*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Meet the team.
At Graham Partners, we value our collaborative community of talented employees, advisors, investors, and portfolio companies. Our senior investment team members have an average tenure of ~22 years together. We aim to support our entrepreneurs and their businesses with unwavering commitment, mentorship from industry experts, and access to resources that promote accelerated growth.

Chris Baird
Chris is a seasoned leader with over 15 years of combined B2B sales and general management experience emphasizing Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) industries. He currently serves as President and CEO of Graham Partners portfolio company, OptConnect, a one-stop-shop provider of managed wireless connectivity solutions. Chris also serves on Graham Partners’ Technology and Innovation Council.
OptConnect, a Utah-based company, is one of North America’s leading managed service wireless connectivity providers and provides a secure and reliable monitored wireless connection to the internet for unattended equipment that is easy, low-risk, and convenient – all supported by superior customer service infrastructure. Today, OptConnect serves an ever-expanding list of industries and markets, including various applications within Retail and Payments, Cash Automation and Security, Agriculture, Industrial, and Energy, to name a few.
Through Chris’ leadership and tenure, OptConnect’s exponential growth has landed the company on the Inc. 5000 list four years in a row. The company has also been named by Mountain West Capital Network to the “Utah 100” for a fifth time, making it one of the 100 fastest-growing companies in the state. Chris is also the recipient of the 2021 “CEO of the Year” award by Utah Business Magazine.
Megan Barsella
Senior Associate
Megan sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies. Megan is closely involved with Graham Partners’ investments in Velosity and VPET.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Medbio, Velosity
Monika Briggs
Financial Planning & Taxation Director
Monika is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, tax planning, and philanthropic and charitable initiatives, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Monika worked for Deloitte Tax LLP, where she served as a Tax Manager for their Private Wealth and Hedge Funds practices. Prior to Deloitte, Monika worked at Ernst & Young LLP.

Steve Buonato
Steve Buonato is an accomplished, business-minded technologist with over 20 years of experience in technology and data analytics. Steve currently serves as a Principal at BriarVine, an independent management and technology consulting practice specializing in data-driven strategy, planning, product/service innovation, operational transparency, and business transformation. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Technology and Innovation Council.
Steve has worked extensively in San Francisco and Washington, DC tech industries. He has previously held management roles at large tech/media companies such as Senior Vice President at Demand Media, Vice President at Yahoo, President/CEO at Aquarelle Software, Vice President at Wells Fargo, among others.
Chrissie Cangemi
Executive Assistant
Ellie Christman
Analyst
As a member of the growth equity team, Ellie sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Eric Ciarlante
Managing Director, Administration
Eric oversees certain aspects of the firm’s operations, works on portfolio analytics, and plays a key role in managing Graham Partners’ communications with its investors and other external relationships. Prior to joining Graham Partners, Eric worked for Hamilton Lane. Previous to Hamilton Lane, he worked for InterBay Funding.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Creative Mines
Kayla Cicala
Staff Accountant
Kayla provides accounting support across all areas, including reconciliations, financial administration, and cash flow reporting, among other functions.
Sandy Coia
Business Development Paralegal
Sandy provides support across various business development areas, including managing the end-to-end NDA review process and negotiating with external parties, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Sandy spent 31 years at law firm Paul, Reich, & Myers, P.C., where she served as a Paralegal and Office Manager. She also worked as a Paralegal for Paramount Legal Outsourcing.
Lamine Conte
Analyst Intern
Lamine helps evaluate new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies. Lamine was a member of Graham’s SWAG internship program beginning in November 2021, where professional soccer players transitioning to potential careers in business were given the opportunity to gain valuable, real world private equity experience. The internship program was designed for professional soccer players and coaches who volunteer for The SWAG, a local youth soccer program.
Denise Coulter
Executive Assistant

