Mergermarket: John LeVert explores how consumers are balancing health goals and budget pressures, reshaping priorities across the food and beverage sector
Experience
John LeVert is a Managing Director in Consumer Retail. He joined the firm in 2023.
John has nearly 20 years of experience advising clients on M&A and capital raising transactions in the consumer industry, specializing in the food, beverage and pet sectors. John has a long history of advising higher growth brands and multi-brand platforms, and has particularly deep experience across coffee, snack foods, better-for-you offerings and pet health & wellness. John’s transaction experience and relationships span corporates, founders, families, and financial investors.
Prior to joining Solomon, John was Managing Director at William Blair helping to lead coverage of branded food, beverage and pet products. Over the course of his career, John has completed 90+ M&A and capital-raising transactions totaling $30+ billion in aggregate value, primarily in the consumer sector.
Select publicly announced, completed advisory transactions include:
- Righteous Felon on its minority investment from GroundForce Capital
- Black Rifle Coffee Company on its $1.7 billion sale to SilverBox-Engaged Merger Corp SPAC and listing on the NYSE
- Eagle Foods, a portfolio company of Kelso, on its $610 million acquisition of the Helper and Suddenly Salad businesses from General Mills
- Chomps on its minority capital raise from Stride Consumer
- Keurig Dr. Pepper on its minority investment in Vita Coco
- Popcornopolis, a portfolio company of NexPhase Capital, on its sale to Grupo Bimbo
- Nature’s Bakery, a portfolio company of VMG Partners, on its sale to KIND, a subsidiary of Mars
- Lakeview Farms, a portfolio company of Sequel Holdings, on its sale to an undisclosed buyer
- Maxi (aka Dino Buddies), a portfolio company of Altamont Capital Partners, on its sale to Perdue
- Evans Food Group, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, on its sale to Highlander Partners
- Ferrara Candy, a portfolio company of LCatterton, on its sale to Ferrero
- Boulder Brands on its $1 billion sale to Pinnacle Foods
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a portfolio company of TSG Consumer, on its sale to Peet’s and JAB
- JM Smucker Company on its $6 billion acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands from KKR and others
- Mighty Leaf Tea, a portfolio company of VMG Partners, on its sale to Peet’s and JAB
- Manna Pro, a portfolio company of Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, on its sale to The Carlyle Group
- Vestar Capital on its minority investment in PetHonesty
- Worldwise on its sale to A&M Capital
- Perrigo on its divestiture of its pet health division to PetIQ
- Petsense, a portfolio company of Winona Capital, on its sale to Tractor Supply
Bookrun public offerings for a variety of leading food, beverage and pet product companies, including: Amplify Snack Brands, Black Rifle Coffee, Chewy, Dutch Bros, Freshpet, Oatly, PetIQ, Primo Water, Sovos Brands and Vita Coco.
Not for Profit Affiliations
Board, Lurie Children’s Hospital Founders’ Board fundraising committee. Member, Naturally Boulder. Member, Naturally Chicago.
Education
John holds an MBA, with honors, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA, magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University. John has FINRA 7 and 63 licenses.
