Meet Drew Dorweiler, FCBV, Managing Director of Dartmouth Partners Limited.
Drew is recognized as one of North America’s pre-eminent valuers of professional sports franchises and related properties, with valuation and transaction experience across the NHL, MLB, NBA, CFL, the English Premier League, and European and semi-professional teams, as well as arenas, broadcasting, and naming rights. He brings decades of experience in valuation, corporate finance, litigation support, and expert witness work, advising on complex matters involving M&A, financial reporting, tax, and disputes, including professional sports team valuations.
Drew has been interviewed widely in international media and has worked with Forbes for 32 years on sports business coverage, including its annual franchise valuation rankings. He also served as a co-panelist alongside Steve Ballmer and Leigh Steinberg for Forbes “Top 30 Under 30: Sports” (2015). A seasoned expert witness, he recently testified for the 40th time across jurisdictions around the world, including before the Canadian Parliament’s Finance Committee.
We sat down with Drew to discuss how the CBV designation shaped his career, how valuation expertise supports high-stakes litigation and sports valuations, and the advice he would offer aspiring CBVs looking to build specialized and global careers.
How has the CBV designation shaped your career path?
The CBV designation has shaped my career in several important ways. I’ve always been something of a generalist in my interests and work. Before obtaining my CBV, I completed a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA focused on corporate finance and accounting, and I was looking for a career that would bring all those areas together.
When I learned about valuation and the CBV designation, it immediately stood out to me as the right fit. Shortly after moving to Canada in 1989, I joined Richard Wise’s firm and spent more than 18 years working closely with him. He was a tremendous mentor, and through that experience I was exposed to a wide range of work, including M&A transactions, corporate finance engagements, financings, and expert witness work in the courtroom.
Across all those areas, the CBV has been the backbone of my career.
Can you share an example from your work valuing sports teams that highlights the value of the CBV skill set?
Valuing sports teams has become a specialized area of my practice, though it’s certainly not the only type of work I do. These valuations arise in many contexts, including financial reporting, tax matters, litigation, and M&A transactions. In adversarial settings such as litigation or negotiations, the CBV skill set is particularly valuable. I’ve often been opposed by highly qualified professionals, including investment bankers and individuals with CFA and MBA designations. While those credentials are very strong, they are not always well suited to valuing private companies, which is what most professional sports teams are.
The CBV training is uniquely designed for these types of situations. Whether in litigation, expert testimony, or deal negotiations, having a valuation framework grounded in judgement, rigour, and defensibility has been incredibly beneficial and has consistently helped me achieve strong outcomes for my clients.
You’ve testified as an expert witness many times. What have you learned about communicating valuation concepts in a courtroom setting?
I recently testified for the 40th time, across jurisdictions around the world, including before the Canadian Parliament’s Finance Committee. One constant in all these settings is that the audience is rarely well versed in valuation. That’s precisely why you’re there, to act as an expert and to educate the court, arbitrator, or trier of fact.
What I’ve learned is that clarity is everything. You need to break valuation concepts down to a very fundamental level, avoid unnecessary jargon, and clearly explain not only what you’re doing, but why it matters. Technical terms are sometimes unavoidable, but they must be explained in plain language.
I often think about expert testimony as speaking to an intelligent high school graduate, someone who can understand the ideas, but who has no background in finance, accounting, or valuation. In a courtroom, if the judge doesn’t fully understand your explanation, they’re unlikely to admit it. And if the opposing expert succeeds in making their case clearer, that can be decisive. Being understood is just as important as being technically correct.
What advice would you give aspiring CBVs who want to build careers in litigation, forensics, or other specialized areas?
My advice is twofold. First, it’s increasingly important to develop a personal brand. Earlier in my career, success was often about demonstrating broad knowledge across many areas. Today, standing out requires specialization.
That might mean developing expertise in a particular industry, such as sports, technology, gaming, energy, or another area you’re passionate about. Whatever you choose, it’s important that you genuinely enjoy it. Let your colleagues and supervisors know where your interests lie, ask to be staffed on relevant assignments, and actively build credibility as an emerging expert in that niche.
Second, I would encourage CBVs to think globally. The world is far more connected than it was when I began my career, and valuation skills are in demand well beyond North America. Whether through international work, cross‑border clients, or even building a career abroad, valuation provides a powerful entry point into global opportunities.
I see this firsthand through my work chairing an International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) board, which focuses on developing the valuation profession worldwide, particularly in emerging markets. For those with language skills, cultural connections, or simply a sense of curiosity, the CBV designation can open doors to truly international careers.
Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
Music has been a lifelong passion of mine. For the past 20 years, I’ve hosted a radio show in Montreal called Drastic Plastic on CKUT 90.3 FM.
The show focuses on UK and Irish indie music, artists and sounds that are popular overseas but often under the radar in North America. It has nothing to do with valuation, but it’s a creative outlet I’ve loved maintaining alongside my professional career. The show airs Monday nights and can be streamed from anywhere in the world.