Leadership
Long-term ownership begins with long-term thinking
Riley Group Holdings is led with a clear philosophy: acquire durable businesses, steward them responsibly, and build value over time through discipline, continuity, and operational focus.
We believe strong businesses deserve owners who think beyond short-term outcomes. Our approach is grounded in permanence, thoughtful decision-making, and respect for the people who built the business before us.
About the Founder
DeMarcus Riley
Founder & President
DeMarcus Riley
DeMarcus Riley is the Founder and President of Riley Group Holdings, a privately held acquisition platform focused on long-term ownership of durable small and middle market businesses.
He built Riley Group Holdings around a simple conviction: exceptional businesses should be owned with patience, discipline, and a deep respect for continuity. Rather than approaching acquisitions as short-term financial events, he views ownership as a long-term responsibility to employees, customers, and the legacy of the founder.
His approach emphasizes disciplined capital allocation, operational stewardship, and measured growth. Riley Group Holdings seeks businesses with strong foundations, recurring or durable revenue characteristics, and opportunities to create long-term value through thoughtful ownership and execution.
DeMarcus leads the platform with a focus on professionalism, discretion, and long-term alignment. He believes the best outcomes are built through trust, sound judgment, and a commitment to preserving what makes a business strong while improving what can make it even better.
Leadership Philosophy
Four Convictions
Permanence
We make decisions with a long-term ownership horizon, not a short-term exit mentality.
Discipline
We value careful underwriting, prudent capital allocation, and measured execution.
Continuity
We respect what founders, employees, and customers have already built, and we aim to preserve the strengths that matter most.
Stewardship
We believe ownership is a responsibility. Our role is to protect, strengthen, and responsibly grow the businesses we acquire.
Why We Exist
A Long-Term Home for Strong Businesses
Riley Group Holdings was established to serve as a long-term home for strong businesses entering an important transition. We understand that a business sale is rarely just a transaction. It is often a decision tied to reputation, responsibility, family legacy, and the future of employees and customers.
Our goal is to provide a stable, thoughtful, and disciplined ownership path for businesses that deserve to endure.
A Long-Term View
Clarity. Professionalism. Patience.
We are interested in businesses that can be strengthened over time through operational discipline, clear leadership, and responsible reinvestment. We are not built around unnecessary disruption. We are built around steady stewardship and long-term value creation.
For founders, brokers, and advisors seeking a serious and discreet counterparty, Riley Group Holdings aims to bring clarity, professionalism, and a genuine long-term mindset to every conversation.