Advisory Services
Three ways to engage.
Manta Holdings accepts a limited number of engagements each year. Each is structured to deliver genuine operating leverage — not advisory overhead.
Board Director
Independent governance with an operator's working knowledge.
Best fit
PE-backed companies in consumer-facing, multi-unit, and technology-intensive sectors navigating transformation, digital infrastructure investment, or approaching a liquidity event.
Not a fit
Financial distress or pre-bankruptcy restructuring mandates.
Smith brings to a PE boardroom what most independent directors cannot: a firsthand record of building value creation plans from scratch, managing fund relationships through the friction of real operations, and running companies toward exits with a sponsor's clock running. He engages as an operating partner to management — not a passive endorser, and not an auditor.
Committee experience
Sectors
Deal Due Diligence
Stress-test the thesis before the close.
Best fit
PE sponsors evaluating platform acquisitions or add-ons in multi-unit consumer services, hospitality, gaming, retail, or adjacent sectors.
Not a fit
Financial services, B2B SaaS, or industrial mandates outside his operating experience.
A McKinsey-trained diagnostic discipline applied at the unit level — not just the P&L. Smith evaluates management team credibility, operating model assumptions, and value creation plan feasibility with the pattern recognition of someone who has run the same playbook across six CEO and COO roles. He identifies where the model is sound and where it is optimistic before the capital is committed.
Committee experience
Sectors
Co-Investment
Capital alongside conviction.
Best fit
PE-backed platforms in consumer services, hospitality, or multi-unit retail where an operator co-investor creates a governance and execution advantage.
Not a fit
Passive LP positions, venture-stage companies, or sectors outside his operating experience.
Smith co-invests selectively alongside PE sponsors in situations where his operating experience creates a structural advantage — not as a passive LP, but as an active participant in value creation. The Icon Parking MBO, executed with Arkview Capital and exited at a documented 3.1x MOIC in 16 months, is the reference case. He brings both capital and operating accountability to the table.
Committee experience
Sectors
How Engagements Begin
Selective by design.
Every engagement begins with a direct conversation. There is no intake form, no associate screen, and no pitch deck required. If there is a potential fit, Smith will say so directly. If there is not, he will say that too.
Initial Conversation
A direct conversation to assess fit — for both parties. No intermediaries.
Diligence Exchange
Relevant materials shared in both directions. Smith evaluates the opportunity; the sponsor evaluates the fit.
Engagement Structure
Terms structured to align incentives — time horizon, compensation, and accountability are explicit from the start.
Ready to explore an engagement?
Inquiries from PE sponsors, portfolio company boards, and co-investment partners are welcome.