Drew Crouch
Drew is a seasoned senior executive with over 35 years of industry experience across a number of technology-based industries. Currently, Drew works part-time for the Colorado State University College of Engineering as Director of Strategic Initiatives. At Colorado State, he also serves on the Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board and served on the College of Business’s Global Leadership Council. Drew currently serves on Graham Partners’ Technology and Innovation Council.
Drew has held several senior leadership roles throughout his career. During a 26-year tenure with Ball Corporation, he served as VP of Technology for Ball Corporate and in a number of senior leadership roles during 19 years at Ball’s Aerospace subsidiary including VP&GM of National Defense, VP of Corporate Strategy and Development, and VP&GM of Advanced Technologies and Products. He also served as CEO for Authentic Labs, a consumer products anti-counterfeiting technology start-up and COO of VR-1, a ground-breaking internet game software company. Drew has also served on a number of Boards and Councils during his career, including the Deming Board at the University of Colorado’s (Boulder) Deming Center for Entrepreneurship, Executive Committee of the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association, Board of Directors of Vexcel Corporation, and the Advisory Board for RavenWindow.
Jason Crowl
Principal
Jason sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies. Jason is closely involved with Graham Partners’ investments in Myers EPS, OptConnect, and VPET. Prior to joining Graham Partners, Jason worked for Paine & Partners. Previous to Paine & Partners, he worked for Credit Suisse in its Investment Banking Division.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Abrisa, BrightPet, Comar, Gatekeeper, HemaSource, Mercer, Myers EPS, OptConnect, VPET
Joseph Dignazio
Analyst
At Graham, Joseph sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Dennis Dunegan
Managing Principal
Dennis sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies. Dennis is closely involved with Graham Partners’ investments in EasyPak, Kinova, Novarc Technologies, and Signifi Solutions.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Acme Cryogenics, Desser, DTI, EasyPak, Kinova, Novarc Technologies, Signifi Solutions, Tidel, Universal Pure
Charlie Falcone
Analyst
Charlie sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Matt Franko
Vice President
Matt rejoined Graham Partners in 2022, after having worked at Graham from 2016 to 2019. At Graham, Matt sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Prior to rejoining Graham, Matt spent two years at Gopuff where he supported the company’s growth as part of their Corporate Development organization and also served as a Chief of Staff, among other roles. Before Gopuff, he spent time with Comcast as Manager of Strategic Development, focused on identifying new growth opportunities for the company.

John Galbraith
John is an experienced C-suite executive with a proven track record in Fortune 500 companies operating in the consumer goods, automotive, transportation, and building materials markets. John currently serves on Graham Partners’ Technology and Innovation Council, in addition to serving as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Daikin America’s Chiller Business.
John has held numerous senior leadership roles throughout his career, including VP of Global Engineering – Building & Industrial Systems for Carrier, SVP / Chief Quality Officer for Daimler Trucks Detroit Diesel and as an Executive Engineer and Six Sigma Leader with Cummins. John also serves as Chair of European clean-tech firm Exergyn and as an Industrial Advisory Committee Member for Herrick Laboratories at Purdue University.

