Bringing diverse corporate experience to your business.
At True North, our sophistication comes from our experience. Prior to forming the firm, our principals served as senior-level executives in several multinational corporations.
And in over two decades of corporate work, they completed numerous million- and billion-dollar transactions worldwide and gained substantial merger, acquisition, valuation, and joint-venture experience in diverse business sectors.
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Chris Goeglein
Managing Principal -
Ken Sipe
Principal -
Scott Metzger
Principal -
Josh Sipe
Principal -
Dennis Schoff
General Counsel -
Luke Hunter
Vice President -
Kayla Luithly
Associate -
Jackson Wert
Senior Analyst -
Amy Kramer
Analyst -
Sally Stitzer
Contractor -
Monte Lightner
Advisor
Chris is an experienced strategist, advisor to senior executives, and change agent. During almost a decade of leading corporate transactions for Lincoln Financial Group, he evaluated transactions worldwide and completed numerous acquisitions, divestitures, initial public offerings, and startups with a combined deal volume in excess of $7 billion.
As an expert in corporate strategy, valuation, and corporate finance, Chris has become a trusted advisor to business owners and managers. He has advised business owners in diverse sectors, such as insurance, investments, automotive, distribution, manufacturing, and e-commerce.
A Registered Representative with Burch & Company, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC, Chris holds FINRA Series 62, 63 and 79 securities licenses. He holds an MBA from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and political science from Taylor University.
In addition to his work in the for-profit sector, Chris is personally active in nonprofit leadership, currently serving on the Taylor University Board of Trustees. Prior board service has included Taylor University Broadcasting Inc. (WBCL) , Concordia Education Foundation, The Lutheran Scholarship Granting Organization of Indiana, and Fort Wayne Area Youth for Christ. Chris also serves as an outside director of Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company.
Chris and his wife, Deb, have three children and six grandchildren. Outside of his professional and nonprofit activities, Chris enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and playing tennis.
Ken is a Principal of True North and is involved in all aspects of the Company’s corporate finance, business strategy and merger/acquisition advisory services. Prior to joining True North in 2005, Ken worked primarily in the life reinsurance industry in a variety of leadership and management positions with large publicly held corporations. In reinsurance deal-making roles with Lincoln Financial Group and ING Group, his teams were responsible for designing, pricing, negotiating, and executing complex reinsurance transactions.
Actively involved in nonprofit board leadership and executive mentoring, Ken serves as an advisor to nonprofit leaders and boards in areas of strategy, governance, and finance. Personally, he serves on various local and regional nonprofit advisory teams and on the board of Colorado-based Forge – Kingdom Building Ministries.
An actuary by professional training, Ken is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He is a Registered Representative with Burch & Company, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC, and holds FINRA Series 62, 63 and 79 securities licenses. Ken earned a master’s degree in actuarial science from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and business from Grace College.
A native of Berne, Ken and his wife, Tammy, live in Fort Wayne where they enjoy active involvement in the community and serving as mentors to engaged and young-married couples. They have three children and eight grandchildren. Ken enjoys time with family and friends, playing tennis, and traveling.
Scott is an experienced finance and transaction professional who has applied these skills in a variety of business development activities. He is a strategic thinker experienced in strategic planning, deal structures, due diligence, and contract negotiations.
Scott has an in-depth understanding of the capital markets with experience in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and initial public offerings. He has led the establishment of a new business start-up and structured joint venture arrangements. Having worked for companies in the Fortune 500 as well as a closely held private company, he understands many of the issues present in today’s increasingly competitive business landscape.
As a Registered Representative with Burch & Company, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC, Scott holds FINRA Series 62, 63 and 79 securities licenses. Scott graduated cum laude from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, majoring in Business and Economics. He received an MBA from The University of Chicago.
Scott and his wife, Athena, have three children.
Josh joined True North in 2016 and is involved in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance practice areas. He enjoys developing an in-depth understanding of each client’s business model, strategic positioning, and marketplace dynamics. Every deal is uniquely complex, and Josh appreciates the challenge of reacting to new information and working to ensure optimal outcomes for stakeholders.
Before True North, Josh spent 10 years in the banking and financial services industry where he led financial analysis and risk management functions as well as provided investment advisory and portfolio management services for private clients.
Josh is a Registered Representative with Burch & Company, Inc., a member of FINRA and SiPC, and holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 securities licenses. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Ball State University and an MBA from Taylor University, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).
Josh and his wife, Lauren, have three children. Outside the office, Josh serves as an elder at his church, enjoys playing golf and hockey, and spending time outdoors.
Dennis is a highly accomplished attorney with over 34 years of practice, 30 years of which were in-house experience including over two decades as general counsel at three different insurance companies. He has served in senior management at a publicly traded company and at two mutual holding companies, and he brings to True North his deep experience and expertise in mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, integration, and business strategy. Dennis worked with several of the principals of True North when he and they were at Lincoln Financial Group. He enjoys developing an understanding of the complexities of the business issues facing a client, and then creating a practical balance between commercial business needs and prudent legal perspective. His personal strengths include a strong set of values and morals, ability to work collaboratively across all functional roles/levels to solve complex issues, facility with technology, and a consistent record of developing talent to assume future leadership roles.
