Sarah Sparling

Sarah Sparling is a Director at Blue River Financial Group, a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan–based middle-market M&A advisory and investment banking firm founded in 2002 by Bryan Berent and William (Bill) Loftis. According to LinkedIn/aggregator data she has been with Blue River since roughly May 2014, giving her more than a decade at the firm. She primarily supports clients in Blue River's buy-side group, working as both a Project Leader and a Dealmaker, and works across strategic, leadership, and operational aspects of the firm's advisory services.

Sarah earned a B.A. in Finance and began her career in financial services, building a practice helping families and businesses with the protection and accumulation of wealth — focusing on retirement planning and estate planning strategies. She also advised clients on business planning and executive benefits for both publicly and privately held companies before moving into M&A advisory.

She holds the Certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) credential and is a member of the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA). She is active in the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG Detroit), where she serves on the Women's Forum Committee, and has served on various professional, charitable, and community-oriented boards. Outside of work she is an avid golfer and a member of the LPGA Amateurs.

Blue River itself works with public and private companies as well as financial sponsors to analyze strategic alternatives, recommend transaction strategies, and execute middle-market buy-side and sell-side transactions. The firm is nationally recognized for its buy-side practice and has received middle-market M&A advisory awards.

*Framed to her actual role — buy-side/sell-side M&A advisory rather than startup investing.*

• Advises on middle-market M&A transactions, typically in the ~$1M–$100M transaction-value range, on both the buy-side and sell-side.
• Focuses on the buy-side as a Project Leader and Dealmaker — helping corporate and financial-sponsor buyers identify, evaluate, and acquire target companies.
• Serves established, operating businesses (owners looking to sell, and acquirers looking to grow), not pre-revenue or seed-stage ventures.
• Per Blue River's stated approach, the firm helps owners "make informed and wise decisions when selling their businesses," emphasizing education, ethics, and client-centric advisory.