Steven Graham
Chief Executive Officer and Senior Managing Principal
Steven C. Graham founded Graham Partners in 1988 and serves as Chief Executive Officer. He oversees all of the activities of the private investment firm, including investment sourcing, evaluating, monitoring, and divesting. Steve serves on the boards of numerous portfolio companies of Graham Partners and on the firm’s Investment and Valuation Committees.
Prior to founding Graham Partners, Steve worked for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Investment Banking Division, and for the RAF Group. For the first decade after founding Graham Partners, Steve and his team oversaw corporate finance activities relating to operating interests associated with The Graham Group, managing merger, acquisition, and joint venture transactions for The Graham Group that were completed in Italy, France, Canada, The United Kingdom, Poland, Brazil, and Argentina, as well as major financings and the divestiture of a controlling interest in Graham Packaging Company to a Blackstone Group-controlled fund in 1998. During this period, Steve served as a member of both the Investment Committee and Advisory Board of The Graham Group, as an officer, board member, and Management Committee member of numerous Graham Group operating and investment entities, and as the Graham family trustee for trusts which owned direct or indirect interests in various Graham Group entities, a role he continues to serve in today.
Victoria (Tori) Hain
Staff Accountant
Tori provides accounting and administrative support for sponsorship and philanthropic initiatives.
Jim Harris
Management Company Controller
Jim is responsible for budgeting and cost controls; adherence to applicable policies, procedures, and internal controls; and compliance-related matters, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Jim worked for Citco Fund Services, Inc. specializing in financial and regulatory reporting for leading names within the hedge fund and private equity industry.
Joe Heinmiller
Managing Principal
Joe, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Investment Committee.
Joe has primary oversight responsibility for Velosity. He also has joint coverage responsibility for the medical devices and life sciences subsector. Prior to joining Graham Partners, Joe worked for Banc of America Securities in its Healthcare Investment Banking Group.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
BrightPet, Desser, HemaSource, Infiltrator, Medbio, Mercer, Rhythmlink, Universal Pure, Velosity
Will Hesterberg
Associate
Will sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Cari Hills
Vice President, Talent Management
Cari leads the human capital function, overseeing the firm’s recruiting and talent management initiatives. Prior to joining Graham Partners, Cari spent the past decade as an executive at Accenture in their Global Recruiting organization, where she managed strategic technology initiatives and process efficiency efforts related to recruiting, onboarding, and internship programs. Most recently, she served as Accenture’s Global Recruiting Innovation Lead responsible for defining strategic innovation opportunities, including leveraging the metaverse and blockchain as future recruiting platforms. Early in her career, Cari was a consultant at Accenture in Financial Services and an Assistant Vice President at JPMorgan Chase in Alternative Asset Management. She held other leadership roles at various organizations, including as Managing Director at Newman’s Own Foundation, Director of Operations at the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (membership of over 130 Fortune 500 CEOs), and Executive Director at Lang Lang Music Foundation.
Krista Kissell
Associate
Krista sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Alek Klincewicz
Development Manager
Alek supports the firm’s investment opportunity sourcing activities and is responsible for digital media in a variety of philanthropic initiatives for the firm.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Alek worked as a Digital Marketing Specialist at Acurian Inc., a subsidiary of Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD).
Henry Koch
Analyst
At Graham, Henry sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Dan Kurtz
Chief Financial Officer
Dan is responsible for accounting, financial reporting, and related activities. Prior to his current role, Dan was part of Graham’s Financial Operations Team, supporting several of Graham’s portfolio companies to make strategic, financial, and operational decisions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Dan worked for Universal Health Services, Inc. in their Corporate Development department. Previous to Universal Health Services, Dan worked for Ernst & Young LLP in its Transaction Advisory Services and Assurance Services groups.
Ismael Lahlou
Vice President
Ismael sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Deonna Lauria
Executive Assistant
Ariel Leachman
Associate
Ariel works on portfolio analytics and plays a key role in managing Graham Partners’ communications with its investors and other external relationships. She also works on capital raising and fund formation activities across the firm’s investment strategies. Prior to Graham, Ariel worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and at Aviditi Advisors as an analyst on the capital formation team.
Michael Limongelli
Associate
Mike sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Mike Mahoney*
Fund Reporting Controller
Mike is responsible for fund reporting, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Mike worked for the Bank of New York Mellon in its Alternative Investment Services, Financial Reporting Group. Previous to BNY Mellon, he worked for Citco Fund Services, Inc.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Accounting and Administration Team members are employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Alicia Margetich
Executive Assistant
Meredith Martell
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Meredith supports the reporting team in its communications with investors and coordinates Graham’s branding efforts.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Meredith worked at Brilliant Graphics in its marketing department. Prior to Brilliant Graphics, she worked at Buzzuto in its sales and marketing department.
Brittany Martin
Director, Sourcing & Operations
As a member of Graham’s Growth Equity team, Brittany is focused on sourcing new investment opportunities and working closely with companies to build value creation. Prior to this role, Brittany was a member of the Firm’s Operations Team, evaluating the portfolio company marketing presence and capabilities, and implementing strategies and process improvements to drive topline growth. Earlier in her career at Graham Partners, Brittany served on the Graham Partners Investment Team where she focused on investor relations and reporting.

