Swiss Avenue Partners

Business Expansion Specialists

Swiss Avenue Partners provides business training and solutions for existing businesses guided by smart leaders. Our team of specialists apply tailored tools, innovation and customized programs to enhance business valuation and leverage human capital.

The focus is on four categories to improve or develop:

• Strategic Planning Tools
• Profitability Modeling
• Generating Revenue
• Structure & Responsibility

SANDY BURTON

Sandy Burton is CEO and co-founding Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners. She has a background in the financial services industry with a combined 8 years experience as a Financial Planner, managing the IPO desk of Everen Securities in Chicago and then co-founding her own independent asset management company in Austin, Texas. This was followed by 5 years with an Australian-based business coaching company managing the Texas office and later, as a senior member of the San Francisco headquarters for that company. Sandy has significant experience in managing growth in mid-market businesses and is now a sought after speaker to various groups that includes successful women entrepreneurs and business owners.

LINAS JARASIUS

Linas Jarasius is a Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners. He is a corporate financier, business coach and mentor with experience in the Australian, Asian, European and US markets. His career began with 15 years in the IT industry that culminated in founding and taking public a multi facet, HR-based services provider. He built the company to a market capitalization of $40 million and led three acquisitions totalling more than $13 million in that time. He later moved to London in 2000 where he was the CEO and major shareholder of a Corporate Finance house that was a joint venture with a UK Top 50 accounting firm. He relocated to San Francisco in 2005 where he co-founded Swiss Avenue Partners, LLC.

ROY BLAIR

Roy is a Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners. Has a background in building and developing small businesses and is the founder and CEO of several successful companies. In 1997 he negotiated a contract with a big box retailer and grew a small coffee cart to a multi million-dollar food and beverage company. Additionally he co-founded a wholesale coffee and equipment distribution company covering Northern California. He is a third generation Sacramento native. Married to his high school sweetheart, he and his wife share a love of the outdoors and family time with their two boys.

PETER SIEFFERT

Peter Sieffert is a Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners.  Peter spent 10 years as business owner and consultant, building several small businesses in both southern and northern California. He has a diverse background that extends from engineering to a bachelor's in psychology and is currently working towards an MBA.  He has extensive training and experience in the coaching field and is currently heading up the San Diego office of Swiss Avenue Partners.

CONSUELO VALVERDE

Consuelo Valverde is a Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners. Consuelo has broad international experience in business, science entrepreneurship and innovation best practices. She promoted the creation of a Science Museum, an Innovation Center and alternative Funds for S&T in Mexico. Consuelo has also presented at national and international conferences, as well as in television and radio programs, covering the subjects of science, technology and innovation. She has founded several businesses in Mexico and the UK and was instrumental in launching a growing retail pharmacy targeting the Hispanic market in the US. Her education includes a BS in Electrical Engineering, a Masters in Computer Science, and an MBA in Science Entrepreneurship from Cass Business School in London. She is currently heading up the Silicon Valley Office of Swiss Avenue Partners.

TERESA SOTO

Teresa Soto is a Project Manager with Swiss Avenue Partners. She comes with a wealth of knowledge and 19 years Project Management experience in both the IT and Mortgage industries and her main role is to ensure each project for our clients is on track and that we deliver on our promises.

ED GATEJEN

Ed Gatejen is a fourth generation entrepreneur in the Sacramento region and has recently joined the team at Swiss Avenue Partners in a coaching and leadership capacity. His formal training was in Electrical Engineering and he has been involved in the Real Estate industry since 1985. In addition to owning and running several businesses, Ed has also been involved in life coaching and motivational work through the world renowned Anthony Robbins.

LAURA CHICK

Laura Chick is our Office Manager and she is the first interface that the outside world has with Swiss Avenue. Her key responsibilities revolve around the back office functions, including accounting and finance, premises, administration, reception and calendar management for the Partners. Laura brings over 14 years experience in the legal, industrial and corporate arenas and she holds a J.D.

MATT WEEDEN

Matt recently joined the team at Swiss Avenue Partners as the Program Director for Think Big!  Matt has spent more than 10 years building several successful businesses in the greater Sacramento area.  He has extensive experience in building strong teams, corporate finance, and execution.  Matt holds an MBA and spent many years coaching high school water polo and swimming.

TRACY AVVAKUMOVITS

Tracy is the Think Big Program Coordinator in the greater Sacramento area. She has 16+ years with a Fortune 100 company in human resources management, project management & training. She has also owned and built two businesses over the last six years. She has a bachelor degree in Psychology from UC Davis and is a graduate of the Think Big! Program.

