John P. Murphy, ASA, MCBA, CVA – President
As President, John coordinates the firm’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), merger and acquisition, and ownership transition activities.
John is instrumental in providing valuation and financial advisory services in connection with the implementation of ESOPs. He also represents buyers and sellers of middle market companies, and has negotiated and structured complex recapitalizations, leveraged and management buyouts, corporate acquisitions, and family business transfers, to include the placement of senior and subordinated debt.
John conducts valuations in connection with business succession, ESOPs, estate and gift tax matters, marital dissolutions, purchase price allocations, goodwill impairment studies, and mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
John teaches courses for business owners, attorneys and accountants on business valuation and business succession issues and is a frequent panelist at seminars sponsored by the ESOP Association. Before joining Atlantic Management Company in 1989, John was affiliated with McLaughlin Research Corporation. Prior to that, he was a military intelligence analyst with the United States Air Force Electronic Security Command and served in the United States, Japan, and Greece.
Brady T. Finney – Managing Director
Brady coordinates the firm’s valuation activities. He specializes in the financial analysis of closely held companies and the industries with which they are allied. His analyses generate a multi-dimensional financial profile and provide an insight into the economic environment in which the companies operate. Brady has participated in a variety of valuation engagements including those conducted for ownership transition, stock options, corporate planning, and ESOPs.
Brady has been a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) certified by NACVA. He has over 20 years of experience in operations, financial strategy, technology, consulting, and marketing.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, Brady managed the budget and analysis process for a $10 billion retail office supply chain. Later he became the Director of Operations for the New Orleans Technology Council where he consulted with over 200 technology companies on their marketing strategies, strategic plans, and product delivery processes. Brady served as interim controller for a $40 million publicly held manufacturing company, and raised over $8.5 million in both angel and venture capital funding for a technology startup.
Sandra S. Smith, CPA, CGMA, CVA – Managing Director
Sandra specializes in financial analysis and uses valuation research to provide valuations by assessing corporate risk, evaluating industry trends, and analyzing budgets and cash flows. She works primarily with closely held companies across a diverse array of industries, including manufacturing, professional services, retail, and high technology.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, Sandra spent 15 years in public accounting, focusing almost exclusively on commercial enterprises, where she worked with clients on matters including financial reporting, understanding and implementing changes in accounting guidance, assessing and strengthening internal controls, and succession planning.
Sandra also assists companies and business owners with the intricacies of ESOP transactions and related accounting, in which she works with management to understand the post-transaction impacts to financial statements, debt covenants, and forecasts, as well as to provide ongoing financial consulting for existing ESOPs.
Sandra is a frequent author and presenter on topics including synthetic equity and deferred compensation, correcting retirement plan errors, ESOPs, business valuations, and updates to US GAAP.
John H. Sanders Jr., CVA – Manager
John, who has more than 20 years of experience in the field of financial advisory and analysis, specializes in providing advice and assistance to business owners, attorneys, and financial planners who require business valuation services for closely held companies. Over the course of his career, John has actively performed over 400 business valuations in a wide range of industries. During his career, John has performed the following types of valuation and economic damage assignments: business and stock valuations, forensic analyses, gift and estate tax valuations, merger and acquisition valuations, ESOP employer stock valuations, marital dissolution valuations, minority interest buyout and redemption valuations, buy/sell agreement valuations, shareholder dissension/oppression valuations, executive reasonable compensation analyses, lost profits/economic damages calculations, and appraisal reviews.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, John worked as a Vice President for Willamette Management Associates for nearly two and a half years. Prior to that, he worked as a manager at Edelstein & Company, LLP, a Boston-based regional accounting firm, and before that, he worked at Gordon Associates, a Boston-based valuation firm.
Michael W. Dilly, CPA/ABV – Manager
Michael provides valuation services to clients in a variety of contexts including estate, gift, and income tax planning and reporting, marital dissolutions shareholder transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. Michael has served as an expert witness in commercial arbitration and also has experience assisting clients with purchase price allocations and other consulting projects.
