Thien Van Tran Promoted to Managing Director and Zach Skolnekovich to Associate; Alexander Nye Joins as Senior Associate and Peter Frohlich as Associate.
WASHINGTON, DC (December 14, 2023) Ascend Capital Group, a middle-market investment banking firm providing buy-side and sell-side advisory services, is pleased to announce that the firm has promoted Thien Van Tran to Managing Director and Zach Skolnekovich to Associate, while Senior Associate Alexander Nye and Associate Peter Frohlich have joined the growing team.
“We have been extremely fortunate to work with incredible clients who trust us with what is often a monumental milestone of their business life,” said Ascend Managing Director Eric Parekh. “Our focus on building great relationships — both internally and with our clients — is foundational to our ability to scale our team and client engagements through the ever-shifting macro environment. We are proud to have amazing colleagues like Thien, Zach, Alex, and Peter on the Ascend team.”
Managing Director Thien Van Tran has nearly a decade of experience focused on M&A, capital raising, corporate finance, and investment banking. Thien has demonstrated consistent ability to originate new relationships and foster outstanding outcomes for clients while embodying the humility, hunger, and heart that represent the firm’s philosophy. Prior to Ascend, Thien was a member of the investment banking teams at Evergreen Advisors, Regions Bank, and Cassel Salpeter & Co.
Associate Zach Skolnekovich is a steadfast driver of complex financial modeling, crafting compelling client materials, diving into due diligence details, conducting critical analysis, and enthusiastically supporting the development of new client relationships — all with a humble, team-player mentality. Prior to joining Ascend, Zach was a growth equity analyst at Aldrich Capital Partners.
“Thien and Zach continually raise the bar at Ascend with the hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence they display on behalf of our teammates and clients,” said Ascend Managing Director Douglas (“DJ”) Palmer. “They exemplify the humility, grit, integrity, respect, and passion that makes Ascend a differentiator among investment banking firms, and they have been integral to Ascend’s people-oriented culture, which we continue to expand with new additions like Alex and Peter.”
Senior Associate Alexander Nye has a breadth of experience in end-to-end M&A processes, financial analysis, and representing founders. Over the last three years, he has worked in investment banking across various industries, including diversified industrials, business services, distribution, and real estate. Alex joined Ascend from Benchmark International, a sell-side M&A firm. Prior to that, he received a Master of Science with Distinction in International Business and Emerging Markets from The University of Edinburgh Business School.
When asked why he is excited to join the team, Alex said, “Ascend is a tight-knit group that demonstrates excellent teamwork and delivers best-in-class material. Ascend prioritizes understanding the owner’s goals, which enables us to build relationships rooted in trust and show them the tremendous opportunities that are attainable with our support.”
Associate Peter Frohlich joined Ascend after completing his Master of Business Administration and Certificate in Real Estate at Georgetown University, where he had two investment banking and two private equity internships. Prior to Georgetown, Peter spent two years in functional IT as an SAP ERP Analyst and one year in Corporate Finance at Teleflex.
Commenting on his role at Ascend, Peter shared, “I am motivated by the high impact of M&A execution and the breadth of knowledge that results from analyzing a business and its financials from a birds-eye view. I am also passionate about tackling complex challenges that ultimately help our clients reach their goals.”
Interested in learning more about joining the Ascend team? Contact us at info@ascendcg.com.
