James Penman

James C. Penman founded Donnelly Penman & Partners in September 2000. At DPP, he leads the firm’s investment banking and financial advisory work for manufacturing companies, with an emphasis on automotive and transportation industries.

Before founding DPP, Penman was a Managing Director in the investment banking department of Raymond James & Associates, focused on the automotive industry. He joined Raymond James in 1999 when it acquired Roney & Co. At Roney, which he joined in 1993, he became General Partner in 1994 and held roles including Managing Director of Corporate Finance, Co-Head of Corporate Finance, and head of the Manufacturing and Automotive group. He also served on Roney’s nine-member Executive Committee from 1997 to 1998.

Earlier in his career, Penman was a Senior Vice President at First of Michigan Corporation for eight years and worked at Touche Ross & Co. He graduated from Purdue University, earned a J.D. from the University of Detroit, and holds an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. DPP lists his FINRA licenses as Series 7, 24, 63, 79, and 99.

• Public sources do not verify a personal angel-investing thesis or seed-stage check size for Penman. The verified profile is investment banking advisory, not direct venture investing.
• DPP’s relevant focus is M&A, capital raising, and financial advisory for public and private companies, including private placements of debt and equity, senior and mezzanine capital raising, leveraged-buyout-related work, fairness opinions, valuations, restructurings, and recapitalizations.
• Penman’s sector edge is automotive and transportation manufacturing. DPP says he leads advisory services to manufacturing companies “with a focus on the automotive and transportation industries.”
• The firm’s automotive/truck approach emphasizes industry depth, access to decision makers, and shareholder value. DPP describes its team as “focused on creating value for shareholders.”
• DPP’s capital-raising work is relevant where a company needs financing alternatives rather than seed venture capital: private debt/equity placements, shareholder rights offerings, public offering advisory, and senior/mezzanine financing.