Rich Mason
Rich is a respected industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in the technology space. Most recently, he served as President & Chief Security Officer for Critical Infrastructure, LLC, where he worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as venture capital firms to cultivate their security strategies, organization, and development of emerging technologies. Rich currently serves on Graham Partners’ Technology and Innovation Council.
Rich spent over 13 years of his career with Honeywell, where he held several senior leadership positions including VP – Global Chief Security Officer, VP – Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), CISO for Honeywell Aerospace, and Leader – Global IT Security Investigations. Prior to Honeywell, Rich also worked for Lucent Technologies Bell Labs Innovations as Technical Investigations Manager. Rich has also served as an advisor in numerous capacities throughout his career, for companies including Parson’s Corporation, AlertEnterprise, TrustMAPP, Verifai, Fletch, Ordr Inc., Blue Hexagon, Cybersecurity Collaborative, Uptake, Demisto, McAfee, and Dell.
Nicole Massimino
Analyst
Nicole sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Colin McAnulla*
Information Technology Specialist
At Graham, Colin provides support for all IT systems, including network administration, software and hardware maintenance, and systems troubleshooting.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Colin spent two years as an IT Service Desk Technician Intern with USLI.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Accounting and Administration Team members are employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Sarah McCauley
Accounting Manager
Sarah provides accounting support across all areas, including reconciliations, financial administration, and cash flow reporting, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Sarah worked in accounting for various regionally based companies.
Bill McKee
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Managing Principal
Bill serves as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Managing Principal. He is a member of Graham Partners’ Investment Committee, Gating Committee, and Valuation Committee.
Prior to the formation of Graham I, Bill was integrally involved with corporate development activities relating to operating interests held by entities associated with The Graham Group – working on M&A transactions completed in Italy, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, Brazil, and Argentina, as well as major financings, risk assessment and negotiation of many operating contracts and joint venture agreements. Bill also played a key role in the negotiation and structuring of the divestiture of a controlling interest in Graham Packaging Company to Blackstone.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Bill worked for Bear Stearns in its Investment Banking Division.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Abrisa, Dynojet, Eldorado Stone, HB&G, NDS, Schneller
Jimmy McLaughlin
Analyst
Jimmy helps evaluate new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies. Jimmy was a member of Graham’s SWAG internship program beginning in November 2021, where professional soccer players transitioning to potential careers in business were given the opportunity to gain valuable, real world private equity experience. The internship program was designed for professional soccer players and coaches who volunteer for The SWAG, a local youth soccer program.
Dawn Meyer
Investment Origination Liaison
Peter Miller
Analyst
Peter sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Christina Morin
Managing Principal
Christina is a member of Graham Partners’ Investment and Valuation Committees, leads many initiatives at the firm, and has served on the boards of several portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Christina worked for W.Y. Campbell & Company, a division of Comerica. Previous to W.Y. Campbell & Company, she worked for Borders, Inc. in its Strategic and Financial Planning Division and for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Investment Banking Division.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Abrisa, BrightPet, Eldorado Stone, HB&G, Henry, Mercer, Universal Pure
Rob Newbold
Managing Principal
Rob, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Investment Committee.
Rob has primary oversight responsibility for BrightSign, Gatekeeper, Myers EPS, OptConnect, and Taoglas. He also has coverage responsibility for the industrial technology industry sector.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Rob worked for Investcorp in its Private Equity Group. Previous to Investcorp, he worked for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in its Investment Banking Division, and also previously worked at McKinsey & Co.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
B+B, BrightSign, Chelsea, Dynojet, Eberle, Eldorado, Gatekeeper, HB&G, Henry, Infiltrator, Myers EPS, NDS, SP Industries, Taoglas, Tidel, TransAxle
Alyssa Norton
Vice President
Alyssa works on portfolio analytics and plays a key role in managing Graham Partners’ communications with its investors and other external relationships. Prior to Graham, Alyssa worked at Permit Capital Advisors as an associate on its client services team.
Stephanie Nyce
Accounts Payable Coordinator
Stephanie is responsible for handling all accounts payable functions, including reviewing and verifying invoices and check requests, tracking expenses and processing expense reports, and monitoring accounts to ensure payments are up to date, among other responsibilities.
Michael Orrin
Associate
Mike is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, philanthropic initiatives, and providing analysis on related investments.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Mike worked as a finance manager at CTDI, a regionally-based engineering firm.
Board Directorships:
Current: Creative Mines
Mitchell Parrott
Associate
Mitchell sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Nish Patel
Associate
Nish sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Adam Piatkowski
Managing Principal
Adam, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Investment and Gating Committees.
Adam has primary oversight responsibility for EasyPak, KCF, Surgere, and VPET. He also has coverage responsibility for the packaging industry sector.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Adam worked for Monitor Asset Management and for Monitor Group.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
ABX, EasyPak, Comar, KCF, The Masonry Group, Mitten, Schneller, Surgere, Tidel, VPET
Dalibor Pivcevic*
Senior Advisor
Dado is the Managing Director – Private Equity for Graham Capital and is responsible for origination, evaluation and monitoring of private equity funds and other private market investments. In addition, he focuses on portfolio asset allocation and performance forecasting.
Prior to assuming his role at Graham Capital, Dado served as a Managing Principal of Graham Partners, where he was involved in private equity fund investing on behalf of Graham Capital as well as sourcing new investment opportunities and providing ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ portfolio companies. Previously, Dado was involved with corporate development activities relating to operating interests held by entities associated with The Graham Group – working on M&A transactions completed in France, the United Kingdom, Poland, Brazil, and Argentina, as well as major financings and the divestiture of a controlling interest in Graham Packaging Company to Blackstone.
*Designates 3rd party contractor, not an employee of Graham Partners, Inc.
Josh Pompan
Senior Associate
Josh sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
HB&G, Rhythmlink, Woodland Foods
Hassaan Rashid
Analyst
Hassaan sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Courtland Scaccetti
Director of Business Development
Courtland sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Courtland worked for Sixpoint Partners, LLC.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Giraffe, VPET
Max Schieferdecker
Analyst
Max sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Kevin Schillack
Assistant Controller
Kevin provides accounting support across all areas, including reconciliations, financial administration, and cash flow reporting, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Kevin worked at HOPE worldwide in its Accounting Department.
Michael Sheridan
Associate
Michael sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Kedar Shirole
Vice President
At Graham, Kedar sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Previously, Kedar served as an Associate for Baring Private Equity Asia. Prior to that, he worked in investment banking as an Analyst and Associate with Houlihan Lokey’s Industrials Group in New York.
Andrew Snyder
Managing Principal
Andrew, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Investment Committee.
Andrew has primary oversight responsibility for Woodland Foods. He also has coverage responsibility for the consumer / food technology industry sector.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Andrew worked in private equity for Concert Capital Partners and in investment banking for Adams Harkness, Inc.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
B+B, BrightPet, EasyPak, Eberle, Giraffe, Mercer, TransAxle, Universal Pure, Woodland Foods
Mike Stewart
Principal
Mike sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Acme Cryogenics, Barcoding, BrightSign, Desser, DTI, Gatekeeper, Rhythmlink

