Our Team
Senior-level executives with extensive backgrounds in investment banking, life sciences, medicine, and operating executives from various industries.
Ben Perkins
Founder & Managing Partner
Founder & Managing Partner
- Ben Perkins oversees daily operations at PHP and leads the global healthcare advisory and capital formation practice. Ben is based in Austin, Texas
- Ben has over 20 years of experience advising companies in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors. He has worked with leading pharma, medtech and diagnostic companies on equity and debt financings, merger and acquisition transactions. In addition, Ben has advised dozens of smaller life science companies on partnership and licensing agreements with leading global companies
- Prior to pH Partners, Ben launched a global Life Sciences investment banking practice for Ernst & Young, where he led the practice for five years. In his role at EY, Ben worked with organizations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East on cross-border transactions.
- Prior to EY, Ben led the West coast Healthcare investment banking practice as a Managing Director for BofA Merrill Lynch. Ben was instrumental in rebuilding the practice post the Bank of America acquisition.
- Ben began his investment banking career at Pacific Growth Equities, where he was Head of Life Sciences Investment Banking until its acquisition by Wedbush
Erik Halvorsen, Ph.D.
Partner
Partner
- Erik Halvorsen has 20 years of experience in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors. With a background in neuropharmacology and regenerative medicine, he is passionate about translating cutting edge innovations into new companies and products that can help people
- He has worked with leading academic institutions, medical centers, pharma, device and diagnostic companies on a range of transactions including equity financings, licensing, co-development, clinical trials, merger and acquisition transactions
- As an entrepreneur, Erik has founded or co-founded several companies including therapeutics, clinical genomics, robotics, diagnostics and AI focused digital health. He also launched and ran early-stage life science investment funds in Boston and Houston
- Prior to pH Partners, Erik was the founding director of the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute. In four years, Erik grew the TMCx healthcare accelerator to national recognition and launched the TMC Venture Fund
- Erik is located in Houston, Texas
Adam Harrington
Partner
Partner
- Adam Harrington is a Partner at pH Partners, focused on providing M&A and capital raising services for middle market clients. Adam also leads pH Capital Partners, PHP’s merchant banking division
- Adam has over 15 years of experience advising companies in various stages of growth. He has deep expertise in the technology, financial technology, consumer & retail, and business services sectors. In addition, he has worked with many closely held, family-owned businesses in business transitions
- Before pH Partners, Adam covered the Pacific Northwest region for Wells Fargo Securities’ Middle Market Investment Bank. Previously, Adam worked at Financial Technology Partners, where he was an execution banker for one of the nation’s leading verticalized boutique M&A firms. Adam began his investment banking career in the Technology Group at Banc of America Securities
- Prior to his investment banking career, Adam worked at Silicon Valley Bank, executing venture debt transactions for leading emerging technology and life sciences companies
- Adam is based in Portland, Oregon
Gareth Petsch
Managing Director
Managing Director
- Gareth Petsch became Managing Director of pH Partners in April 2024. He will lead the Healthcare Services Vertical and oversee the Debt Advisory business
- Before joining pH Partners, Gareth served as a Partner at a Healthcare Services Private Equity firm, where he completed multiple M&A transactions, spearheaded Fund Capital raising efforts, and conducted acquisition due diligence, overall enhancing the firm's industry experience
- Gareth also served as a Director at Citi Commercial Bank, where he led the Healthcare Services division and managed the bank's SBA lending initiatives and oversaw the Investor Real Estate Portfolio
- Notably, he founded the Citi Healthcare Services team in 2012, catering to the specialized needs of medical, dental, and veterinary providers across the private sector, ranging from individual practices to large-scale group practices and various outpatient treatment facilities. His team played a pivotal role in facilitating PE and Sponsor roll-ups and implementing DeNovo greenfield growth strategies
- Gareth's expertise in healthcare M&A and capital markets earned him recognition as a Washington, D.C. SmartCEO Top Banker. His profound understanding of the challenges faced by individual practitioners and group medical practices underscores his commitment to addressing their unique needs
- Originally from Durban, South Africa, Gareth relocated to the United States in the late 1990s to embark on his banking career. He holds a degree in Business Management from Varsity College in South Africa, and currently resides with his wife and three children in Ashburn, Virginia
Scott Snow
Director
Director
- Scott Snow is a Director at pH Partners, focused on providing M&A and capital raising services for technology clients
- Scott has over 12 years of experience advising companies across various stages of growth. He has deep experience across technology, including software, financial technology, internet, and industrial technology. Scott has worked with many founder-owned businesses to drive outsized results
- Prior to pH Partners, Scott covered software and financial technology at Goldman Sachs within its Technology, Media, and Telecom (TMT) group in San Francisco. Previously, Scott worked in Corporate Development at eBay, where he led several acquisitions and investments across eCommerce and ticketing. Prior to eBay, Scott worked at Financial Technology Partners, where he was an execution banker for one of the nation’s leading verticalized boutique M&A firms
- Scott is based in San Francisco, California
Brad Johnson
Vice President
Vice President
- Brad Johnson is a Vice President at pH Partners focused on providing M&A and advisory services for clients in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors
- Brad has over three years of investment banking experience. He has provided M&A and capital raising advisory services to companies in the following sectors: healthcare services, biotech, medical devices and diagnostics
- Prior to pH Partners, Brad worked at Ernst & Young Capital Advisors, where he was an Associate executing numerous M&A assignments and capital raises. Brad graduated from Villanova University in 2012, and received his CPA in 2013
- Brad is based in Seattle, Washington
Madeline Brooks
Vice President of Marketing, Strategy, & Operations
Vice President of Marketing, Strategy, & Operations
- Madeline Brooks is the Vice President of Marketing, Strategy, and Operations at pH Partners, where she drives growth through innovative marketing initiatives, strategic planning, and operational excellence.
