Nicole Carnation, 32 Vice President, M&A Capital LLC As vice president with Westlake Village-based boutique investment bank M&A Capital LLC, Nicole Carnation likes to keep a transaction alive through creative structures and negotiation. At 32, Carnation has accumulated 10 years of corporate finance experience and recently became a partner in the firm. She has completed nearly $1 billion in transaction value. Carnation has helped broker deals such as Maguire Aviation’s acquisition of Skytrails Aviation, L’Oreal USA’s 2007 acquisition of Maly’s West, and raising $200 million in equity for a manager to pursue aerospace acquisitions. Carnation, a University of California, Berkeley graduate, says her work ethic sets her apart from the crowd. “I am honest and hard-working,” she said. “My diverse background has provided me a well-rounded knowledge base, and my adept ability to listen allows me to better understand our clients’ needs.” Carnation is active in the Valley business community. She sits on the board of ACG 101 and is founder of Women for Corporate Growth, a networking group for professional women. And while she encourages young professionals to find a work-life balance to keep from burning out too early, Carnation is clearly challenged and engaged in her work. “I work on both marketing and production, so I am familiar with the intimate aspects of a transaction, while also being good with people,” Carnation said. “This helps me to market new opportunities while fully understanding the options available.”