Geoff Stewart*
Special Advisor
Geoff serves as a Special Advisor to Graham Partners.
Geoff has worked as a private equity advisor and consultant to institutional investors and multinational corporations. Most recently Geoff provided services as an ESG consultant to regulatory advisor Iron Road Partners, which specializes in regulatory matters in the private capital business. In addition, Geoff has held various positions at Third Economy, Inverness Graham, and PJT Camberview.
*Designates 3rd party contractor, not an employee of Graham Partners, Inc.
Mike Sundry
Senior Associate
Mike works on portfolio analytics and plays a key role in managing Graham Partners’ communications with its investors and other external relationships.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Mike worked for The Carlyle Group and also spent four years with PwC in its Asset Wealth Management Group.
Max Tannenbaum
Analyst
As a member of the growth equity team, Max sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.

Fred Thiel
Fred is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of operating experience leading companies in the technology, data communications, Internet, M2M, automation, Big Data, digital media and software industries. He has repeatedly driven rapid growth and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in shareholder value. Fred is a respected expert and frequent speaker on the Internet of Things (IoT) and the digital transformations of companies and industries, providing deep technology industry expertise and strategic advice on transformational value creation – the process of generating growth and shareholder value. He has served in various roles, including public/private company CEO, board member, strategic advisor, private equity firm principal and senior advisor/operating partner.
Fred has been an advisor to Graham Partners since 2008 and has served as Executive Chairman of B+B SmartWorx, a formerly-owned Graham Partners portfolio company. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Graham Partners portfolio company OptConnect. Fred is a member of the Gold Pacific Region’s Young President’s Organization (YPO) and incoming chair to the YPO Technology Network. He has also taught as a guest lecturer at the University of San Diego Business School, the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, and the Merage Foundation. Fred attended classes at the Stockholm School of Economics and executive classes at Harvard Business School and is fluent in English, Spanish, Swedish and French.
William Timmerman
Managing Principal
William, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value.
William has primary oversight for ABX. He also has coverage responsibility for the advanced building materials and power management industry sectors.
Prior to joining Graham, William worked for UBS Securities in its Mergers and Acquisitions Group.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
ABX, Abrisa, Chelsea, Comar, Creative Mines, HB&G, Henry, SP Industries, Supreme Corq
Luke Vargo
Associate
Luke sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Trey Vyas
Analyst
Trey joined Graham Partners in 2022. At Graham, Trey sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and also provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Sandra Williamson
Controller
Sandy holds various responsibilities, including human resource administration, budgeting, and accounting support, among other functions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Sandy worked in various roles within the public accounting industry, most notably with Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young).
Josh Wilson
Managing Principal
Josh, along with the other Managing Principals, shares responsibility for all major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working closely with portfolio companies to build lasting value. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Investment and Gating Committees.
Josh has primary oversight responsibility for Rhythmlink. He also has joint coverage responsibility for the healthcare and life sciences subsector.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Josh worked for Chase Securities, Inc. in its Global Investment Banking Division.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
Acme Cryogenics, Desser, Dynojet, EasyPak, Exteria, HemaSource, Infiltrator, Line-X/IXS, Medbio, Rhythmlink, Strata, Velosity
Stephen Wittmann
Vice President
Steve sources and evaluates new investment opportunities and provides ongoing support and oversight for a number of Graham Partners’ current portfolio companies.
Previously, Steve served as a Senior Associate at Fort Point Capital. Prior to that, he spent two years in investment banking as an analyst at Stephens, Inc.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
OptConnect, Taoglas
Grace Yagodich
Analyst
Grace works on portfolio analytics and plays a key role in managing Graham Partners’ communications with its investors and other external relationships.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Grace worked for PYA, P.C. as a Staff Consultant.
Joseph Yannuzzi*
Systems Administrator
Joe is responsible for providing support for all IT systems, including network administration, software and hardware maintenance, and systems troubleshooting.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Joe worked for Penn Mutual Life Insurance in its IT Department. Previous to Penn Mutual, Joe worked for Logic Choice Technologies and for HTH Worldwide.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Accounting and Administration Team members are employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Bob Isaman*
Chief Operating Partner
At Graham, Bob leads portfolio operations. He works closely with the Investment Team, Operations Team, external industry experts, and portfolio company management teams to drive financial, operational, and product development performance at portfolio companies.
