The McFarland Group has appointed John Bruckner as managing partner, a title that reflects responsibilities he has already shouldered for several years. Bruckner has led the firm's mergers and acquisitions advisory practice for the past four years and has worked alongside founder Byron McFarland for more than a decade. In his expanded role, he will oversee operations and strategic direction while continuing to advise clients directly.
The appointment matters because it clarifies leadership at a firm that specializes in guiding owners through the sale of closely held businesses, often for the first and only time. Bruckner's practice focuses on the lower middle market, where owners typically lack prior transaction experience and where preparation before a sale can materially affect the outcome. His legal training and transactional background inform the structural questions that determine what an owner ultimately receives: valuation, deal terms, and the architecture of the purchase agreement.
Byron McFarland, who founded the firm, framed the appointment as an acknowledgment of how the group already operates rather than a change in direction. "John has been carrying this weight for some time, and the title reflects the work rather than announces a change in it," McFarland said. "My job has always been to help owners slow the moment down and think clearly. That continues, with a partner steering the firm who holds the same standard."
Bruckner said his priority is to preserve the firm's approach as it expands. "Most owners sell a business once. The decisions they make in that window shape everything that follows, and they deserve advisors who are not in a hurry," he said. "The work that matters happens long before a closing. That is what this firm was built to do, and it is what I intend to protect. I'm honored and excited for the opportunity to build on the foundation Byron created and help guide the firm into its next chapter. I have great respect for what he built and am committed to carrying that legacy forward together."
As an Omaha M&A advisor, The McFarland Group works with owners across three service tracks: M&A advisory for sales to outside buyers, management buyouts for owners transferring the company to their leadership team, and performance equity plans designed to build value a buyer will pay for. Client engagements remain senior-led, and the appointment does not change who owners work with day to day.
The firm's track record adds context to the leadership transition. According to the announcement, The McFarland Group has guided over $3 billion in business value through more than 200 ownership transitions over two decades. That history gives the managing partner role significance beyond internal titles: it signals stability for owners considering a sale and for the firm's referral network. For owners in the lower middle market, the continuity may matter more than the title itself, as the advisory relationship often spans years before a transaction closes.
The firm's guiding idea, "Go Boldly," remains central to its identity. More information is available at https://themcfarlandgroup.com.
