Our Team
Skip Warner
President
Skip is an experienced entrepreneur and business advisor, having successfully built and sold multiple businesses independently before becoming an integral part of Lisiten Associates and eventually it’s president. With a diverse portfolio spanning manufacturing, wholesale distribution, aerospace, healthcare, and various business services, Skip brings unparalleled expertise to the table when facilitating business sales across any sector.
Capable of adeptly navigating a broad array of businesses, Skip has successfully represented clients in almost every industry. His extensive experience demonstrates a versatile skill set, adept at navigating the complexities of diverse business transactions. Skip has been instrumental in hiring, training, developing, and managing our team of professional business advisors. His prior experiences include negotiating franchise agreements, royalty, and license agreements, directing company operations, product design, merchandising, sourcing, production, manufacturing, sales, marketing, brand promotion, advertising, and distribution. Skip has traveled extensively both domestically and internationally and has enjoyed servicing & representing business owners globally.
Whether you are in the market to buy or sell a business, Skip’s in-depth knowledge of the market environment and nuanced understanding of industry-specific dynamics ensure a seamless and efficient transaction process.
For those seeking a reliable and knowledgeable business advisor to navigate the intricacies of buying or selling a business, Skip stands out as a knowledgeable and trusted choice. Backed by a decades long proven track record and a diverse range of expertise, Skip is well-equipped to guide you toward the realization of your business goals.
Alan Waldman
Senior Vice President
Alan began his career in business financing at a New York-based notes receivable factoring company. While there, he earned an M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
Over the next decade, Alan advanced through finance and operations roles in the publishing and manufacturing industries. This experience allowed him to build a robust foundation in finance, operations, manufacturing, and distribution.
Alan is renowned for his expertise in product and content creation, licensing, and distribution. His deep knowledge in sales, pricing, product profitability, deal structures, and contract negotiations has been instrumental in securing deals with major household names such as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Fisher Price, Disney, and Electronic Arts.
Before joining Lisiten Associates in 2011, Alan had already completed numerous multi-million dollar sales and acquisition transactions. Today, he brings that wealth of experience and a proven track record to our team.
In addition to his role at Lisiten Associates, Alan serves on the Board of Trustees for several organizations in the tri-state area.
Jerry Liss
Senior Regional Business Adviser
After graduating from NYU Stern School of Business, Jerry joined his family’s distribution business, A. Liss & Co., Inc., as a Sales Representative. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing projects from conceptual design to sales and installation of material handling storage and warehouse equipment. His client base included major firms across various industries in the New York/Tri-State region.
During the early 1990s recession, Jerry took on the role of CEO and successfully steered the company through challenging times. He transformed A. Liss & Co. into a prominent player in the construction industry as a Specialty Subcontractor. Under his leadership, the company earned a stellar reputation for managing projects with exceptional honesty and integrity. In 2019, Jerry capitalized on decades of hard work by successfully selling A. Liss & Co.
Jerry’s expertise spans all facets of business operations, with a strong emphasis on sales and contract negotiation, project management, marketing, and finance. His adept handling of complex transactions and everyday business challenges, combined with his commitment to client satisfaction, makes him a valuable guide for navigating the significant decision of selling your business.
Dan Lowe
Senior Regional Business Adviser
Dan started in business ownership early in his career and has racked up 23 years of entrepreneurship. Through this time, he has learned just what it takes to be a successful business owner. Having built and sold numerous companies of his own, he knows first-hand how difficult and emotional it can be to sell a business.
Dan additionally has experience in creating a brand from scratch. He took an idea from paper to the marketplace in under a year. During this business startup Dan learned every aspect of taking a product from concept to market. This taught him a tremendous foundation in design, development, manufacturing, freight shipping, and small parcel shipping just to name a few. All of this business experience has helped Dan develop a set of skills you won’t find with most other brokers.
Dan’s 16 years selling businesses in his previous roll probably has prepared him the most for his position here at Lisiten Associates. In fact, Dan was a client before joining our team. Ask him and he will tell you his experience as a client was so fantastic and so much different than any of his other business sales that he decided to join our team and help others enjoy their own exit process.
Enlist Dan and Lisiten Associates to sell your business and he will help you get the most for all your blood, sweat, and tears that went into building your business, you deserve nothing less than top dollar, and we can help you get it.
Robert Kent
Regional Business Advisor
Bob Kent is a highly successful businessman with a diverse and accomplished career.
Bob began his entrepreneurial journey at the young age of 24 by opening an insurance agency. Within just two years, his venture expanded to three offices and 15 employees. To this day, he continues to own these agencies, with a dedicated manager overseeing their operations.
In 2006, Bob ventured into the healthcare industry by opening his first Imaging Center in Park Slope, New York, in collaboration with NYU. The success of this center led to the opening of a second location in 2018. Both centers continue to thrive under the management of onsite professionals.
Throughout the years, Bob has bought and sold various other businesses, always on the lookout for the next exciting opportunity. However, it wasn’t until he joined LISITEN ASSOCIATES that he found his true passion. Bob discovered that helping people buy and sell businesses was where his heart truly lay, and he is committed to making this his lifelong focus.
