With a diverse background in business, Gerald Kong brings knowledge, experience and success to the Trinity Executive team, with over 20 years’ experience in senior management leading startup, growth and expansion stage ventures. Mr. Kong began his management career with the start-up Franchisor, T.J Applebee’s (Later changing its name to Applebee’s International) team in 1985. In 1992, Mr. Kong entered the Qualified Plans industry joining Fidelity Pension Services, leading 3 fledging regional offices back to profitability within a year. A year later, Mr. Kong purchased a Pension Investment Company, rebranding the company as Regional Partners Inc. Shortly after the formation, the company signed a contract with Philadelphia Life, a subsidiary of Life Partners Group, owned by previous Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers proprietor Tom Hicks, to distribute a line of proprietary private label life insurance and pension products. Regional Partners quickly grew to become one of the largest retirement and pension plans agencies in Texas catering to the Public Sector Pensions Market, with 7 regional offices and established accounts in over 350 school districts. By 1996, Regional Partners’ successful run became the envy of the industry, being targeted by several insurance companies for acquisition. In February 1997, a deal was completed between Regional Partners and College Life, a wholly owned subsidiary of Americo Life, one of the largest independently owned insurance conglomerates in the United States. Mr. Kong agreed to serve for 2 years in a senior management capacity with Americo/College. After completing his obligations with Americo, and being heavily recruited by multiple companies, Mr. Kong took a senior management position with Dallas based AIM Companies, a multi lines insurance company actively licensed in 48 states, to head up their pension sales division. In 2002, Mr. Kong founded Trinity, a M&A advisory firm focused on assisting small to middle market companies in divestitures and exit strategies. Mr. Kong has helped hundreds of clients ranging from “Main Street” to “Middle Market” corporations successfully divest. Mr. Kong received his BBA in Marketing from the Melchor College of Business at University of Houston and is also a Certified Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor (CM&AA) by the Alliance of Mergers and Acquisitions Advisors.