Bob is a seasoned executive with a demonstrated record of driving revenues, profits and cash flow in $300MM to $55B private, public and PE backed industrial technology companies. Bob joined Graham from Kohlberg & Company, where he worked as an operating partner and served as CEO, Executive Chairman, Chairman or Board Director for a number of portfolio companies. Bob’s expertise is in building businesses by expanding geographically, accelerating product development, deploying lean manufacturing, and developing customer-focused sales and marketing strategies. Before Kohlberg, he served as CEO and Board Director of Stolle Machinery, a GSO / Blackstone portfolio company, where he was responsible for global profit and loss, strategic direction, board interface, debt and equity structuring, and more. Bob has held executive roles at several other companies throughout his career, including Terex Corporation, United Technologies Corporation, and Otis Elevator Company. Earlier in his career, Bob served twelve years (active and reserve) with the U.S. Army Special Forces and is a lifetime member of the Special Forces Association.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Daniel Soroka*
Senior Operating Partner, Supply Chain and Real Estate
At Graham, Dan provides general management support with an emphasis on supply chain, real estate and procurement related matters across Graham Partners and its portfolio companies. Dan has over 27 years of experience in purchasing, six-sigma quality analysis, operations, real estate and management. He has expertise in leading and developing global teams, process improvement, negotiations, and project management, in domestic and international locations. He also serves on Graham Partners’ Gating Committee.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Dan was a director at Ingersoll Rand Company (Trane Technologies), a $13 billion global diversified firm providing products, services and solutions in climate control, transportation and industrial tools. While at Ingersoll Rand, he focused on indirect spend and real estate, globally. Dan led the integration of strategic sourcing and delivering synergy savings from all spend categories after Ingersoll Rand acquired Trane. Previous to Ingersoll Rand, Dan was a general manager at Delta Airlines in its Sourcing Division. Prior to Delta Airlines, Dan worked for GE, where he held various supply chain/operations positions in the US and Mexico and also worked as a Corporate Auditor in Italy. Earlier at GE, Dan was in the manufacturing management program.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
ABX, EasyPak, Eberle, Myers EPS, OptConnect
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Clemente Micara-Sartori
Senior Operating Partner
Clemente is involved in deal flow creation, deal review, due diligence, as well as development of new investment ideas for the firm and management of Graham’s Investment Theme Program. He currently has coverage responsibility for the general industrial industry sector.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Clemente cofounded and operated BreadVentures, Inc., a regional manufacturer and distributor of high-quality bakery products sold primarily to foodservice companies, supermarkets, and specialty food stores. He is an entrepreneur who has owned and operated manufacturing businesses and has also had prior experience in investment banking, leveraged buyouts and consulting. Clemente started his career at Chemical Bank (New York, NY) as an associate in a newly formed M&A/Investment Banking group. Subsequently, he joined Westfield Capital Corporation (Greenwich, CT), an LBO firm focusing on lower Middle Market transactions.
Joe April*
Senior Operating Partner, Finance
At Graham, Joe provides general management support with an emphasis on FP&A, finance, and accounting related matters across Graham Partners and its portfolio companies. Joe has over 16 years of experience partnering with and delivering financial and strategic change leadership to businesses in a wide range of industries. Joe manages Graham’s Financial Operations team, which provides hands-on support through best practices to Graham’s portfolio companies related to finance and accounting processes, FP&A reporting, F&A team structure optimization, and special projects. In addition, Joe manages the internal FP&A reporting (for Graham’s portfolio companies) within Graham Partners through BI tools and technologies.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Joe worked for Phoenix Management Services, Inc., an operationally focused firm providing turnaround management and capital advisory services to middle market companies. While at Phoenix, Joe was involved in the successful turnaround of several middle market businesses while serving interim finance management positions. Additionally, Joe was a part of the capital advisory group, where he completed M&A and refinancing transactions.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
BrightSign, Chelsea, Henry, Mercer, Taoglas, Transaxle, VPET
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Chris Newman*
Senior Operating Partner, Operations & Planning
Chris works closely with the investment team, industry experts, and management teams coordinating resources to drive financial, operational and product development performance at portfolio companies.
Prior to Graham Partners, Chris had over 25 years of Federal Government service, beginning his career as an enlisted U.S. Navy SEAL and then continuing as a Paramilitary Operations Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. He retired from the CIA as a Senior Intelligence Service Executive. During his career at the CIA, he served in field assignments and held several field commands as well as multiple senior leadership positions at CIA Headquarters, including Chief of the CIA’s largest overseas Station. He also served as Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence (DCIA), was assigned to the Department of Defense as Deputy Commander of a Combined Joint Interagency Task Force, and held other senior roles with global responsibilities in both traditional areas and war zones. He has extensive experience managing complex multi-organizational programs with global reach.
Past and Present Board Directorships:
OptConnect
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Chris Lawler
Senior Advisor
Chris is a Senior Advisor with over 20 years of private equity investment experience. As a former Managing Principal of Graham Partners, he shared responsibility for many major aspects of Graham Partners’ investment process, including investment sourcing, structuring, and exiting, as well as working with portfolio companies to build value. Chris also served on Graham Partners’ Flagship and Growth Investment Committees.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Chris worked for NationsBanc Montgomery Securities (now Bank of America Merrill Lynch) in its Financial Sponsors Group. Before NationsBank, he worked for First Fidelity Bank (now Wells Fargo) and for Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation in its Commercial Banking Group.