Dennis graduated cum laude from Indiana University School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree is in business from Indiana University. Dennis and his wife, Nina, have two daughters.
Luke joined the True North team in 2023 and is involved in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Nonprofit Advisory areas. He is driven by an interest in financial analysis and providing the best outcome to clients through client service, planning, and research.
Prior to True North, Luke worked for 6 years at a top-10 public accounting firm where he managed engagement teams through financial statement audits of a diverse range of clients, working as a trusted advisor to client management and providing guidance throughout the process. Luke specialized in Higher Education, NFP, and Insurance industries.
With a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Taylor University, Luke has been a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 2019. Luke is a member of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Indiana CPA Society.
Luke and his wife, Kayla, have a son (2022) and a daughter (2024) and live in Ossian, Indiana. Outside of work, Luke is involved at his church, loves to golf, enjoys bike rides with his family, and mowing his yard.
Kayla joined True North in 2015. She works with both corporate and nonprofit clients in the areas of project management, research, and financial analysis. Kayla greatly enjoys the diversity of each project and takes pride in creating high quality deliverables for clients. She enjoys telling the stories of companies’ journeys through preparing confidential information memorandums and is also skilled in problem solving and database management.
Kayla triple majored at Indiana Wesleyan University, earning bachelor’s degrees in leadership studies, intercultural studies, and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Additionally, she earned an MBA with a finance concentration from Purdue University Fort Wayne during her professional career.
Kayla serves on the Marketing & Development Committee for YWCA Northeast Indiana and enjoys singing on her church worship team. She and her husband, Kurt, have one daughter whom they love to watch learn and grow. Kayla also has a skincare and color consulting side business through which she teaches and pampers women in a fun and welcoming environment.
Jackson joined True North as an Analyst upon graduating from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in May 2021. Within the firm, his primary responsibilities include market research, financial analysis, presentation development, and diligence support.
What attracted Jackson to True North was the opportunity to be mentored by experienced professionals and to develop his skills through a client-facing environment.
He earned his bachelor’s degrees in Economic Consulting and Management and is in the process of completing an MBA with his alma mater.
Outside the office, Jackson enjoys playing golf, all types of music, and theatre inspired by heavy involvement in high school.
Amy joined True North in 2018. Her primary responsibilities include providing day-to-day office administrative assistance and supporting client projects through partner research and presentation preparation. Her voice is likely to be the one that greets you when you call the office.
Amy has a bachelor’s degree in education from Asbury University and digital media certification from Purdue Fort Wayne. Before coming to True North, she had been a teacher (both Elementary and GED) and then a stay-at-home mom for many years.
She and husband Brian are from the east coast but moved to Indiana in 2012 and have found a true home in the Midwest. They have two young adult daughters. Amy volunteers tutoring English through International House, a nonprofit organization committed to sharing the love and light of Jesus with refugees and internationals living in the Fort Wayne area. Amy loves good books, board games, visiting new places, biking Fort Wayne’s trails, and designing and creating beautiful things.
As a Contractor for True North, Sally Stitzer provides leadership and support for nonprofit projects. Skilled in strategic planning, relationship building, communication, facilitation, and organization, Sally keeps projects on track and focused on strategic objectives. She has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Indiana University (IPFW), as well as over a decade of leadership experience in the corporate world.
Outside of True North, Sally is the founder of a leadership development and consulting company called Radix Advantage. Taken from the Latin word for root, radix, the company was built on the concept of getting to the root so that problems can truly be solved, growth can be ignited, and progress can be made. She especially loves working with her executive coaching clients and seeing them achieve their goals.
Sally lives in Fort Wayne with her husband and their two girls. Active in the community, Sally serves on the Board of Directors for Northeast Indiana Center for Faith & Work and attends Pathway Community Church with her family. In her free time, Sally enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, baking, and exercising off the calories form baking.
Since the late 1980’s, Monte has managed and directed the tax functions of several multi-national corporations, including Lincoln Re, Central Soya and Borden. His planning, research and administrative skills have created sophisticated acquisition and disposition structures, resulting in increased shareholder value. Monte has extensive experience in U.S. and international taxation as well as experience in other treasury matters, including debt placement and risk management. Monte has participated in large transactions worldwide, focusing on strategic financial and tax planning to ensure advantageous legal, tax and accounting treatment for shareholders.
Monte earned his juris doctor from Indiana University School of Law and bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ball State University. He’s also a CPA (inactive) and member of the Indiana bar. He is a Registered Representative with Burch & Company, Inc., a member of FINRA and SiPC, and holds FINRA Series 62, 63 and 79 securities licenses. He is chair of the Huntington University Board of Trustees.
Monte and his wife, Beth, are parents of three, grandparents of six, and are active in their church.