Bio
Championing Entrepreneurial Growth and M&A Excellence.
Ray Ives, Owner and President of Transworld Business Advisors of Schaumburg, is proud to join the Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries (MBBI), bringing with him a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to supporting entrepreneurs through the complex journey of mergers and acquisitions.
With a passion for helping business owners realize their exit strategies and secure their legacies, Ray has become a trusted advisor. His expertise spans exit planning, due diligence, and client relationship management—critical pillars in ensuring successful business transitions. At Transworld, Ray leads with a mission to empower entrepreneurs, whether they are selling their businesses or seeking new investment opportunities.
Before entering the world of business brokerage, Ray was a tenured executive in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) industry. Over the course of 17 years, he held senior leadership roles in food manufacturing, retail, and food service, where he consistently delivered exceptional results in highly competitive markets. He managed P&L responsibilities under various ownership structures including publicly traded, private and P.E. His strategic leadership, combined with a consultative and collaborative approach, enabled him to launch successful private label products, lead cross-functional teams, and drive sustainable revenue and profitability growth.
Ray holds an MBA with specializations in Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Innovation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a BS in Commerce with a major in Marketing from DePaul University. His academic and professional background uniquely position him to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem and contribute meaningfully to a thriving economy.
As a member of MBBI, Ray is excited to collaborate with fellow professionals to elevate the standards of business brokerage and M&A advisory. His goal is to foster economic vitality by facilitating successful business transitions and championing the growth of small and mid-sized enterprises across the Midwest.
