About Halvard

Fifteen Years of Principled Advisory

Founded in 2009 by James Halvard after a career in regional investment banking, Halvard Partners was built around a clear idea: founder-led businesses deserve institutional-grade advisory quality.

From the Intermountain West, the firm has advised on manufacturing, industrial services, specialty chemicals, and distribution mandates with enterprise values from $15 million to $150 million.

Halvard remains independent and principal-led, with no referral compensation arrangements that could compromise client alignment.

Our Team

All people shown below are fictional personas and AI-portrait placeholders created for demonstration use.

James R. Halvard

Founder & Managing Principal

ManufacturingIndustrial Services

22 years in M&A advisory, including regional bank VP roles. Led 20+ sell-side processes with aggregate value above $800M.

BBA Finance, University of Utah · MBA, Wharton

Sarah K. Wentworth

Managing Director

Specialty DistributionValue-Added Manufacturing

18 years across investment banking and corporate development, including middle-market advisory leadership experience.

BS Economics, Stanford University · CFA Charterholder

Daniel T. Ashby

Vice President

Industrial ServicesSpecialty Chemicals

10 years in M&A and corporate development. Leads buyer outreach, financial modeling, and diligence coordination.

BS Economics, BYU · MBA, Chicago Booth

Michelle R. Sorens

Vice President

Financial ModelingDeal Structuring

Former Big 4 Transaction Services leader focused on quality of earnings, data room quality, and buyer diligence management.

BS Accounting, University of Utah · CPA · CFA Level II Candidate

Core Principles

Independence

Seller-side alignment with no buyer compensation channels.

Confidentiality

Structured disclosure controls from teaser through close.

Senior Attention

Principals stay directly involved across every major workstream.