Partner
Ian O’Neal is a Partner in Technology, with a focus on Software, Data, and Analytics. He joined the firm in 2026.
Bringing nearly 20 years of experience in investment banking, Ian has represented clients across the technology landscape and served as a trusted advisor to a wide range of corporations, private equity firms, and founder-led businesses. Before joining Solomon Partners, Ian was a Managing Director at Raymond James in the Technology & Services Investment Banking group. In this role, he led the firm’s efforts in the Tech-Enabled Services sector, with a particular emphasis on Data & Information Services, GRC/Regulatory Solutions, Knowledge Solutions, Real Estate Solutions, and MarTech.
Ian has participated in over 100 transactions, including buy-side, sell-side, divestitures, and financing engagements. His expertise and leadership have been instrumental in guiding clients through complex and strategic decisions within the technology sector.
Select transactions include:
Ian earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) in Accounting and Finance from Boston University.
Serving as financial advisor to Onex Partners on its pending sale of Emerald Holding Inc. to funds managed by Apollo
Why the exhibitions sector has become one of the most sought-after categories in private equity For much of the past two decades, the B2B events sector was viewed as a reliable if somewhat pedestrian corner of the information services ecosystem. The investment thesis was straightforward: exhibition sponsors and attendees tend to be loyal, with revenues…
As housing markets remain dynamic and loan volumes fluctuate, mortgage lenders face increased pressure to accelerate underwriting while maintaining rigorous compliance and risk controls. Underwriting has traditionally been a slow process, requiring manual review of income documents, identity verification, and credit risk across multiple data sources. Today, digitization and AI are reshaping the mortgage underwriting…
In January, Solomon Partners announced several key leadership appointments, including the hiring of Ian O’Neal as a Partner in the firm’s Technology Group and senior-level promotions . Ian recently sat down with CEO Marc Cooper to discuss his background, current market themes, and what he’s hearing most often from clients. Ian, tell us about your…
