Melissa McCarthy

Managing Director and Head of the Corporate Advisory Center, PNC

As the leader of the Corporate Advisory Center, Melissa drives the continued development and coordinated delivery of PNC’s numerous advisory capabilities. In this role she supports PNC’s Corporate Banking and Private Bank teams across the country in delivering insights, analysis and tailored advice to our privately held businesses and their owners. These capabilities and insights are structured to support our customers in aligning their corporate, personal and family goals. The PNC team is focused on helping our customers drive shareholder value, as well as prepare for various exit and liquidity events.

A native to the Columbus market, Melissa has spent the last 18 years in various Corporate Banking relationship management and leadership roles, focused on supporting clients across the Midwest. Throughout her career, Melissa has worked with businesses from $20 million in revenue to $150+ billion, giving her vast knowledge across both privately held and publicly traded corporations. With her strong corporate finance and capital markets background, Melissa is able to incorporate analytical insights into the conversation as her clients consider various strategic priorities.

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Melissa went on to earn her Bachelor of Business Administration with a double major in Finance and Marketing from Ohio University in June 2003. She holds her series 79 and 63 Licenses.  She is actively engaged in the local community through volunteer and board engagement.

Jonathan Lander

Senior Vice President and Senior Wealth Strategist, PNC Private Bank Hawthorn

As senior vice president and senior wealth strategist, Jonathan leads the deep and dynamic discovery process to achieve a mutual understanding of your family, business (if applicable) and financial goals to determine what is truly important to you in achieving peace of mind. He works with you and your advisors to help develop a strategic financial plan which integrates your financial, estate, tax and philanthropic considerations and preferences. Jonathan identifies and prioritizes your objectives and together with your team develops tailored solutions to help achieve them. He has a high level of technical experience in complex estate, tax and wealth planning issues to help bring about successful outcomes as your trusted advisor.

Jonathan is a member of the PNC Private Bank Hawthorn^SM Chief Operating Officer's team. He serves as chair of the Wealth Strategy Editorial National Practice Group.  Jonathan also consults with PNC's officers and clients on large or complicated wealth strategy and business succession planning matters. He first joined PNC in June 2004.  After returning to the practice of law in 2013, Jonathan returned to PNC in November 2018. 

Jonathan has practiced law in large law firms in both New York and Philadelphia. Most recently, prior to rejoining PNC, Jonathan was a partner in the law firm of Blank Rome, LLP, working in the firm’s Philadelphia and New York offices.

Jonathan graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science from Drew University, cum laude with a Juris Doctor from Albany Law School of Union University, and with a Master of Laws in taxation from New York University School of Law.  

Although no longer engaged in the active practice of law, Jonathan is a member of the Bars of the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut and the Bar of the United States Tax Court. 

Jonathan is a member of the American Bar Association. He served as Chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (now known as the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law) Section's Fiduciary Income Tax Committee from mid-2003 to mid-2006. Jonathan is also a member of the Philadelphia, Bucks County, and New York State Bar Associations.

Jonathan is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Bill Watkins

Managing Director, Harris Williams

Bill has more than 30 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience. He has completed a range of financial advisory assignments including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and capital raises on behalf of private equity firms and public and private companies in several industries. 

Prior to joining the firm, Bill was a managing director with National City Capital Markets Investment Banking Group, where he provided investment banking services within the Industrial Group. His previous experience also includes mergers and acquisitions advisory with Piper Jaffray, as well as leveraged finance and general capital raising with Heller Financial’s Corporate Finance Group and Bank of America via its acquisition of Continental Bank.

Bill earned an M.B.A. with concentrations in Finance and Operations Management from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a B.S. in Business from Indiana University, Bloomington.

He is a board member of Achievement Centers for Children and Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.

Bill lives in the western suburbs of Cleveland with his wife and two children.

Mark Buxton

Senior Vice President and Wealth Strategist Regional Manager, PNC Private Bank

As a senior vice president and wealth strategist regional manager of the PNC Private Bank^SM, Mark oversees the wealth strategy client experience, process and business development activities within the region. He focuses on his team's relationships with clients and business partners and manages the execution of group project activities of the Wealth Strategy group.

Mark has more than 30 years of wealth management industry experience, having begun his career as a fiduciary advisor. He has held a variety of senior market leadership roles through the years.

Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Bethany College, a Master of Business Administration from Kent State University, and a Juris Doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Mark also holds the Juris Doctor, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, Certified Financial Planner^TM, and Chartered Life Underwriter designations. He is a member of the Cleveland and Cuyahoga County bar associations.

David Shaw

Publishing Director, Family Business Magazine

David Shaw is the publishing director of Family Business Magazine and its sister publication, Directors & Boards. With more than 30 years of experience in business-to-business and consumer media markets, he has served as an editor, publisher, publishing director, group publisher and group vice president of a variety of publications, trade shows, conferences and websites.

Prior to founding GRID Media, David served as senior vice president for Phillips Business Information Inc., where he oversaw nearly 100 discrete media properties, and helped build the business from $35 million to more than $100 million in annual revenues. He is a frequent author and speaker on issues related to business-to-business media, multi-generational family businesses and private and public company governance. He is married, with two grown children, one serving in the Navy and the other in law school.