Cory joined Carlson Private Capital in February 2019 after working as a Director at Stone Arch Capital, a private equity firm headquartered in Minneapolis. Prior to Stone Arch, Cory worked 11 years in public accounting, most recently as a Director at PWC. At PWC he worked in their M&A Advisory practice and specialized in providing strategic, business and financial advice on acquisitions and divestitures for private equity clients. It was here he met Andy, Taylor and Emma and from 2010 to 2015, became their “go to” resource for financial and accounting advice. Cory received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from St. John’s University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

Early jobs and what did you learn most/like best? I worked a number of jobs early on, but it was my position at the local hockey rink that had the largest impact on me. I played hockey at Centennial High School in Circle Pines, MN and, like most of my teammates, spent nights and weekends at the arena. There we sharpened skates, worked the concession stand and performed general janitorial tasks. Through that role in customer service, I gained significant appreciation for the intricacies involved in working with the public and carry that experience with me through my life.

Perfect Saturday? Wake up early at our family cabin in northern Minnesota and head out fishing. Get back to the cabin just as the rest of the house is waking up and make a huge brunch on the porch with my family. Spend the day on the water (cruising the lake, pulling kids tubing, swimming off a sandbar). End the night with a great dinner and a bonfire.

What word best defines you? Analytical

History with your own family businesses? In 2010, my wife, Jessica, opened a small hair salon in south Minneapolis with modest ambitions. In the early days, she was proudly one of the first employers in her industry to offer benefits, such as health insurance and PTO. This “employee first” approach has resulted in remarkably strong growth. Since their opening, they have gone from 6 to over 75 employees, across three Minneapolis locations. Watching her business grow has solidified our belief that business is fundamentally about people, not just financials. It’s this belief that originally drew me to CPC and, today, makes me more bullish than ever about the prospect of us partnering with business owners with similar core values, particularly around people and community.