The 2023 Rising Stars of the Profession: Mark Boushka

Mark Boushka is the Head of Liberty's M&A and Transaction Services division and has an extensive background in partnering with private equity and M&A-focused firms throughout the entire deal lifecycle. Mark's focus is to advise M&A-focused leaders on how technology can be leveraged to ultimately drive revenue and valuation while mitigating against risk. When executing pre-close technology diligence, post-close value creation initiatives and go-to-market advisory engagements, Mark is able to leverage his financial and technical background to advise M&A leaders when acquiring, scaling and exiting businesses.

His diverse experience across M&A-focused clients in several industries allows him to quickly analyze business processes and underlying technology to help improve efficiencies, identify risks and develop strategies that will enable businesses to achieve their goals.

Prior to his focus on M&A and Transaction Services, Mark worked on large-scale ERP transformations, system integration programs and business/IT strategy engagements. Before Mark's tenure at Liberty, he worked for J.P. Morgan's Private Bank and Accenture with a main focus on analyzing existing operational processes, structuring their ideal future state, and leading development teams to implement various technical transformations.

What would you say has been the biggest factor in your success so far?

One of the biggest factors for my success has been the ability to develop partnerships rather than transactional relationships with my private equity clients. In order to become a client's strategic technology partner, my focus has been around developing personal relationships with my clients while leveraging my financial and technical experience. Being able to be a trusted technology partner that can speak in financial/business terms is a key differentiator and enabler for my success. Although these factors have been instrumental in my success, the most important factor has been the colleagues/mentors that have developed and trusted in me throughout my career. Without these people, I would not be able to be successful or be in the position that I am in today.

What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?

As a consultant, I am able to get exposure to a variety of businesses and industries that are faced with unique challenges. Daily, I engage with executives across a broad spectrum of industries that would not be possible within other career paths. The constant refresh of challenges, this job presents, provide me with the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and build relationships in a very short amount of time. At a smaller firm and within the M&A space, there are no two projects that are the same, and I am constantly energized by the different business challenges.

What is your proudest achievement to date?

One of my greatest achievements is being appointed the head of Liberty's M&A business this year. As a person who values the experience of my colleagues, I was so proud and excited that Liberty decided to trust me to lead this group. The firm recognizing and appointing me to this position reaffirms the value of my hard work, dedication and strong client relationships. The leadership responsibilities I have demonstrated over the past few years have resulted in our people's success and brought in new clients and revenue. Our M&A division is critical to our firm's success. The fact that our firm decided I was the best person for this position and made a strategic decision to assign me to lead a vital group of people and clients is not something I have or will ever take lightly.

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

My favorite piece of advice that I have gotten is "never be complacent." Whenever you achieve a certain accomplishment, it is so easy to get comfortable and not challenge yourself – both in your professional and personal life. This is a piece of advice I carry with me every day to always remind myself to become better in all aspects of my life. The second part of the advice was "but always make sure to celebrate your accomplishments" – this is something that I always prioritize on top of not being complacent. Without celebrating accomplishments, you may continuously reach your end goals, but in the end, it will not be viewed as an enjoyable journey unless you take the time to celebrate life with your loved ones.

What does this recognition mean to you?

It is a great honor to be part of such an accomplished and driven group of award winners. These award winners are the best-in-breed, and to be a part of that group is a career accomplishment that I never thought would be possible. However, as previously mentioned, being nominated for this award by my company is the most meaningful part. At Liberty, there are a lot of very impressive and intelligent individuals and to be nominated for this award over anyone else is something I greatly appreciate.