Blue River Promotes Five Team Members in Q2 of 2025

July 30, 2025 – Blue River Financial Group announced today the promotion of five team members in Q2 of 2025, in a strategic move to further strengthen its leadership and drive continued expansion. The Buy-side division promoted Michael Herrmann to Managing Director & Industrials Segment Leader, and promoted Niall Garrahan, Noemi Kinsey, Stephanie Studt, and Lewis VanLandingham, to Directors. With the advancement of proven leaders, the team is poised to drive innovation and accelerate long-term growth initiatives.

Michael Herrmann was promoted to Managing Director & Industrials Segment Leader. Michael brings over 20 years of experience in M&A and successfully closed numerous transactions in a wide variety of markets. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Finance from the University of Houston. He also became a Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) through the Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA) in 2020.

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn or reach out @ mherrmann@goblueriver.com.

Sara Clevenger, Partner and Buy-side Practice Leader, said “We’re proud to announce the promotion of Michael Herrmann to Managing Director, honoring his extraordinary contributions and leadership across our organization. Michael’s deep expertise in corporate development and growth-through-acquisition strategies has been instrumental to his success within Blue River’s buyside division. Yet what truly sets him apart is his unwavering generosity—he’s a “player-coach” in the truest sense, always ready to support teammates regardless of title or department.”

“Alongside Michael, we’re also celebrating the well-earned promotions of Niall, Noemi, Stephanie and Lewis, marking another step forward in Blue River’s journey of growth. These individuals represent the spirit of Blue River—collaborative, insightful, and driven to make a difference.” Sara added.

Niall Garrahan was promoted to Director. He brings over ten years of experience in Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity. Niall earned his B.A. in Economics and Environmental Science from the College of William and Mary. Before joining Blue River, Niall founded and led investments for Bear Grass Labs. From 2017 to 2022, he was a Vice President of Long Point Capital’s investment team with full responsibility for sourcing, due diligence, deal structuring, and post-close value creation.

Connect with Niall on LinkedIn or reach out @ ngarrahan@goblueriver.com.

Noemi Kinsey was promoted to Director. She brings extensive experience in Marketing & Sales strategy, evaluation systems, budgeting and analytics, as well as customer relations. Noemi graduated with honors VOSG & SPSG Hellichova University in Prague, Czech Republic, with an award from the Ministry of Czech Culture for her final graduation project. In her last role, Noemi led Marketing efforts for an Alabama based homebuilding company.

Connect with Noemi on LinkedIn or reach out @ nkinsey@goblueriver.com

Stephanie Studt was promoted to Director. She brings experience in leadership, business development, brand strategy, and customer relations. Stephanie received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI, where she spent her summers interning at Blue River. Post-graduation, Stephanie joined the Blue River team as a Marketing Associate and later became Vice President.

Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn or reach out @ sstudt@goblueriver.com.

Lewis VanLandingham was promoted to Director. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and currently resides in the Columbus, Ohio area. Since 2015, Lewis has owned a Sandler Training franchise and has provided sales and management training, coaching, and consulting to all types of businesses including manufacturing, insurance, and financial services, and home improvement.

Connect with Lewis on LinkedIn or reach out @ vanlandingham@goblueriver.com.

“I am delighted to celebrate such well-deserved promotions and building leaders that drive our company forward. These team members’ unwavering commitment to Blue River’s core values and their individual contributions to support the firm’s strategic growth initiatives continue to make an impact,” said Nicole Levy, Managing Director & Healthcare / Business Services Segment Leader.

Sara added, “Together, this growing team embodies our commitment to delivering richer outcomes for our clients and transaction partners. Every milestone we achieve is a reflection of the collective passion, resilience, and innovation that fuels us. As we grow, we do so with purpose—guided by visionary leadership and a shared dedication to shaping meaningful strategies, processes, and partnerships.”

About Blue River

Blue River Financial Group is a middle market merger and acquisition advisory firm. We assist corporations, private equity groups and individuals in the sale and acquisition of businesses and have completed assignments in multiple business segments. With over 20 years of experience spanning across 50 global industries, Blue River provides a suite of services to middle market clients including corporate development, private equity support, valuations, and transaction consulting, placing a premium on relationship-centered transaction counsel and client focus.

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