Dave Cantin Group has made significant changes to its leadership team as part of an ambitious growth strategy in preparation for what it called “a milestone year” in 2025.

The dealership merger and acquisition advisory firm has promoted Brian Traugott to chief of staff for president and CEO Dave Cantin and chief business and strategy officer Brian Gordon. In addition, Tony Karabon has been named executive vice president and head of acquisition management, while Stephen Jones is the new EVP and head of acquisition strategy.

Other staff moves include Brandon Werley’s promotion to vice president of M&A advisory services — which DCG said bolsters its client service group, which uses the company’s proprietary AI tool, Jump IQ — Denise Salzstein’s shift to director of CRM, Cameron Markeson’s move to business analysis associate, and the addition of Zach Orr as marketing coordinator.

Cantin said the changes and additions were made in anticipation of DCG’s busiest year ever.

“The number of large, quality deals we already have scheduled for closing in the first half of 2025, combined with the current level of client activity, indicated we needed to staff up across the organization to meet our clients’ needs,” Cantin said. “We’re excited to see our team growing and to maximize the exceptional talent of our executive leadership team, delivering unparalleled service, innovation and results for our clients.”