Wayne Vacek
- Position: Managing Director | Head of Consumer
- Education: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with Biomedical Specialization – Southern Methodist University; M.B.A – Harvard Business School
- Professional Certifications: Series 79 and 63
Wayne Vacek is a Managing Director and Practice Group Head for the Consumer team at Founders Advisors. Wayne is based in Dallas and has 25+ years of experience in M&A, Corporate Development, and Strategic Planning for consumer-oriented businesses.
Throughout his career, Wayne has served in various leadership roles for some of the world’s top companies, including Bain & Company, FedEx, Tempur Sealy, Varsity Brands, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Major projects in which he’s played a key role include:
- Acquisition of Sealy by Tempur-Pedic to create the largest, global bedding retailer in 2013
- Multi-billion sale of Varsity Brands to Bain Capital in 2019
- Development and execution of strategic plan to triple Lowes.com sales
- Currently leading Founders Advisors Consumer practice that has closed multiple transactions for founder owners of residential services, retail, and other consumer-oriented businesses
Mr. Vacek received his MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering with Biomedical Specialization, Cum Laude. In addition, he was a 4-year letterman for SMU Men’s Swimming & Diving team and served as team captain his senior year.
Mr. Vacek is married to his wife Melissa and they have five children (Garrison, Haley, Madison, Lawson, and Kayson). Wayne and Melissa are actively involved at Genesis Metro Church in Frisco, TX and he currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of the Salvation Army for North Texas.