Patricia Etchegoin

Patricia Etchegoin is the Director of the Business Expansion Practice at Austin Management Partners, Swiss Avenue Partner's Central Texas-based license holder. For the fist 10+ years, she began her career working in Fortune 500 companies such as Ford Credit, Procter & Gamble, Dell and AMD in roles ranging from consumer marketing, business marketing, business development, and marketing operations. For the last two years, prior to joining AMP, Patricia has been the managing partner of a family-owned small business in the restaurant industry, overseeing all aspects of operations for two stores. Patricia holds an M.B.A. in Marketing and International Business from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Universidad Catolica Argentina

Van Haas

Van Haas is the COO and a Partner of Swiss Avenue Partners Sacramento. Van has eight years of experience in the insurance and investigations industry. He carved out and fulfilled a critical role at his previous company during a period of rapid expansion into the western U.S. Van has solid experience and repeated success in reducing costs, increasing productivity, and redesigning processes or structure to improve operational performance. He has also been on the Board of Directors for a non-profit group for several years and has served as President. His education includes a BA double major in Economics and Communication with High Honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Mike Pizinger

Mike leads the Business Expansion Practice for our central Texas based license holder, Austin Management Partners.

He brings a wealth of knowledge to the business, stemming from a 17-year career at Dell, where he operated within a vast set of functions. His most recent role was Director of Consumer Services Marketing, preceded by executive level positions in Program Management, Sales Operations, Segment Marketing, and Engineering Operations. Prior to that, he managed International Operations, was responsible for worldwide forecasting of all notebook products, and also started the printer business there.

Earlier in his career, Mike worked for BF Goodrich Aerospace for 5 years spanning a variety of positions including manufacturing operations, facilities management, pricing/margin analysis, and business strategy. Mike holds a B.A. in General Business from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dave Scinto

As a founding partner of Strategic Growth Network and a CPA, Dave brings a wealth of experience working with business owners, wealth-orientated individuals, and real-estate investors. Prior to beginning his CPA career in 1987, Dave worked as a manufacturing analyst for a defense-related aerospace manufacturer. That experience, combined with his accounting knowledge, allows Dave to understand a company's operations and goals, and to provide meaningful contributions to systems related to efficiency and profit enhancement. He has provided consulting services to clients ranging from small, closely-held companies to large, complex corporate organizations. His experience includes working with both start-up enterprises and rapidly expanding organizations. Dave holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Dave is a member of the American Institute of CPA's, the California Society of CPA's, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the Government Audit Quality Control Center. He serves on the board of directors of a handful of public benefit non-profit agencies, and is active in a local Rotary Club. Dave is also a part-time accounting instructor at Sierra College.

Martin Riley

Martin has worked 13 years in the commercial banking industry and has been trained by the largest and most well known banks in the U. S. Martin's primary responsibilities were to analyze and assess the needs and abilities of a business to acquire capital as well as helping those businesses structure their capital acquisition.

Martin has also spent six years as a CFO for a wireless telecommunications general contractor. In those six years, he helped grow the company from 4 to 20+ employees. Martin's goal is to bring this wealth of experience, knowledge, and tools to any growth-minded business owner who needs it.

He holds a BA in Economics from SDSU, currently is on the Board for The Friendship Club and is involved in student ministries and coaching youth athletics.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Strategy

Models, tools, software that address:

• Developing a Strategic plan
• Creating or managing an existing Market Position
• Creating or balancing an existing Product (or Service) mix
• Corporate Structure (C-Corp, S-Corp, LLC etc) alignment for future growth
• Developing and implementing a Succession Plan
• Capacity modeling
• Valuation modeling

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Structure & Responsibility

Models, tools, software that address:

• Creating a Functional Structure
• Workflow development and management
• Developing and maintaining meaningful Job Descriptions
• Training Program development and management
• Creating or enhancing existing Performance Review processes

Infrastructure Strength to leverage efficiency and sustainability

Operational Potency to boost your company's revenue model

Strategic Development for a clear direction and an embraceable long-term plan

Cultural Solutions to support pace of change and enhance company lifestyle

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Generating Revenue

Models, tools, software that address:

• New techniques for improving effectiveness of your Direct Sales team
• Sales Forecasting, Pipeline management
• Sales presentation effectiveness
• Identifying, acquiring and managing Channel and Alliance partnership relationships
• Maximizing current revenue through Client Base Management

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Profitability Modeling

Models, tools, software that address:

• Financial modeling
• Budgeting and Projection-vs-Actual tools and methodologies
• Company Dashboard Dials (intranet or internet) development and implementation
• Capacity and Resource management

Click here to see an example of our Dashboard Tools

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Merger & Acquisition

Assistance with:

• 'Target' company identification
• Target company Culture match and review processes
• Target company Operational review
• Meetings and negotiations with Target company
• Advisor (legal, accounting, banking etc) selection and/or management
• Deal structuring
• Implementation Strategy development
• Training and Transition plans

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

We focus on skills in four categories and use a series of models that provide the framework and methods to produce the desired outcomes.

Debt Structuring & Banking

Assistance with:

• Bank introductions and/or management of relationship
• SBA, Line of Credit, and other financing options
• CEDLI (co-lending) investment application assistance

EVENTS

Sacramento

San Diego

Silicon Valley

Austin Texas

CLIENTS ONLY

Coming soon...

MAIN PROGRAM

THINK BIG! PROGRAM

CONTACT US

Sacramento Office

San Diego Office

Austin Office