Michael Fanelli
Area of Focus
Private equity Mergers & acquisition
Connect

Michael Fanelli

Partner, Tri-State Leader of Transaction Advisory Services
Michael Fanelli
Area of Focus
Private equity Mergers & acquisition
Connect

About Michael

Michael Fanelli is a partner and private equity (PE) consulting co-leader for RSM US LLP. In this role, he is responsible for leading strategy, go-to-market execution and integrated delivery across consulting to address the complex needs of M&A clients. Michael is also the Tri-State TAS leader, national TAS PE leader, and a member of the Tri-State market leadership team.


Experience

Michael’s longevity with RSM allows him to tap into the right resources for each engagement. He takes a personalized approach with each client, striving to understand the overall investment thesis for an M&A transaction to bring the full power of the firm and its solutions to improve business operations post-close.

Michael has played a central role in the growth of the transaction advisory services (TAS) practice in the Tri-State market, and he has participated in more than 500 M&A transactions in his career, with a primary focus on serving private equity clients. His clients have benefitted from his guidance on M&A due diligence services, including financial, tax, information technology, cyber, analytics and more.

Michael is passionate about building relationships and strengthening communication within his team. He enjoys providing colleagues with ample opportunities to achieve their career goals and finds great fulfillment in seeing his teammates and clients succeed.

Michael has served as a member of RSM’s National One Consultancy Committee to bolster cohesiveness among all consulting services in the firm. He is also a founding member of igNYte, a Tri-State team promoting growth culture across the region. igNYte developed an accelerator program to provide growth, mentorship and education to supervisors and managers, and it supported local market industry launch teams to share best practices, tools and resources to enhance growth culture in the tri-state market. 

Prior to RSM, Michael served as an auditor at a Big Four firm and a controller at a middle market firm, where he gained experience on the client side. He has participated in many expert panel discussions on topics related to M&A transactions. In 2015, he was awarded the M&A Advisors 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders Award. 

Michael participates in the firm’s culture, diversity and inclusion efforts as the executive sponsor for Valor, RSM’s employee network group that encourages the recruitment, retention and success of military service members. He is also involved with Team RWB, an organization helping veterans reacclimate to society through sports.


Professional affiliations and designations

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants  
  • Certified public accountant, New York

Education

Bachelor of Science, accounting, Binghamton University