Our Core Values

We Care About People

The single most important part of a successful business is the people who make it happen. We look out for each other, prioritize our people and believe in a one-team mentality.

We Value Entrepreneurship

As fellow entrepreneurs, we understand what it takes to build great things. We have a bias toward action and believe in solving tough problems.

We Believe In Ownership

We take responsibility for our actions, commit to acting with integrity and getting 1% better each day.

Achieve Greatness

We are in it to win it. We are committed to greatness in the everyday process as well as pushing toward transformative outcomes. Being great also means having fun and enjoying the process.

Your Legacy Matters

Your business will leave a lasting impact. We care about building and preserving generational legacy for founders, owners, employees and investors.

Vision

Our vision is to take great platform businesses with healthy margins and huge industry potential and grow them into market transformative leaders. For founders, we aim to be a trusted partner that is fair, collaborative and someone you will enjoy working alongside.

Community

Our businesses are the backbone of our economy and local communities. Strengthening a business means strengthening its people, their families and communities.

Employment

SMEs account for the majority of employment across North America. MCP seeks to catalyze growth and create greater employment opportunities within high impact sectors

Legacy

Your business will leave a lasting impact. We care about building and preserving generational legacy for founders, owners and investors.

Building With Purpose

Small and medium sized businesses are the backbone of our economy. We believe in strengthening businesses and having a positive impact on local communities.

Community

Our businesses are the backbone of our economy and local communities. Strengthening a business means strengthening its people, their families and communities.

Employment

SMEs account for the majority of employment across North America. MCP seeks to catalyze growth and create greater employment opportunities within high impact sectors
period.

Legacy

Your business will leave a lasting impact. We care about building and preserving generational legacy for founders, owners, employees and investors.

Our Team

We started MCP to build upon the legacy of incredible founders and to create greater opportunities for their companies and their people. Having all operated businesses, we know what it’s like to navigate opportunities and challenges – the highs and lows. We also know there’s a better way to exit a company, to preserve legacy and build up the next generation of leadership.

We bring the horsepower and growth vision of blue-chip investment funds but we do that with the spirit of entrepreneurship and genuine care for people.

Our team brings experience in private equity, entrepreneurship, M&A and law across North America. Together we have experience growing companies from the $0 to $40mm range (Volume Freight, Colourific Coatings), and also at the $20mm to >$2.0bn range at exit (U.S. Robotics). Our combined industry expertise spans industrial / energy services, transportation & logistics and technology.

Bio

Elling Dahlen

Partner
  • Served as Co-CEO of Ontario-based Industrial Coating Company which grew from 30-90 employees.
  • Over a decade of M&A advisory and investing experience in the private and public markets at a top global investment bank and New York hedge fund.
Bio

Bio

Shea Hamilton

Partner
  • Serial entrepreneur with a background in owning and operating companies globally.
  • Grew Volume Freight to be Profit 500 Canada’s 4th fastest growing company.
Bio

Bio

Jonathan Zakin

Partner

  • Actively involved in the technology industry for over 30 years as CEO, various operating executive roles and investor.
  • Guiding diligence and leadership, setting strategic goals, unlocking company growth and partnerships
Bio

Bio

Elling Dahlen

Partner
  • Served as Co-CEO of Ontario-based Industrial Coating Company which grew from 30-90 employees.
  • Over a decade of M&A advisory and investing experience in the private and public markets at a top global investment bank and New York hedge fund.
Bio

Bio

Shea Hamilton

Partner
  • Serial entrepreneur with a background in owning and operating companies globally.
  • Grew Volume Freight to be Profit 500 Canada’s 4th fastest growing company.
Bio

Bio

Al Turnbull

Partner

  • Experience in the private and public markets as a corporate and capital markets lawyer at a leading Canadian law firm based out of Toronto, Ontario.
  • Proficient deal maker and structurer with extensive experience in M&A, private equity, venture capital, limited partnerships, and securities law.
Bio
Bio
Bio
Bio

Bio

Brenden Lee

Partner
  • Over a decade of experience in entrepreneurship, private equity and M&A.
  • Strengths in unlocking new opportunities, driving revenue through BD / partnerships, and building passionate teams
Bio

Bio

Jonathan Zakin

Executive Partner
  • Actively involved in the technology industry for over 30 years as CEO, various operating executive roles and investor.
  • Guiding diligence and leadership, setting strategic goals, unlocking company growth and partnerships
Bio
Bio
Bio
  • 2024 All Rights Reserved by Mercurian Capital Partners

Elling Dahlen

Partner

Elling is a pioneer in the Canadian SME acquisition space. Prior to MCP, Elling was Co-CEO of Colourific Coatings and Co-Founder at Cassiar Partners (a private investment firm). Colourific Coatings is an industrial coatings business in Ontario. Elling played an instrumental role in growing its team from 30-90 employees, nearly doubling revenue and also empowering the operations team to run the day-to-day business.

