21 years building, buying,
and scaling companies.

Dave Gilbert is a Bountiful, Utah–based founder and operator with 21 years of experience building, buying, and scaling companies across technology, finance, and real estate, with three successful exits. He currently runs Perservera, a buy-and-hold acquisition firm focused on lower-middle-market businesses, where he has completed three acquisitions totaling roughly $75M in value and typically structures deals so owners receive most of their proceeds at close while rolling a meaningful stake. Through Perservera Advisors, he also works with owners whose businesses may not be a direct fit for Perservera's model but who want operator-level help preparing for a sale or strategic transition.

Previously, Dave served as Senior Director at global cybersecurity company Sophos, where he led teams across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, managing a $20M P&L and helping generate more than $100M in pipeline. He later became CEO, investor, and partner at Proven, a $3M outsourced CFO and accounting firm, where he led a 30-person team, transitioned the company to fully remote operations, rebuilt the delivery model, implemented OKRs and EOS, and ultimately led the business through a successful ownership transition. Before that, he co-founded fintech analytics company Visible Equity, scaling it to 900+ financial institutions with strong growth and retention before its acquisition by nCino, and earlier founded real-estate firm Magrath Pacific, completing $14M in apartment projects during the financial crisis.

Across these roles, Dave has operated as a co-founder, CEO, and acquisition advisor on transactions including Proven, Hales Engineering, and Northpoint Property Management, giving him a practical, full-cycle view of both buy-side and sell-side dynamics. Today, through Perservera and Perservera Advisors, he partners with founder-led, cash-flow-generative businesses — especially across Utah's Wasatch Front — that want a quiet, experienced operator to help with M&A, growth, and succession planning rather than a traditional, sales-driven advisor.