- With a strong background in brand positioning, digital marketing, and corporate strategy, Madeline plays a pivotal role in enhancing pH Partners' market presence and optimizing internal processes.
- She specializes in building scalable marketing frameworks, streamlining operations, and implementing data-driven strategies that drive efficiency and long-term success.
- Madeline joined the pH partners team in January of 2025 and is based in Austin, Texas
Samantha Dodd
Marketing & Operations Manager
Marketing & Operations Manager
- Samantha Dodd brings a multidisciplinary blend of creative and strategic expertise to the marketing and operations team at pH Partners. She holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Kansas with studies in Entrepreneurship and a User Experience certificate from Nielsen Norman Group. With a thesis in innovation and design research, Samantha is passionate about human-centered design, strategic problem-solving, and data-driven decision-making.
- She transitioned into the hospitality industry to build a career in event coordination, operations management, and marketing before founding a design strategy consultancy in 2024. As a design strategist, she worked closely with clients as a creative partner to optimize workflows, enhance customer experiences, and lead branding initiatives that drove sustainable growth in competitive markets.
- Samantha is based in Austin, Texas
Geraldine Schott, Ph.D.
Senior Associate
Senior Associate
- Geraldine is a Senior Associate at pH Partners focused on providing M&A and advisory services for clients in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors
- She previously worked for the British government helping US healthcare and life sciences companies access the UK market
- Geraldine graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas in November of 2020, where she received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- During her studies, she focused on the role of genetic variants in RNA splicing decisions
- Geraldine joined the pH partners team in January of 2022, and is based in Austin, Texas
Aric Luu
Associate
Associate
- Aric Luu is an Associate at pH Partners focused on providing M&A and advisory services for clients in the Healthcare, Life Science, and Middle Market sectors
- He previously worked at Truist Securities as an investment banking associate in the technology coverage group
- Prior to his investment banking career, Aric was an analyst at 2M Companies, a family office in Dallas, Texas
- Aric holds a BSc in Economics from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University
- Aric is based in Austin, Texas
Jackson Savage
Associate
Associate
- Jackson Savage is an Associate at pH Partners focused on providing M&A and advisory services for clients in the Healthcare and Life Sciences sectors
- Prior to pH Partners, Jackson was an investment banking analyst at JP Morgan
- Jackson graduated from Rice University in Houston, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry & Cell Biology along with Business and Computational Finance minors
- During his undergrad studies, Jackson performed research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, focusing on the neuroimmune mechanisms that underline chronic pain
- Jackson is based in Austin, Texas
About pH Partners
pH Partners, LLC (“pHp”) is a boutique investment banking firm delivering capital formation, partnership, merger, and acquisition solutions to companies at the convergence of Healthcare, Technology, and the Consumer. Our partners have collectively closed over $20B in strategic advisory transactions and raised more than $15B in capital for our clients. pHp is headquartered in Austin, Texas with offices in Houston, Portland, and New York.
The pH Partners team consists of senior-level executives with extensive backgrounds in investment banking, life sciences, medicine, and operating executives from various industries. Through this combination of operations and transaction expertise, our partners have decades of experience navigating the unique pressures a transaction creates within a business. pH works closely with management teams to clearly understand each unique situation and provide expertly tailored strategies to maximize outcomes for our clients.
Our leaders have decades of experience and significant US and cross-border advisory experience leveraging a premier international network to serve a global client base. At pH Partners we work to provide our clients with quality service and attention so together we can achieve the best outcome possible.
Through our subsidiary, pH Capital Partners, we offer flexible capital solutions acting as a lead investor or in partnership with other institutional capital.