Mark formed Guide because he perceived a need in the lower middle market for patient, value-added capital.  He knows that management teams of successful lower middle market companies face many challenges growing their businesses and thought they would greatly benefit from having a team of seasoned executives as their guides.  It is his belief that if Guides’ principals invest their own capital they will be aligned with management and be more focused on helping the management teams succeed.  At Guide, Mark has assembled a group of accomplished executives/entrepreneurs with complementary skills who have agreed to provide capital and their expertise to help the firm’s investments prosper.

Mark Bono

Mark L. Bono founded Guide Capital Partners after a 30 year career in banking and private equity. 

From 1999 to 2014, Mark was a Partner at Weston Presidio, a private equity firm with over $3.3 billion under management that focuses on growth equity investments ranging from $20-100 million.  At Weston Presidio, Mark worked with a number of highly successful management teams at private companies including Summit Energy, Rockwood Service Corporation, Herald Media Group, Trimark Sportswear, Advisors Excel and DISYS Corporation.  In 2014, Mark became a consultant to Weston Presidio and formed Guide Capital Partners. 

Mark started his career in the commercial lending division of Bankers Trust Company in New York in 1981.  After earning his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1986, he joined Tucker Anthony, a regional investment bank based in Boston.  At Tucker Anthony, Mark completed over 60 transactions for middle market companies including public offerings of equity, private placements of debt and equity and both buy and sell side mergers and acquisitions.  For most of his tenure at the firm he was a Managing Director and Co-head of Mergers and Acquisitions.  In addition to the work he did for clients, Mark helped structure the LBO of Tucker Anthony from its parent company, John Hancock.