Pillar49 Capital was Founded by Three Friends and
Former Colleagues - Corey, Justin & Pete

Pillar49 was founded by three friends and former colleagues, Corey, Justin & Pete with over 20 combined years of experience investing, advising and building great businesses. We started Pillar49 motivated by a passion for entrepreneurship and a desire to partner with operators to build and grow small and medium-sized businesses.

Pete Buttigieg
Partner & Co-Founder

  • Pete is a Partner and Co-Founder at Pillar49. His passion for owner-operated small businesses began at a young age working in the warehouse of his family’s eyewear distribution business.

    Prior to Pillar49, Pete was a Principal at Onex Partners, a global investment firm, where he was helping invest in and grow businesses in the industrials, home services and software sectors.

    While at Onex, Pete was involved in the acquisitions of PowerSchool, a leading K-12 education software platform, its strategic add-on acquisition of Schoology, and Fidelity Building Services Group, a service provider for commercial HVAC, building automation and controls. Pete also led the day-to-day oversight for WireCo WorldGroup, a global manufacturer of steel and synthetic wire rope, where he worked closely with the management team to drive key commercial, operational and working capital initiatives.

    Prior to Onex, Pete worked at RBC Capital Markets in the Mergers & Acquisitions group and at Deloitte in the Audit and Transaction Advisory practices. Pete holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and the CFA and CPA designations.

Justin Keller-Hobson
Partner & Co-Founder

  • Justin is a Partner and Co-Founder at Pillar49. He has been passionate about the opportunity to build enduring businesses for many years inspired by his entrepreneurial family members who operate several small businesses across Canada, ranging from agriculture to professional services.

    Prior to Pillar49, Justin was a Senior Associate at Onex Partners, a global investment firm, where he was helping invest in and grow businesses. During his time, he evaluated opportunities within industrial, technology / software, consumer and healthcare sectors.

    While at Onex, Justin was actively involved with multiple portfolio companies, which included the evaluation of strategic initiatives, add-on acquisitions and competitor analysis. Portfolio companies Justin worked with included (i) Jeld-Wen, the largest global door and window manufacturer, (ii) WestJet Airlines, Canada's second largest airline, and (iii) Celestica, a leading provider of electronic manufacturing services.

    Justin began his career in investment banking at RBC Capital Markets in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications group, advising on M&A transactions as well as equity and debt financings. Justin holds an Honours BBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and the CFA designation.

Corey Obermayer
Partner & Co-Founder

  • Corey is a Partner and Co-Founder at Pillar49. Corey got his start working with small businesses in elementary school, crunching invoices in QuickBooks for his dad’s small athletic therapy business.

    Most recently Corey was a Principal at Onex Partners, a global investment firm, helping invest in and grow businesses in the consumer, transportation and industrial sectors.

    Corey worked on the investment in WestJet Airlines, Canada’s second largest airline, as well as the management of the business through COVID-19, supplier and union negotiations, and fleet strategy and financing. Corey was heavily involved with the launch of WestJet’s freighter segment in 2020, including the sourcing of freighters, winning customers and negotiating a joint venture with an anchor customer. Corey was also heavily involved in the acquisition of Sunwing Airlines.

    Corey also helped support Onex’s partnership with two founder-owned investments, AIT, a leading automation tooling provider, and Jack’s Family Restaurants, an Alabama-based QSR, including helping to manage the sale of both businesses.

    Corey began his career at Goldman Sachs in Los Angeles, advising on M&A deals across the media, consumer retail and healthcare sectors, and is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business (HBA) and Western University in Economics.