Jeff Smith
Senior Operating Advisor, Human Capital
Jeff brings to this position over 25 years of progressive human resources experience ranging from the factory floor to the C-suite. At Graham Partners, he plays a leadership role across a broad array of human capital operations inclusive of organizational development, ascension planning, recruitment and retention, and training.
Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Ground, leading a team of over 600 HR professionals in the development and deployment of strategic human resources efforts for over 130,000 employees. Prior to FedEx Ground, Jeff held senior human resources leadership roles at companies spanning transportation and logistics, metals, and food industries including as SVP of Human Resources and CHRO at RTI International Metals, Inc. (transitioned to a division of ALCOA), Senior Manager of HJ Heinz’s HR Transformation Team at Kraft/Heinz, and Group Employee Relations Manager at AllSteel Inc. (a division of HON Industries). While the majority of Jeff’s career progression has been in human resources, he has had the opportunity to take on cross-functional assignments in operations, safety, sales, product development, and supply chain management. Additionally, Jeff currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the non-profit disaster relief organization, Team Rubicon.
Earlier in his career, Jeff served over 15 years in the United States Army (active and reserve). He served as an Army Aviator, where he piloted the Cobra Attack and Blackhawk helicopters, as well as a Flight Safety Officer. He started his military career serving as a member of the 5th Special Forces Group, and was also awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding achievement and service.
Debra Martino*
Operating Partner, Tax & Controls
Debbie joined Graham Partners in 2021. At Graham, Debbie is responsible for evaluating and implementing portfolio company tax planning strategies across the federal, state, and local tax areas for both direct and indirect taxes. She also provides operational finance support, assists with the formulation and implementation of tax strategies for M&A transactions, and is responsible for the communication of tax changes to key stakeholders.
Previously, Debbie spent almost six years as Assistant Vice President of Tax Planning and Advisory for Lincoln Financial Group. Prior to that, she was Director of Tax at Berwind Corporation and worked for over 15 years in Public Accounting for two of the largest accounting firms serving multi-national clients and Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, she is currently an Adjunct Professor at Villanova University.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

April Blackmore
Operating Advisor, Manufacturing and Lean
April has over 25 years of operations and manufacturing leadership experience in the food, beverage, and agriculture industries. She specializes in operations, manufacturing, continuous improvement/lean, supply chain, safety, engineering, robotics, enterprise resource planning, and is sought out for her expertise in total productive maintenance (TPM), lean methodology, and artificial intelligence.
Previously, April served as VP of Operations at Del Monte Fresh, and has held various operations, manufacturing, quality, and safety roles at other leading businesses such as Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, Nestle, Super Store Industries, Nature’s Bounty, California & Hawaiian Sugar, and Plant Sciences Inc.

Jay Dubois
Operating Advisor, Manufacturing and Lean
Jay has over 37 years of global operations experience across various industries including pharmaceutical, food, household industrial chemical, auto, and consumer products. Prior to joining Graham Partners as an advisor, he most recently served as Senior Vice President of Operations with KIK Custom Products, with direct responsibility over the Prestone Products platform.
Jay has served in several senior leadership operational and engineering roles throughout his career, with experience in private equity sponsored environments driving top and bottom-line growth objectives and delivering new products and services through his collaborative approach of engagement and empowerment.

Julian Mason
Operating Advisor, Manufacturing and Lean
At Graham, Julian provides general management support on operations, supply-chain, and organizational improvement for Graham Partners portfolio companies. He has over 28 years of experience in international operations, supply-chain, business acquisitions & integrations, services, and product management. Julian has worked in the aviation, power generation, industrial controls, and oil & gas industries.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Julian was the Vice President of Manufacturing Operations for Evolution Engineering, a Calgary based oil & gas technology company specializing in harsh environment drilling telemetry. While at Evolution, Julian led an international team and supported the growth of a high technology product and service business. Julian’s focus was on driving out costs, improving product reliability, and scaling the business and operations processes to meet market demands. Prior to Evolution, Julian worked at General Electric for 25 years in a variety of leadership roles and industries. Julian started his career with GE in its Manufacturing Management Program.

