SCOTT BUSHKIE

WORLD’S LEADING AUTHORITY ON SELLING YOUR BUSINESS
AND FINISHING STRONG

Scott Bushkie
CBI, M&AMI, CM&AP

Managing Partner/Founder
Cornerstone Business Services, Inc.

You only get one chance to sell your business. I take great pride in using my 25+ years of M&A experience to create positive life-changing events for the business owners I serve. My goal is to give each client the coveted gift of both time and money.

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS

  • Certified Business Intermediary (CBI)
  • Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary (M&AMI)
  • Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Professional (CM&AP)
  • Fellow of International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)
  • Board of Directors for International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)
  • Founder and Past Chair of MBBI Wisconsin Chapter
  • Member of the UW- Whitewater Entrepreneurship Advisory Board


AWARDS

  • 40 under 40 M&A Award
  • NEW Business Plan Competition (DealCoach), 1st Place
  • 2016 Chairman for International Business Brokers Association (IBBA)
  • MBBI Outstanding Leadership Award & Member of the Year
  • Green Bay Young Professionals Network, Young Entrepreneur of the Year
  • Wisconsin Small Business Administration, Emerging Small Business Person
  • Small Business Person of the Year- Green Bay Chamber
  • Multiple Collaboration Awards with MBBI Wisconsin Chapter
  • M&A Source Service Award
  • Acquisition International (AI) Best in Lower Middle Market
  • Acquisitions USA, Best National Full Service M&A Firm,
  • Leading Lower Middle Market M&A Advisory Firm of the Year- Midwest
  • M&A Insider Awards- M&A Advisory Firm of the Year Wisconsin


COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

  • American Cancer Society, annual golf outing, past-chair
  • United Way of Brown County, Emerging Leaders Society, co-founder, past-chair
  • Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Council, past- chair
  • Make-A-Wish Supporter
  • Coaching in De Pere Basketball Booster Program
  • Global Chamber Member

Scott Bushkie is the Managing Partner and Founder of Cornerstone Business Services. With more than 25 years in mergers & acquisitions, Scott is a recognized leader in the lower middle market, helping business owners sell their companies, grow through acquisition, and understand the realistic value of their businesses in today’s market.

Over the years, Scott has successfully executed hundreds of transactions, domestically and internationally. He has the trust and respect of CPA and financial advisor alliances, investment banks, and other professional service firms within the M&A marketplace.

A leading authority on lower middle market M&A, Scott’s expertise is sought after by major media outlets including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, CBS, and iHeart Media. The best-selling author of Finish Strong: Sell Your Business on Your Terms, he also guest authors content for numerous newspapers, magazines, and trade publications.

As a keynote speaker, Scott engages diverse audiences from national organizations to regional trade groups and international delegations. He focuses on empowering business owners to maximize the single largest transaction of their life: the sale of their business. Additionally, he equips financial advisors with strategies to better serve these owners and, in turn, significantly grow their AUM.

Scott is the founder and past chair of the Wisconsin chapter of Midwest Business Brokers & Intermediaries (MBBI), past chair of the International Business Broker Association (IBBA), past chair of the M&A Source, and the founding president of the Wisconsin chapter of EO.

Scott has been named Fellow of IBBA, Fellow of M&A Source, and was a 2025 inductee into the IBBA Hall of Fame—in each instance the youngest person in the world to receive these prestigious lifetime designations, recognizing industry expertise and contributions to the profession.

In 2018, Scott launched the Cornerstone International Alliance (CIA), providing member firms with enhanced buyer reach, access to industry experts, resources, and structured best practice sharing. In 2025, CIA had approximately 30 partner firms worldwide and facilitated the transition of $2 billion in enterprise value.

Scott also partnered with a third-party research firm to produce the 2025 National Study on Selling Your Business. The first of its kind, the study provides groundbreaking research into business owner attitudes, trends, and expectations about selling their business. 

Scott holds designations as a Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary (M&AMI), a Certified M&A Professional (CM&AP), and a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI). He is a registered representative of the broker dealer Ceiba Financial with the Series 62 & 63 securities licenses.

Hundreds OF Millions in Sales

Today, Cornerstone is one of the largest lower middle market M&A firms in the Midwest. Operating from offices in Wisconsin and Iowa, its associates have completed several hundred million in sales. The company fields worldwide interest in client opportunities and has led transactions with buyers and sellers based in Europe, Asia and Russia.

Thought-Leader

A thought-leader in the industry, Scott developed the Cornerstone Process to offer investment banking M&A-level services to the lower middle market. The result is a closing ratio that’s more than double the national average.

Published Author and
Recognized Speaker

Scott has authored numerous articles on M&A best practices, and his work is syndicated in regional publications. He is a sought-after expert on the national M&A market and has been quoted in some of the nation’s most respected newspapers including the Forbes, New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Los Angeles Times. As a speaker, he has engaged audiences from national organizations to local trade groups and international delegations.

Scott’s diverse background includes entrepreneurial endeavors, management, finance, and marketing. He has operated small startups and worked with international corporations. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Scott and his wife Cassie live in Green bay with their three children.