About Behind
the Counter
You ‘ve built something and you care about it.
We get it. As owners ourselves, we are driven
to ensure our clients win.
About Behind
Firm Overview
Behind the Counter was founded on a simple mission: to bring world-class corporate advisory to everyday
business owners. After decades in private equity, investment management, and advisory, our team saw
too many entrepeneurs advised poorly-resulting in transactions that could have been far stronger with
the right guidance.
We built Behind the Counter to change that. Collectively, our team has helped allocate billions of dollars in
capital, scaled companies, and executed complex private transactions across North America, Australia,
and the Middle East. We bring deep expertise and disciplined judgment to every mandate, helping clients
engineer advantage in the moments that matter most.
We are the trusted professionals in the room when futures are being decided, ensuring the right deal is
secured, on the right terms.
Leadership Team
Gavin Preston
Managing Director
Gavin brings over 20 years of global experience in
corporate advisory, private equity, investment, and
CFO leadership. He has led growth and venture
investments, management buyouts, and exits
ranging from $1 million to over $100 million.
Across industries and geographies, Gavin is known
for disciplined execution, sharp judgment, and
guiding owners through the moments that matter most.
Kara Lilly, CFA
Senior Vice President
Kara is an investor, entrepeneur, strategist, and
published author. She combines finance and
marketing expertise to deliver insightful, high-impact
counsel to clients. Kara has helped allocate billions of
dollars in capital globally across award-winning equity
and balanced funds, and served on a $30 billion asset
mix committee. As part of a leadership team, she
helped scale a global asset manager from under $7
billion in assets to more than $60 billion. She has held
senior roles in both marketing and finance, and her
insights have been featured in BNN Bloomberg, the
Financial Post, the Globe and Mail, and the CBC.
OUR CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY
We do the right thing by people and our clients.
CANDOUR
We are real and operate directly and openly.
PARTNERSHIP
We are invested in the health and success of our clients and community.
EXCELLENCE
We seek to win and create exceptional outcomes.
OUR CORE VALUES
INTEGRITY
We do the right thing by peopole and our clients.
CANDOUR
We are real and operate directly and openly.
PARTNERSHIP
We are invested in the health and success of our clients and community.
EXCELLENCE
We seek to win and create exceptional outcomes.
We leverage decades of experience to help our clients grow or exit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
Grown multiple start-ups from the inside as founders and in senior finance and marketing roles.
2
Led and advised on $1.2 billion+ transactions
3
Global deals including in Australia, US, Canada and Israel.
4
Portfolio management of public equity, private equity, balanced and venture capital funds.
5
Rescued company out of receivorship.
6
Worked on a wide range of equity and debt structures and deals, including: management buyouts, leveraged buyouts, growth capital, pre-seed, seed, Series A, and later stage capital raises, hybrid securities, convertible debt or preferred shares, senior secured debt, options and more.
7
Spoken with hundreds of management teams around the world.