Samantha Jones

Director, CM&AP, MBA

Meet Samantha Jones

Samantha Jones brings a uniquely balanced perspective to the mergers and acquisitions process, viewing transactions through the dual lens of a growth-focused buyer and a legacy-conscious seller.

With over 25 years of experience spanning strategy, marketing, and business development, Samantha has intimately navigated the complexities of both sides of the deal. As the former fifth-generation owner of a $50MM enterprise who successfully executed a strategic exit, she understands the emotional and practical demands owners face.

Today, she provides middle-market business owners and institutional acquirers with the peer-level advisory required to secure exceptional outcomes.

Education & Qualifications

Transformational Growth & Executive Leadership

Samantha’s advisory approach is rooted in profound operational reality, not just financial theory. While preparing her own family-owned distribution company for its eventual acquisition by a national competitor, she strategically expanded into new markets and implemented e-commerce tools to optimize enterprise value.

Following her successful exit, Samantha spent a decade at Pitney Bowes executing a rigorous transformation playbook. There, she launched the company’s first series of SaaS-enabled shipping devices and spearheaded inaugural fintech partnerships at Pitney Bowes Bank to accelerate market penetration.

This extensive background equips her to act as the ultimate bridge across the complexity gap, guiding startups, family-owned businesses, and corporate ventures through high-stakes capital transitions.

Buy-Side Strategy & Deal Intelligence

As Walden’s Buy Side Practice Lead, Samantha empowers strategic acquirers and private equity firms to source proprietary deal flow aligned to their investment thesis before opportunities hit the market.

Her firsthand owner-operator credibility opens doors traditional financial outreach cannot. By leveraging Walden’s systematic sourcing engine, she helps buyers build compelling value propositions for hesitant business owners — translating an acquirer’s operational goals into a story for owners looking for a reason to sell.

Whether identifying hidden off-market targets or neutralizing diligence friction to protect a valuation, Samantha ensures clients deploy capital efficiently without pulling leadership off day-to-day operations.

Walden M&A Market Report

Gain exclusive access to Samantha’s perspective of the current M&A landscape, including insights on the strategies behind recent successful industrial exits.

Featured Transaction

Walden initiated the successful sale of Souther Perfection Fabrication, to Little River Partners, LLC, and served as the seller’s advisor.

“The process run by Walden M&A turned what could have been an overwhelming experience into an orderly, highly successful transaction. John Phillips created real competition among buyers. He gave us the luxury of selecting partners who truly understand manufacturing and appreciate the specialized capabilities of our team.”

Gordon Hale, CEO | Southern Perfection Fabrication