Identity Founding Partner Mark Winter Named President of Association of Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter

Identity has poured countless hours into building a national reputation for delivering the highest quality of work through expert counsel and execution. Along the way, two guiding principles have driven me and guided our agency: creating impactful business value and fostering strong and lasting relationships.

Our focus and investment in these principles has served us well—driving our own significant growth while also fortifying our house against negative economic cycles.

That’s why I am proud and humbled to take on the responsibility of serving as the newly elected President of the Detroit Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), an organization with a clear focus on connecting people and driving business growth.

ACG Detroit’s Mission

ACG Detroit is Southeast Michigan’s premier community of M&A deal-makers and business leaders focused on driving middle market growth. The organization is composed of private equity investors, corporate development teams, intermediaries, lenders, advisors and service providers.

Together, we educate, sharpen skills, share resources and connect through more than 40 business, social and networking events annually.

Prior to my election, I served as the marketing chair for ACG Detroit 20+ member board of directors for seven years. The chapter’s strong reputation, track record for outstanding events and commitment to serving as the trusted resource for our regional dealmaking community has been both inspiring and motivating.

PR in the World of Dealmaking

You might wonder why I would choose to engage in an organization so far removed from my industry. We are in the business of growing business. This is squarely in our wheelhouse.

That said, Identity stands out as one of the few creative-driven agencies actively engaged in the organization. We bring decades of experience partnering with private equity firms, venture capital entities, family offices and other investors—helping them maximize growth and deal flow through high-impact announcements, elevate the visibility of acquisitions and sales, secure thought leadership opportunities and highlight overall fund activities.

We’re also uniquely equipped to support the B2B and consumer-focused companies acquired by these organizations with PR, marketing, communications and other critical awareness efforts that create value and drive growth.

A Strong Vision

I look forward to working closely with ACG Detroit’s board to advance the chapter’s mission in several key areas:

• Connecting Dealmakers Across Sectors: ACG Detroit unites professionals from private equity, law, banking, accounting and corporate development—creating a nexus where collaboration leads to extraordinary value. I’m eager for us to deepen these connections, particularly within the professional services and private equity communities that are central to both Identity’s work and client base and the broader regional economy.
• Amplifying Education and Insight: In a fast-moving deal environment, staying educated, skilled and sharp is critical. ACG events—whether high-energy networking happy hours or full-scale regional conferences—keep members informed and confident as they navigate complexity. We are committed to expanding these opportunities with fresh and timely topics, industry-leading speakers, diverse perspectives and impactful content.
• Fostering Impact-Driven Leadership: Our board reflects ACG Detroit’s commitment to strong leadership and community impact: Amy Whipple leads our Women’s Forum, Jeff Wyatt chairs DEI initiatives and Cal Coffman heads ACG Cares. I intend to build on this foundation, championing leadership that goes beyond transactions to drive meaningful community growth and engagement.

I’m honored by the opportunity to serve, learn, and lead alongside the outstanding ACG Detroit community. Here’s to building connections, driving growth and creating opportunity—one transaction and one meaningful relationship at a time.