Matthew “Matt” Brunstrum is the founder and CEO of Lakeside Acquisitions, a Chicago, Illinois, mergers-and-acquisitions advisory firm that helps privately held business owners maximize their companies' value during a sale. With more than 100 completed transactions, Matthew Brunstrum brings extensive experience in deal structuring, valuation, negotiation, and strategic buyer relationships, with a particular focus on the waste and recycling industry.
Since founding Lakeside Acquisitions in 2023, Matthew Brunstrum has personally overseen client engagements, coordinating business owners, prospective buyers, attorneys, accountants, wealth managers, and other advisors throughout the transaction process. The firm takes a selective approach to client representation, concentrating on industries where its expertise, established buyer network, and proprietary processes can deliver meaningful value. Its objective is to help sellers navigate complex transactions efficiently while maximizing their sale proceeds.
Before launching Lakeside Acquisitions, Matthew Brunstrum spent more than five years as a senior M&A advisor at Sun Acquisitions, representing buyers and sellers across multiple industries. Earlier in his career, he held several mergers and acquisitions positions at Stericycle, a publicly traded waste management company. As director of M&A, he helped source, evaluate, negotiate, and close acquisitions while overseeing financial due diligence, valuation modeling, and integration activities. His experience in waste management transactions offers valuable insight into the operational and financial factors that drive business valuations.
Matthew Brunstrum earned a bachelor of science in business from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Combining analytical expertise with hands-on transaction leadership, he helps business owners navigate the complexities of selling a company and pursue outcomes aligned with their financial and strategic goals.