Skip to main content
Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Chris Burnham, CFA

919-609-7395
Chris.Burnham@BDIPartners.com

Chris is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BDI, where he is personally involved in the sourcing, evaluation, execution, and ownership of each investment and overall management of BDI Partners and funds managed by BDI.

  • 20+ years of investment, M&A advisory, research, financing, and operational experience serving lower and middle-market firms, with over a decade and a half experience focused on the Built Environment
  • Prior experience with Harris Williams & Co., FMI Capital Advisors, FBR Capital Markets, First Citizens Institutional Money Management, and BB&T Capital Markets
  • Worked with numerous firms across the Built Environment, including environmental services, industrial services, test & inspection, utility services, design & engineering, and other specialty niche services and products companies.
  • MSc., Finance (Distinction) Lancaster University; BSBA, Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude), East Carolina University
  • Member of CFA Institute, holds Chartered Financial Analyst designation
  • Past laborer, carpenter, and equipment operator for multigenerational, family-owned general contractor
Co-Founder and Partner

Adam Daigle

919-609-7677
Adam.Daigle@BDIPartners.com

Adam is a Co-Founder and Partner of BDI, where he is responsible for the sourcing, evaluation, execution, and ownership of each investment.

  • 12+ years of investment, M&A advisory, financing, and operational experience serving lower and middle-market firms across the energy sectors and the Built Environment
  • Prior experience with Harris Williams & Co., Seaport Global, and Dickinson Williams
  • Worked with numerous firms across the Built Environment, including environmental services, industrial services, test & inspection, utility services, design & engineering, and other specialty niche services and products companies.
  • Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from University of Richmond
  • Past laborer, equipment operator, and facilities services experience across southern Louisiana
Vice President

Stuart Smith

984-301-3986
Stuart.Smith@BDIPartners.com

Stuart is a Vice President of BDI Partners, where he is responsible for the sourcing, evaluation, execution, and ownership of each investment.

  • 8+ years of investment, M&A advisory, financing, and operational experience across a variety of industries including Energy, Real Estate, and Life Sciences
  • Prior experience with Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merz Group, Southern Creek Capital, and Chesapeake Energy
  • Masters of Business Administration from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business with concentrations in Corporate Finance and Energy Finance; Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Texas at Austin
  • Past US Army infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division; deployed twice during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Managing Director, Portfolio Operations

Gray Garner

252.531.9535
gray.garner@bdipartners.com

Gray is a Managing Director of Portfolio Operations for BDI Partners, where he is responsible for and focused on supporting each investment and their teams by collaboratively managing, identifying, and instituting financial and operational improvements.

  • 10+ years of experience in financial and operational roles including over 5 years of experience as a CFO in the manufacturing, home services, and real estate industries
  • Prior experience with Dixon Hughes Goodman, Stone & Leigh Furniture, Green Group Companies and Grubb Ventures
  • Worked in a multitude of roles inside of lower and middle market businesses including sales cycles, finance & budgeting, human resources, information technology, data analytics and reporting and executive team strategy build-outs
  • Masters of Science in Accountancy and Bachelors of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University
  • Member of Certified Public Accountants
  • Past full service technician and laborer in operations of a family fund office
CEO, FMI Corporation, Co-Founder, Investment Committee

Chris Daum

As the President and Chief Executive Officer of FMI Corporation, Chris oversees the management of all FMI businesses and services and leads the firm’s strategic growth efforts. As an Investment Committee member, Chris oversees investment decisions and is involved with the sourcing and evaluation of investments at BDI.

  • 25+ years of investment, M&A advisory, financing, and operational experience serving firms across the Built Environment
  • 15+ previous experience in mergers and acquisitions at FMI Capital Advisors, FMI Corporation’s investment banking subsidiary, including President and Senior Managing Director
  • Licensed Certified Public Accountant (inactive)
  • Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting from Virginia Tech
Advisory Board, Investment Committee

Skip Hauser

Skip is the founder, majority owner, and CEO of Venture Management Group (“VMG”). At VMG, Skip has made over 85 control investments in companies across the Built Environment, healthcare, and services industries. As an Investment Committee member, Skip oversees investment decisions and is involved with the sourcing and evaluation of investments at BDI.

  • 45+ years of operational and investment experience
  • Representative control investments include: Coastal Mechanical, CMS Nextech, Resitech Industries, Boys Electrical, Tower-Davis Electric, Quantum Specialty Contractors, Omega Medical Imaging, Control Solutions, Inc
  • Prior experience managing GE’s industrial and utility service business units
  • Attended the Harvard Executive Development Program, as well as the MBA Programs at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Michigan; Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College
Former Chairman, FMI Corporation, Investment Committee

Landon Funsten

Landon is the Former Chairman of FMI Corporation. As an Investment Committee member, he is involved in the evaluation of investments and leverages his extensive experience in Built Environment mergers and acquisitions and business continuity transfer plans.

  • 30+ years of investment, M&A advisory, financing, and operational experience serving firms across the Built Environment
  • 15 years of leadership and advisory experience as a Managing Director of FMI Capital Advisors and board member and chairman of FMI Corporation
  • 10 years of experience with FMI Corporation’s Management Consulting practice focused on organizational, operating, and strategic development through ownership transition
  • MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Virginia
Advisory Board, ARRO Consulting Board Member

Hugo Blasutta

Hugo is the former President and CEO of WSP Canada Inc., a national planning, engineering and project management consulting firm serving the transportation, water/wastewater, buildings, power/energy/industrial, environment and geomatics markets. As an advisory board member, Hugo lends his extensive strategic planning, corporate development, M&A and operational experience across business functions to support BDI Partners with the sourcing, evaluation, and ongoing support of investments.

  • 40+ years of general management, engineering, strategy development and execution, business development, operations and financial management experience in an national and international environment
  • As President and CEO of WSP Canada Inc., he lead a firm with six business lines, 8,000 employees and $750 million of revenue
  • Previously he served as President and CEO of MMM Group Limited in Canada, a leading planning, engineering and project management company focused on the transportation, water/wastewater, land development and buildings markets
  • Prior to that he was a Partner / Senior Principal at Halcrow Yolles, a top-tier buildings structural engineering firm, where he was responsible for business development both nationally and internationally
  • Previous Board experience includes Rand Technology Corporation and Engineering.com (both publically listed), and MMM Group Limited, Yolles Partnership Inc., and Coriport S.A (all private companies)
  • He is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a B.A.Sc. and M.Eng. in structural engineering; and holds the ICD (Institute of Corporate Directors) designation from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto