XPS Group at the Johnson Street Bridge. From left: Fraser Galipeau, Ru Beal, Saffron Hilder, Josh Matte, Katie Bishop, Mark Grey-Dreaper and Derek Sou. Photos by Derek Ford
VICTORIA – XPS Group is a boutique professional services firm that specializes in independent business valuations, the purchase and sale of small to medium-sized businesses, and financial advisory services to its clients on Vancouver Island, Vancouver and Lower Mainland, and across the rest of BC.
As a small firm there is a breadth of experience available to clients and a deep commitment to producing high quality work while meeting client needs at every stage of an engagement.
Josh Matte, CPA, CA, CBV, is a Chartered Business Valuator and a principal valuator at XPS Group which was founded by Mark Grey-Dreaper in 2006.
He explains that the company provides its independent valuation and other services, including quantifications of loss analysis, to support the purchase and sale of businesses, litigation support and dispute resolution in the context of Family Law, estate planning and tax compliance, financial reporting compliance, and a variety of other purposes requiring independent reports prepared by qualified professionals.
XPS Group also helps business owners market and sell their business.
“We’re an advisor and project manager throughout the business sales process and a broker in terms of assisting our clients in finding suitable buyers” Josh says. “We will create the necessary marketing materials and put them out through our private channel networks to find strategic buyers, all the while working with our clients until the completion of the transaction.”
Katie Bishop, CBV, is another Chartered Business Valuator with XPS Group and has been with the company for just over three years, following 20 years with TD Bank in Ontario and BC. Her background in commercial lending has enabled XPS Group to further expand its offering to include providing financing advisory services to clients.
“Financing advisory is specifically aimed at helping buyers finance business acquisitions, including management buyouts,” says Bishop. “It’s a competitive process through which we find a best-fit lender for a buyer.”
XPS Group team members, from left: Ru Beal, Katie Bishop, Derek Sou, Josh Matte, Saffron Hilder, Mark Grey-Dreaper and Fraser Galipeau
Katie notes that by leveraging her banking experience, XPS Group can package a proposal that is tailored specifically to lenders and can negotiate on their client’s behalf to get the most favorable terms and conditions.
Josh says succession planning is also a service XPS Group offers.
“It is really helping owners transition their businesses, either internally to the next generation of management or externally pursuant to a sales process, and there are a lot of things to consider,” Josh says. “We help our clients throughout the process, identifying and weighing options for them to proceed and guiding them along the journey.”
