The 2026 Rising Stars of the Profession: Tyler Michaels

Tyler Michaels is an Associate Director at Grant Thornton Stax's Software and Technology practice. Since February 2025, he has served as a commercial diligence leader for private equity clients, helping investors underwrite market demand, competitive positioning, and value creation opportunities in software and tech-enabled services. His work concentrates on DevOps, IT services, cybersecurity and IT infrastructure, where he brings deep domain knowledge and a practical, investor-oriented view of growth and risk. Tyler has led 70+ commercial diligence engagements, including about 60 focused on software and technology assets. He is recognized as a trusted advisor to clients and internal teams, known for turning complex technical and go-to-market dynamics into clear investment implications.

Before rejoining Stax, Tyler was with EY Parthenon in the Software Strategy Group, conducting similar diligence and growth strategy work. Earlier, he worked at Carlisle and Company, now Ducker Carlisle, supporting industrial clients on strategy and pricing implementation. Tyler holds a BA in Financial Economics from the University of Rochester and is originally from Batavia, New York.