Jim joined ComStock in 2004 and is currently ComStock's Managing Director in the Chicago market.  Prior to joining ComStock, Jim was the Principal and founder of Lakeshore Valuation Group, LLC.  Mr. Ahern specializes in providing financial advisory and business valuation services to companies in ownership transition. Among the services he provides are valuation advice to owners considering the sale of their business, estate and gift valuation services, and advisory services to firms considering Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and transaction structuring and valuation advice.

Mr. Ahern has broad industry experience. His experience with manufacturing includes precision parts manufacturers, steel service centers, forging concerns, aluminum and brass foundries, tool and die businesses and castings firms. His service industry background includes the valuation of product design firms, insurance agencies, engineering and consulting firms, marketing and advertising businesses, manufacturer rep organizations, and brokerages. He has valued firms in the retailing sector, including apparel, health and beauty products and grocery concerns. Mr. Ahern also has bank valuation expertise, in addition to a medical services background, where he has valued nursing homes, dialysis and imaging centers, and cancer treatment centers.  His food industry experience includes food product producers and casual dining establishments.

Mr. Ahern has been a featured guest speaker at the annual National Center of Employee Ownership Conference, the Illinois C.P.A. Society Business Valuation Conference, The ESOP Association Annual Meeting, the National Sporting Goods Association Management Conference, the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies Annual Meeting, and at the Northern Illinois Estate Planning Council.  He is a member of the Valuation Committee of the ESOP Association, and his articles have appeared in publications including National Underwriter, the NAILBA Magazine, Corporate Legal Times, Chicago Medicine, and Sporting Goods Dealer. 

Prior to forming Lakeshore, Mr. Ahern was Vice President and Managing Director with Valuemetrics, Inc., where he was employed for 12 years. Before joining Valuemetrics, Mr. Ahern worked in both domestic and international banking. His initial bank employer was American National Bank of Chicago , where he worked in a Credit Analyst capacity both in credit situations and in the bank’s Corporate Finance Division. Internationally, he worked in Frankfurt , Germany , at the international headquarters of the Commerzbank A.G. There, his responsibilities included international lending analysis.

A graduate of the University of Illinois , Mr. Ahern holds a B.S. in Business Administration. His Masters of Business Administration degree was obtained at the University of Chicago . He has taken additional course work at Northwestern University . He is Past President of the Business Valuation Association, a member of the Valuation Advisory Committee of the ESOP Association, and an Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers.