About Tungsten Oak Partners
An independent firm built to give straight answers, senior judgment, and no agenda but yours.
Why we exist
Independent by design.
Most advisory comes with something attached: a product to sell, a deal to close, a referral fee to earn. We built Tungsten Oak to remove all of it. No products, no commissions, no kickbacks, just senior expertise paid for directly, so the only thing steering our advice is your interest. That independence is not a tagline. It is the structure of the firm.
How we work
Forged for strength. Rooted for legacy.
Tungsten is among the hardest and most resilient metals there is. The oak is patient, deep-rooted, and built to outlast. Together they describe how we work: rigorous and durable under pressure, and planted in your long-term interest rather than the next transaction. Every engagement is led by a senior partner from start to finish. No junior staff learning on your time, no handoffs, no diluted judgment. You get the person you hired, on the problem that matters.
The partnership
Senior hands on every engagement.
Patrick O'Neil
Alternatives, risk and governance
Former senior finance, risk, and operations executive at Citigroup with $400M+ in value creation leading teams of 50+. Manager and LP diligence, portfolio and valuation governance, concentration and liquidity risk, fraud and control challenge.
- Credit portfolio and concentration risk for a regional bank
- Strategic plan that tripled the value of First National Bank of Pasco
- Independent investment review for a county pension board
CFA · FRM · CFE
LinkedIn
Josh Howard
Partner
Fifteen years in investment banking, corporate development, and valuation, with 50-plus transactions and $4.5B-plus in value across sell-side and buy-side M&A, recapitalizations, divestitures, and joint ventures in manufacturing, business services, healthcare, and distribution.
CM&AA · CEPA
LinkedIn
Christian Barron
Restructuring, CRO and transactions
Investment banker for state-owned enterprises and PE-backed portfolio companies; outsourced CFO for multiple PE-backed platforms; advisor to private credit funds and middle-market banks on special situations inside their portfolios.
- CRO and sell-side banker on an ~$800M health system sale
- CRO and banker for a fund-owned dental platform in forbearance
- $1Bn+ M&A volume across 30+ engagements
CPA · CFA · FINRA Series 79
LinkedIn
Corey Donahue
Partner
More than twenty years in real estate, construction, and debt, having deployed over $1.2B and delivered 12,000-plus homes. He serves on the boards of New Beginnings of Tampa and the Grow Into You Foundation.
Real Estate & Assets
LinkedInQuality of Earnings and exit-readiness capability is delivered through partner Joshua Howard (CM&AA · CEPA).
How the firm is built
Four principles, without exception.
Senior-only: the partner who scopes the work performs the work.
Independent and fee-only.
One side per credit, never both. Conflicts cleared in writing before work starts.
Success fees only through a sponsoring broker-dealer.
Who we serve
Built for decision-makers.
We work with mid-market companies, private equity sponsors and their portfolio firms, and financial institutions, the organizations where a single financial decision moves the whole enterprise.
Credentials
Rigorous analytical foundations.
The partnership's work rests on decades of senior financial leadership and the certifications that codify analytical rigor across investment, risk, transactions, and planning.
CFA®
CFA Institute
The global standard in investment analysis, portfolio management, and corporate finance ethics.
FRM®
Global Association of Risk Professionals
Credit, market, and liquidity risk, with stress-testing methodology.
CFE®
Assoc. of Certified Fraud Examiners
Financial forensics, governance, internal controls, and transaction integrity.
CEPA®
Exit Planning Institute
Value acceleration and exit strategy for privately held companies preparing for transition.
CM&AA®
Alliance of M&A Advisors
Middle-market transaction advisory across structuring, valuation, and the full sale lifecycle.
CPA®
AICPA
Authoritative grounding in financial reporting, audit, and tax, the standards behind every transaction.
CFP®
CFP Board
Comprehensive planning across tax, estate, retirement, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
Affiliations
Memberships and professional standing.
AM&AA
Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors
IBBA
International Business Brokers Association
FBA
Florida Bankers Association, Associate Member
ACG
Association for Corporate Growth, Tampa Bay
OPUS
Opus Connect
TMA
Turnaround Management Association, Florida
CFA Societies
Tampa Bay, Orlando, and Miami
GARP
Global Association of Risk Professionals
Mensa
American Mensa Society