With his vast and diversified business experience, Bob is uniquely positioned to help you sell your business successfully. His deep understanding of various industries, coupled with his hands-on approach, ensures that you receive the best possible guidance and support.
Alan Pfeifer
Regional Business Advisor
Being an M&A Business Broker at Lisiten Associates is a perfect fit for Alan, who brings a wealth of successful business experience to this role.
Alan is a true entrepreneur with a vision for staying ahead of the curve. His background is a unique blend of corporate success in business and sales development, having spent 12 years in sales management at Levi Strauss and over a decade leading a high-profile division as President of Calvin Klein Jeans.
After more than 20 years in these successful corporate roles, Alan forged his own path by creating a jeans company. For over a decade, he developed products for existing brands and retailers, achieving his goal of running a successful business.
After selling his company, Alan briefly retired, but quickly realized that retirement did not suit his temperament. Always looking for new challenges, he reinvented himself as a successful real estate broker at Douglas Elliman while honing his skills as a business broker.
Alan’s extensive experience and proven success in both corporate and entrepreneurial roles make him an invaluable team member at Lisiten Associates. The firm’s proven formulas for achieving mutual goals with clients have provided Alan with the perfect platform to apply his highly recognized people skills and insatiable desire to help business entrepreneurs either sell or buy a business.
As a business broker, Alan is able to evaluate existing businesses using the professional tools and unmatched international marketing provided by Lisiten Associates. He skillfully works with first-time buyers, corporations, and family-held businesses, helping them find the perfect purchase or acquisition.
Mike Pantouvakis
Business Advisor & Business Development
Mike started his entrepreneurial career by launching one of the first social media marketing pages to be brought to market in Europe when he was 14 years old. He was able to develop a direct weekly audience of over 60,000 in 30 different countries and 3 different continents.
Following that, he started a fashion company which got acquired in May of 2017 in an undisclosed deal and then formed a marketing company which his family is still operating today.
After accumulating a wide array of experiences from the entrepreneurial field, Mike earned his Double Major in Computing and Data Science & Finance from NYU’s Stern School of Business. While in College Mike interned at Lisiten Associates working directly with Mel Lisiten. Having graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business Mike is now leading our Business Development Team and Advising Business Owners on the many options they have in the Sale and Transition of their business.
Mike’s future goals include helping to make the business landscape and community into a more inclusive, innovative, and profitable space for business owners.
Nancy Schuster
Business Development
Nancy brings with her over 20 years of her Business and Sales Development Expertise. She has extensive experience in business development & strategic partnerships, negotiating deal structures and contract negotiations.
Nancy has an In-depth understanding of core business processes. She is able to define, communicate and fulfill project goals and break complex issues into manageable parts. Nancy has a proven record of leading successful teams to achieved desired goals.
Adam Philip Bess
Business Development
Adam Bess earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Old Dominion University and his MBA from Regent University.
Prior to joining Lisiten Associates Adam was already a trained business broker with over ten years of industry experience. Adam’s true passion is business development and has really hit the ground running at Lisiten Associates. With over a decade of sales and business development experience, that includes innovation in prospecting and closing sales Adam has been a tremendous addition to Lisiten and our clients.
Adam loves helping business owners monetize their years of hard work, in the resale of their business to the next generation of business owners.
In his personal life, Adam has had a lifelong interest in community service and serves on the board of a non-profit charity that encourages and empowers everyone in his greater community.
HEATHER McKINNON
Global Communications, Marketing & Advertising
Heather is an exceptional and amazing mother of three, known for her tireless dedication and remarkable humility. Despite being extremely shy, Heather has become an integral part of Lisiten Associates since joining in 2005.
Starting as a secretary to Mel Lisiten, Heather has grown alongside the company and now plays a vital role in its operations. Today, she heads up all international communications, managing interactions between New York, Europe, Israel, China, India, and the rest of the world. In addition to this, Heather oversees public relations, IT, bookkeeping, and serves as our general office manager.
Heather holds a BS degree in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania and has recently completed her Master’s Degree at Columbia University. Her academic background, combined with her extensive experience, makes her an invaluable asset to the company.
Looking ahead, once her children have all gone off to college, Heather is excited to join our sales team full-time, where her deep understanding of the business and her tireless work ethic will undoubtedly contribute to even greater success.
Rosemarie Antonelli
Media Relations & Video Marketing
Rosemarie leads the Video and Graphics Departments at Lisiten Associates, bringing her exceptional artistic talent and creative vision to every project. An amazing and accomplished artist, Rosemarie is also the owner of a highly successful beauty company, showcasing her entrepreneurial spirit and multifaceted expertise.
At Lisiten Associates, Rosemarie is responsible for all artwork and videos used in marketing and branding efforts. Her innovative approach plays a crucial role in defining the Lisiten Associates brand and its cutting-edge marketing strategies. Rosemarie is currently developing video concepts that will be used globally as part of the new, futuristic marketing campaigns that set Lisiten Associates apart from the competition.
Her dedication to excellence is evident in her work, including the latest project focused on implementing video teasers by 2023 for all listings. This new technology will further enhance Lisiten Associates’ unmatched marketing approach.
Rosemarie’s tireless efforts and creative contributions continue to elevate Lisiten Associates to new heights in the industry.