"How To: Get Bought" 

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Selling your business can be one of the most important and profitable things you'll ever do.  The fourth event in this series, How To: Get bought, will provide attendees with a detailed understanding of how to plan, prepare for and execute the sale of your company.

Join Venture Lab speakers Dave Parker, President & CEO of 9Spaces and Mani Gill Senior Director, OnDemand, Product, Operations and Partners for Business Objects as they share their knowledge, experience and perspective surrounding this exciting and very critical topic. 

Issues discussed will include:

.         Formulating your plan

.         Guidelines on preparing a targeted selling memorandum

.         Identifying the most appropriate buyers and how to best approach them

.         Valuation

.         Shepherding potential buyers through the due diligence of the company

.         Deal Structure

.         Managing the negotiation process to a successful close

Speakers:

David Parker - President & CEO - 9Spaces

Over the last 20 years Dave's career success has included both product and service industries, selling both tangible and intangible products in the technology market segments including hardware, software, and wireless. For the last 10 years he has held executive positions in IT services, software distribution and hardware development companies, including founding roles and CEO/President at License Online, Inc. License Online was founded in 1997 to capitalize in the changing distribution channel, the company grew from Zero to $35M in sales in four years and developed a channel of over 45,000 distribution partners that were 85% net new to the software distributors that the Company served. License Online was sold to Synnex Information Technologies (SNX). As board member of Classmates.com, Dave also prepared the company for its exit that resulted in the sale to United Online for $128M. 

Dave has been involved in a number of successful M&A events.  His expertise also included business planning, financial modeling, fundraising and international joint ventures. He is passionate about serving the customer, and is an effective leader and entrepreneur. He has served on the board of a number of companies and organizations, including Classmates.com, Cauldron Solutions, Guidant Financial, Digital Marketing, Software Information Industry Association (SIIA), and non profits boards of Seattle Union Gospel Mission.

He is an Alumnus of the University of Washington and has been recognized by the World Technology Network for Innovation in the Software Industry, Forbes best of the Web and the Puget Sound's 40 under 40. He is a frequent speaker on business and entrepreneurship.

Mani Gill - Senior Director, OnDemand, Product, Operations and Partners - Business Objects

Mani is a veteran of the business intelligence space.  He began his career with the then startup Crystal Decisions in Vancouver, BC.  Crystal went through many acquisitions and spin outs being owned by Seagate at one point.  Mani signed the original deal of embedding Crystal Reports with Microsoft's Visual Studio with VB6 and owned the partnership with Microsoft that resulted.  With Business Objects' acquisition of Crystal Decisions in 2004, Mani became senior executive for driving partner sales and started the OnDemand business group in Business Objects.  Within the last 18 months, he helped Business Objects acquire First Logic and NSite for the growth of the OnDemand business group.  Outside of work, Mani is an avid golfer and does his best networking on the golf course.