Michael has valued companies engaged in the following industries: coal, health care, manufacturing, and agriculture; also valued a variety of retail establishments, service businesses, and holding companies owning real estate, marketable securities, closely-held stocks, and other assets.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, Michael spent 5 years in public accounting, focusing primarily on business valuations, and 5 years as a financial analyst managing feasibility projects for start-up companies in the energy and non-profit industries.
Jordan Hamaker, ASA-MTS – Manager
Jordan has nearly 10 years of experience in the financial advisory sector with experience in: personal property valuations, business and stock valuations, gift and estate tax valuations, business combination valuations, minority interest buyout, executive reasonable compensation analyses, and appraisal reviews.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, Jordan worked for Armanino, LLP for three and a half years, primarily focusing primarily on performing gift and estate tax valuations, business combination valuations, and appraisal reviews and leading the firm’s personal property valuations for business combinations. Prior to that, he worked nearly 7 years at Arthur Financial Services, an Austin-based regional consulting firm.
Cory Melnick, CVA – Manager
Cory is a Manager at Atlantic Management Company, where he provides business valuation and transaction advisory services to privately held companies across a wide range of industries. His work helps business owners make informed decisions by blending deep financial analysis with practical insight into company-specific risks, industry dynamics, and transaction strategy.
Cory has advised clients on all aspects of ownership transition, including third-party sales, management buyouts, and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). He has led successful transactions involving private and publicly traded buyers and frequently works on both the sell-side and buy-side of M&A deals. His valuation expertise enhances his ability to support clients through complex negotiations, especially in structuring deals that align with financial and personal goals.
Cory regularly presents on valuation topics at ESOP conferences and is a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) through the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).
Diego Smith – Senior Analyst
Diego brings a unique blend of macroeconomic expertise and global perspective which also stems from his international upbringing across multiple continents.
A Seattle native and University of New Hampshire graduate with a degree in Analytical Economics, he won his Senior Capstone Thesis.
At UNH, Diego was a leader, serving as the Chief Economist of the Atkins Investment Group and Captain of the Club Rugby team.
Before joining Atlantic Management, Diego worked as a Market Research Analyst with a focus on IT companies in the Public sector.
At Atlantic, Diego has successfully led various business valuation projects across industries and advised business owners in ownership transitions, from management buyouts to third-party sales.
Outside of the firm Diego also enjoys travelling to new places and DJing in his free time.
Melanie C. Matulonis – Director of Marketing
Melanie brings nearly 20 years of B2B and B2C marketing experience and insight into the firm. She has worked for two employee-owned companies, in industrial manufacturing and technology and financial services (ESOP), as well as in the non-profit sector, where she executed B2C marketing strategies. Her focus is promoting the Atlantic Management Company brand as a leading valuation and transaction advisory firm while creating targeted messaging for business owners and financial advisory professionals as it relates to Valuations, M&A, ESOP and Ownership Transition deals.
Put simply, as the Director of Marketing, Melanie ensures that the right people get the right message at the right time via the right channel.
In her previous roles, she served as chair of the ESOP Employee Ownership Communications Team and was an active member of The New England Chapter of The ESOP Association. During this time, she travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of the senate and congress to lobby for support of pro-ESOP legislation. She proudly led efforts to have the month of October (2018) declared by Governor Chris Sununu as “Employee Ownership Month” in the state of New Hampshire.
Melanie received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Keene State College, Master of Arts in Communication – New Media and Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society for Communication.
Brenda Lyman – Administrative Project Coordinator
Brenda coordinates the process for projects from the start to the completion. She interacts with clients, advisors and trustees throughout the process.
Prior to joining Atlantic Management Company, Brenda worked for 38 years at a retail company. She has an Associate of Arts degree from Franklin Pierce University.
In her spare time, Brenda enjoys travelling with her family.