NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brandon Werley, Managing Director at Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory company to retail automotive groups and their owners, has been named a recipient of the 2025 Emerging Leaders Award from M&A Advisor magazine.
The 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the accomplishments of M&A, finance and turnaround professionals whose significant level of success while still under the age of 40 establishes them as the industry’s emerging leaders. Brandon is the second DCG team member to receive this honor: in 2023, Brian Traugott, Chief of Staff, was also named an Emerging Leader.
“Brandon’s recognition as an Emerging Leader by M&A Advisor is a proud moment for all of us at DCG,” said CEO Dave Cantin. “His rapid rise and the trust he’s earned from major clients reflect not only his deep industry knowledge, but also his relentless work ethic and integrity. Brandon embodies the next generation of leadership in automotive M&A, and we’re honored to have him helping shape the future of our company and our industry.”
Since starting his professional career in 2018, Brandon’s path has taken him from Big Four accounting firm KPMG to Haig Partners, Withum and now Dave Cantin Group, where he helps companies strategically grow through acquisitions and optimize their portfolios through divestitures.
Brandon has advised on more than 70 completed transactions, overseeing everything from valuations and financial due diligence to negotiations and closings. He played pivotal roles in landmark deals such as Apollo Global Management’s $585 million acquisition of 34 dealership properties from Capital Automotive Real Estate Services Inc. (2019) and the sale of 17 Prime Automotive Group stores across six states (2020-2021). His expertise has contributed to strategic transactions with major dealership groups such as Lithia Motors, Asbury Automotive Group, Atlantic Coast Automotive and Open Road Capital, among several other Top 150 Dealership Groups.
Earlier in 2025, Brandon managed a significant transaction as the lead advisor on a mid-eight-figure strategic divestiture, facilitating Lithia’s sale of its West Virginia dealerships to Atlantic Coast Automotive.
Based in Pennsylvania, Brandon continues to play a key role at Dave Cantin Group, which is on track to have one of its most active advisory years in the company’s history.
About Dave Cantin Group
The Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory company specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, intelligence, and other advisory services. The company is the M&A services provider of choice for North America’s top automotive dealership groups, advising on approximately 40 transactions annually. DCG is differentiated by its advisory approach, long-term lens on client relationships, and commitment to market intelligence tools that inform DCG and client strategies. In 2023, DCG became the only retail automotive M&A company with a significant strategic investor, welcoming Kaltroco to the DCG family.
Through its M&A intelligence division, DCG produces automotive content and delivers relevant, timely marketing intelligence, including the automotive industry Market Outlook Report (MOR). Together with CBT News, DCG produces the Inside M&A studio show and podcast to share stories, news and trends impacting the retail automotive industry. DCG’s proprietary AI-enabled software, Jump IQ, anchors its advisory services that support retail automotive dealers in developing informed M&A strategies and making smarter M&A decisions.
The company’s nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment in communities nationwide and other worthy charitable initiatives. DCG team members regularly feature on the industry speaking circuit and are regularly cited by top national and global news outlets. For more information, please visit davecantingroup.com.
