, and specialty therapeutics transactions, helping companies secure premium exits in a market that rewarded innovation and strategic consolidation. This year marks Tokat’s second appearance.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Exact Sciences in its $21 billion sale to Abbott Laboratories.
• Advised Verona Pharma in its roughly $10 billion sale to Merck.
• Advised Blueprint Medicines in its approximately $9 billion sale to Sanofi, including additional contingent value rights.
• Advised Amicus Therapeutics in its $5 billion sale to BioMarin.

Title: Cofounder and partner

Number of deals: 4

Total value of deals: $68.5 billion

In 2025, Pruzan’s performance was anchored by leading complex advisory projects across multiple industries simultaneously. Most notably, he led the year’s largest consumer healthcare divestiture: the $49 billion acquisition of Kenvue, formerly Johnson & Johnson’s consumer health division, by Kimberly-Clark. He has advised on more than $1 trillion worth of transactions over his career, Centerview says. This year marks Pruzan’s first entry on the list.

His 2025 deals included:

• Advised Kenvue on its $49 billion acquisition by Kimberly-Clark.
• Advised Mediobanca on Italian lender Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena’s complex multi-billion euro tender and exchange offer for about $17 billion.
• Advised Simple Mills in the natural snack brand’s roughly $800 million sale to Flowers Foods.
• Advised Thirty Madison in its $500 million sale in late 2025 to Remedy Meds.

Title: Co-head of M&A, Americas

Number of deals: 10

Total deal value: $66.8 billion

Mahdavi joined Morgan Stanley in 2012, after previous stints at Deutsche Bank and Citi. She’s spent her whole career working in mergers and acquisitions, and was promoted to co-lead Morgan Stanley’s M&A business in the Americas at the beginning of last year. This year marks her second as a rainmaker.

Her 2025 deals included:

• Advised NOVA Chemicals, a petrochemical company, on its $13 billion sale to Borouge Group International, a joint-venture polyolefins producer.
• Advised Global Payments, a company that provides payment technology and software, on its $24 billion acquisition of payment processing company Worldpay from GTCR and FIS.
• Advised Pinnacle Financial Partners, a bank holding company, on its nearly $9 billion merger with the financial services company Synovus.

Title: Chairman of investment banking

Number of deals: 10

Total value of deals: $61 billion

Frost’s elevation to chairman of investment banking in January followed his leadership on several of the consumer sector’s most significant recent transactions. Over the past year, he guided Goldman Sachs in completing the two largest deals in the consumer retail space, including the transformational nearly $49 billion Kenvue acquisition. This year marks Frost’s first appearance on the Rainmakers list.

• Advised Kenvue on its $49 billion acquisition by Kimberly-Clark.
• Advised Sycamore Partners on its roughly $24 billion acquisition of Walgreens.
• Advised Lowe’s on its nearly $9 billion acquisition of Foundation Building Materials.