Who are we?
meet our team
Ad Astra is a team of experienced advisors that know Mergers and Acquisitions. Since business exit planning can become the largest investment in your life, you need a team you can trust.
As a boutique firm, Ad Astra focuses on only a handful of clients each year. Being nimble allows Ad Astra to zero in on exceeding your expectations. With our risk-free approach to owners, we charge no fees or retainers before a successful closing. Running this business model keeps us aligned with your goals and gives you confidence you have a team you can trust.
Clayton G Stiver, CPA
Managing Partner
Joe M Lemieux
Managing Partner
Lars Winkelmolen
Executive Vice President
Clayton G Stiver, CPA, Managing Partner
Clayton Stiver, CPA is a founding member and managing partner at Ad Astra Equity Advisors. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a master’s degree in accounting and becoming a certified public accountant (CPA), Clayton, immediately took a job at a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm focusing in the Healthcare, Construction, and Business Services.
Clayton has technical knowledge and experience within the merger and acquisition process (M&A), specific M&A tax knowledge, Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP) knowledge, Industry-specific knowledge, and a keen ability to understand what AAE’s clients wants and needs are.
In his free time you can find him trading whiskey, riding dirt bikes, practicing sport shooting at his home, or hanging with family and friends.
Email: clayton[at]adastraequity.com
Joe M Lemieux, Managing Partner
Joe Lemieux is a foundering member and managing partner at Ad Astra Equity Advisors. His primary responsibilities involve becoming an expert in client’s business/industry, developing a go-to-marketing strategy, and creating high quality marketing materials that yields above market enterprise values for our clients.
Previously, Joe, served as a Vice President at a boutique investment banking firm, focusing mainly in their Healthcare and Construction industry. Joe is a graduate of the University of Kansas, with a B.S. in Accounting and Finance.
In his free time, Joe likes to spend time outdoors hiking in the summers, skiing in the winters, traveling all year-round, and spending time with family and friends.
Email: joe[at]adastraequity.com
Lars Winkelmolen, Executive Vice President
Lars Winkelmolen is an Executive Vice President at Ad Astra Equity Advisors. His primary responsibilities involve client development as he has an extensive background in business development.
Previously, Lars, served as a customer service sales at Crown Equipment. He worked with over 200 clients either developing relationships or providing service with maintenance and equipment sales.
In his free time, Lars likes to spend time working out in the gym, skiing in the winters, and spending time with family and friends.
Email: lars[at]adastraequity.com
Our promise
Selling your business is most likely the largest investment you will ever make. We offer a unique agreement for our clients so that they are 100% comfortable knowing that Blue Ocean is working in their best interest at all times.
Since we know our clients deserve the best of the best, we offer the following characteristics within our agreement:
- Success-based fee only. This means that you, our client, will not pay any upfront retainers, monthly fees, or cancellation fees.
- Non-exclusivity. This allows you to market yourself with buyers that we have not identified to you.
This structure gives our clients a risk-free arrangement knowing that we will only be compensated if there is value given in return – a successful transaction.