Team

The Skyline Advisors team brings a breadth of financial and operational experience and expertise to ensure a successful transaction for our clients.  Our strategic relationship provides deep industry expertise in a variety of industries, as well as the flexibility to quickly scale and adapt to a variety of project types, sizes and industries.​

JOHN GUSTAFSON, CFA - Managing Director & president

John has over 30 years of venture capital, private equity, operating and investment banking experience.   He founded Skyline Advisors in 2005 to provide clients guidance based on  experience from all sides of the "deal table", having served as a venture capital and private equity investor, operating company CEO, privately backed company board member, and investment banker.  John was named to M&A Advisor’s 2014 national “Emerging Leaders” list in the Dealmaker category. He also led a transaction that awarded M&A Advisor's "Private Equity Deal of the Year" award.
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​John is a graduate of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (Accounting) and the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University (MBA).  A chartered financial analyst (CFA) charterholder, he is also active in the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG).   John has his series 62, 63, and 79 securities licenses and is a licensed real estate professional (Nebraska). In his spare time, John enjoys watching college sports, exploring AI, and spending time with his family.

MICHAEL PECHETTE  - Managing Director

Michael Pechette is an Investment Banker with Skyline Advisors. He has over 30 years of financial advisory and executive operating experience.  While he works with clients nationwide, he is particularly active in the Great Lakes region with a focus on the Industrial and Food & Ag practice areas. Previously, he was with Falcon Advisors, a boutique M&A advisor. Michael is also an investor in RP Industries, a holding company whose operating companies manufacture metal parts and products for a wide variety of global OEMs.

Michael has a B.S. in Accounting and a Juris Doctorate from Indiana University. He was a licensed CPA (Indiana - inactive) and passed the bar exam (Illinois - inactive). He is on the Board of Directors of the Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries (MBBI) organization and RP Industries, Inc. He is also a member of The Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA). When not working, Mike enjoys sailing, hiking, and spending time with family.

Evan Thorell - Investment Banker

Evan joined Skyline Advisors in 2025 as an investment banker. He focuses on a broad range of industries at the firm. Evan has contributed to a diverse array of assignments, including significant buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions, private placements, and capital markets advisory roles.

Before joining Skyline Advisors, Evan was an investment banking analyst/associate at Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. His experience spans an extensive mix of financial institutions including alternative and traditional asset managers, wealth managers and investments advisors, specialty lenders and crypto and blockchain infrastructure companies. Evan holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Alpha Tau Omega - Gamma Theta Chapter. ​​

kyler evans - Investment Banking analyst

Kyler is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Finance and Economics. On campus, he is a member of Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska, Big Red Investment Club, and the Clifton Builders Program. He also interned with Great Range Capital, a private equity firm based in Kansas City.

Before Skyline Advisors, Kyler founded a home service business in his hometown of Elkhorn, NE, and worked as a financial planning and analysis intern for a holding company. In his free time, Kyler enjoys working out, watching sports, reading, and spending time with friends.​

Will blatchford - Investment Banking analyst

Will is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in both Finance and Economics. He is involved as a member of the Business Honors Academy, treasurer of Beta Theta Pi, and VP of Curriculum for Wall Street Scholars on campus. Will previously held a position as an investment intern for NBC Trust Company and completed an equity research internship for Westlake Securities. He also owned and operated a lawn-care business in his hometown of Lincoln, NE. In his free time, Will enjoys golfing, socializing with friends, watching Buffalo Bills football games, and listening to country music.

mason ley - investment banking Analyst

Mason is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, majoring in Finance and Accounting. On campus, he is a member of the Business Honors Academy, where he serves as Vice President on the Executive Academy Council, and he is Recruitment Chairman for Wall Street Scholars of Nebraska and Scholarship Chairman for Pi Kappa Alpha. Before Skyline Advisors, Mason spent five years as a teller at State Nebraska Bank & Trust, a sixth-generation family-founded community bank in his hometown of Wayne, NE, and studied abroad in both Spain and Kenya. In his free time, Mason enjoys golfing, skiing, running half marathons, and visiting national parks.

Strategic Relationship

The strategic relationships developed by Skyline Advisors enable the firm to provide best-of-class, professional services and deep industry and functional expertise, while keeping the firm nimble and the services personal.

Principals of Skyline Advisors are registered representatives of M&A Securities Group, Inc. (“MAS”), which is a separate entity from Skyline Advisors.  Services involving securities are offered through MAS.  Engagements with Skyline Advisors seamlessly incorporate the ability to offer securities services through MAS where applicable.
 
MAS is a broker-dealer dedicated to partnership with independent, experienced middle market investment bankers. Their team understands the M&A process and is committed to ensuring the integrity of securities transactions. Collectively, the network closed 100 securities transactions in 2025 with $3.7 billion in value, an average of $37 million per transaction.