Elling has completed multiple SME acquisitions and also served on the Board of Community Electric Limited, a Saskatoon-based electrical contractor with locations across Canada.

Prior to this, Elling spent nearly a decade in investment banking in the energy sector (J.P. Morgan) and at a New York Hedge Fund (Balyasny Asset Management). Elling has been involved in over $30bn in M&A transactions and was the lead analyst for a $700mm public market investment fund.

Elling grew up in Abbotsford and loves adventure and the outdoors. Elling enjoys playing golf, working out, road biking, playing squash and tennis, going for hikes, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family. Elling is a life-long learner and always up for a challenge.

Shea Hamilton

Partner

Shea Hamilton is a former Professional Hockey Player, now an Investor and Entrepreneur.

Shea has been active in multiple industries in his business career as a Founder, Investor & Advisor. Shea began his career at Kalshea Commodities Inc, a commodity trading firm, where he oversaw the international export division. In 2013, Shea founded Volume Freight Solutions, a third-party logistics company where he served as CEO, overseeing the company’s vision, strategy, and daily operations. Under his leadership, the company grew from 3 to 30 employees and was ranked by Profit 500 as Canada’s 4th Fastest-Growing company at the time of his exit.

In 2021, Shea founded Component Logistics, a 3-PL logistics company. Shea served as CEO for 2 years before transitioning to the advisory board in early 2023.

Shea has also co-founded Vill Room Inc., a pre-fab dwelling and accessory manufacturer based in Manitoba, Canada.

Shea infuses the team with invaluable insights gained from a rich background in successfully growing startups and streamlining / scaling their business operations. He excels at team building, identifying avenues for growth, and executing visionary plans for sustainable expansion.

Al Turnbull

Partner

Al Turnbull has extensive experience in the Canadian capital markets and corporate law sector, bringing a unique perspective and skillset to Mercurian Capital Partners. Before joining MCP, Al worked as a capital markets and corporate lawyer at a leading Canadian law firm, where he developed extensive expertise in the private and public markets. Throughout his legal career, Al specialized in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, limited partnership formation and structuring, and securities law. Al has established himself as a proficient deal maker, deal structurer, and capital raiser throughout his time with MCP and as a lawyer.

His legal acumen is complemented by significant governance experience, having served two years on the Board of Governors of the University of Manitoba, overseeing total revenues exceeding $900 million and an operating budget of over $500 million. In addition, Al was twice elected President of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union, a full-time paid position. During his two-year tenure, he was the official spokesperson and led the organization with an operating budget of $2 million, six operating businesses and over 100 full and part-time employees.

Raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but having lived and travelled broadly, Al has a deep appreciation for the outdoors, enjoying fishing, hiking, and various other sports. Al enjoys philanthropic work, having co-founded a Canadian charity called CompanionLink, which calls aim at helping older adults living alone or in care facilities make meaningful connections in their communities to combat isolation and loneliness.

A lifelong learner, he continually seeks new challenges and opportunities for growth. Al is committed to excellence and innovation in the deal space, leveraging his extensive legal and business background to drive success at Mercurian Capital Partners.

Brenden Lee

Partner

Brenden’s unique experience intersects blue chip private equity and as CEO of an SME. He has 5 years experience as CEO of Ontario food-tech company, Hover, where he built the team from 0-22 people, including recruiting executive leaders from Momofuku, Tim Hortons, Quiznos and Foodora. The business grew from idea to $1.5m in sales across multiple locations in the GTA. Prior to that, he worked in private equity, focused on energy and industrials at Oaktree Capital in Los Angeles. He was part of the investment team at Oaktree and Vac-One Services, which completed two acquisitions during his time there. Before Oaktree, Brenden was with Evercore’s M&A team in Toronto, focused on industrials, services, energy and resources.

Brenden specializes in unlocking new opportunities, driving revenue growth and recruiting highly specialized and difficult to find talent. His passion for communication and growing healthy teams is a key tool used to advance vision and execution plans. 

Brenden loves exploring new places, hospitality (design / cooking), playing basketball and golf, and investing into friendships alongside his wife. Together, they are also active volunteers at their local church in Toronto. In business and life, he is a strong advocate of falling in love with the process and building a community of close friends to do the journey with.