Houlihan Lokey Advises Sandler

Houlihan Lokey is pleased to announce that Sandler has received a strategic investment from Blue Marlin. The transaction closed on June 6, 2022.

Founded in 1966, Sandler is the leading global sales professional development and performance improvement organization responsible for empowering over 50,000 sales professionals and leaders each year to master the craft of selling. Across more than 230 office locations spanning 30 countries, Sandler’s technology-enabled solutions propel the next evolution of sales with customizable learner journeys, collaborative coaching, ongoing reinforcement, and an evolved sales methodology connecting the modern seller to today’s buyer journeys.

Blue Marlin is a private investment firm based in Bethesda, Maryland, with approximately $400 million of invested capital in 16 investments. Blue Marlin partners with successful business builders across a variety of industries. David Williams, Partner with Blue Marlin, CEO of MRE Capital, and Chairman of Quality Brands International, has joined as Sandler’s strategic partner. Mr. Williams was formerly the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merkle Inc.

The infusion of capital and expertise will support Sandler’s vision for accelerated growth and meet the future demands of the next evolution of sales. The company recently announced a corporate rebrand to reflect the evolving expectations of the modern buyer and seller, serve clients with cutting-edge learning technologies and methodologies, and provide adaptive content and curriculum served across multiple delivery modalities, including in-person instructor-led, virtual instructor-led, and online on-demand through Sandler’s unparalleled Learning Management System (LMS). Sandler has been seeking the next level of investment to support its mission to dominate the sales learning space, while Blue Marlin seeks to partner with local businesses who aim to scale and have a proven track record.

Houlihan Lokey served as the exclusive financial advisor to Sandler and assisted in marketing, structuring, and negotiating the transaction on behalf of the company. This transaction highlights the team’s expertise and continued success in the professional learning sector, marking the team’s seventh transaction since the beginning of 2021.