Julia McCormack
Operating Advisor, Finance
Julia has over 17 years of experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), across public accounting, large public, and mid-size private equity backed environments. Prior to joining Graham Partners as an advisor, she most recently served Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis at Quala, an Advent International portfolio company.
Throughout her career, Julia has served in several leadership roles, including Controller at Jagged Peak, Inc.; Controller and Manager of FP&A at Vogue International (d/b/a Johnson & Johnson, Inc.); Finance Manager at TUI Marine (subsidiary of TUI Travel PLC); and Senior Auditor at Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Danielle Durante*
Director, Portfolio Company Marketing
Danielle is a member of the Firm’s Operations Team. She evaluates portfolio company marketing presence and capabilities and implements portfolio company-related strategies and process improvements to drive topline growth. This includes but is not limited to website and brand development, search engine optimization/pay per click, demand generation, and CRM deployment.
Previously, Danielle built and scaled marketing programs at Glassdoor and Samsara.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Allison Gosselin*
Director, Environmental, Social and Governance
Allison leads the firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) program that seeks to create shared value for Graham Partners’ investors and other stakeholders working across its investment portfolio and internally within Graham Partners. In this role, Allison is responsible for managing the firm’s ESG integration efforts across investment processes. Allison’s main areas of focus include implementing a systemic approach to assessing the firm’s businesses’ environmental impact and determining the impact a changing environment has on the firm’s businesses’ risk profiles; developing profitable strategies to reduce environmental risks at both the firm and portfolio company levels; and driving communication surrounding progress on all ESG activities.
Previously, Allison served as Director of Sustainability and Engineering at ARAMARK Leisure. During her nine-year tenure, she worked with functional and operational executive leaders to develop a comprehensive sustainable operations program to be applied across ARAMARK Leisure’s businesses and developed an operational suite of tools to support a common Environmental Management System (EMS) across a 61-site portfolio, among other functions. Prior to ARAMARK, Allison served as a Project Manager for both ERM and Lockheed Martin.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Sarah Kolansky*
Director, Health and Safety
Sarah supports the firm’s work on environment, health, and safety (EHS) matters across its investment portfolio.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Sarah was an Associate in Climate Change and Sustainability with ICF, where she worked with local and federal government agencies, as well as with external clients, on various ESG initiatives.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Rob Stover*
Senior Financial Operating Associate
Rob works closely with several of Graham’s portfolio companies to support growth and conduct analyses required to make strategic, financial and operational decisions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Rob worked for Icahn Automotive in various roles within its Corporate Development and Finance teams. Prior to Icahn Automotive, Rob worked for PwC.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Mike Pozielli*
Financial Operating Associate
Mike works closely with several of Graham’s portfolio companies to support growth and conduct analyses required to make strategic, financial, and operational decisions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Mike worked for Innovheart, a next generation medical device company, as its head of finance. Prior to Innovheart, Mike worked for Deloitte in their Audit and Advisory practices.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

Kate Tetreault*
Environmental, Social, & Governance Analyst
Bio in progress.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
Nathan Vrabel*
Financial Operating Analyst
Nathan works closely with several of Graham’s portfolio companies to support growth and conduct analyses required to make strategic, financial, and operational decisions.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Nathan worked as an Audit Associate for KPMG.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Operations Team members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.

Sara Gansky
Operations Analyst
Sara supports internal standard operating systems, resource management, internship programs, and provides ongoing support for the firm’s portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Graham Partners, Sara worked at The Estee Lauder Companies on multiple teams including the Office of the CIO and Interconnected Retail as a Project Manager.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and coordinates the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Accounting and Administration Team members are employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
*Designates 3rd party contractor, not an employee of Graham Partners, Inc.
Senior Advisors
Donald Graham
Donald Graham
Senior Advisor / Industry Specialist -
Packaging, Building Products and Capital Equipment
Don is the founder of The Graham Group, an alliance of industrial businesses and investment management firms, each of which traces its roots to a design engineering firm founded in Central Pennsylvania by Don in 1960 in the basement of his York County farmhouse.
The Graham Group’s three legacy industrial businesses, Graham Packaging, Graham Engineering, and Graham Architectural, operate globally and collectively generate several billion dollars in annual revenue. The Graham Group has also spawned multiple independent investment businesses which today manage several billion dollars in internal capital for Graham and 3rd party capital for external institutional investors. Graham Capital manages an endowment-style portfolio of investments in marketable securities and alternative investment funds for The Graham Group, while also overseeing Graham Engineering and Graham Architectural. Graham Partners and Inverness Graham are independent Registered Investment Advisors, managing committed capital under private equity structures for institutional investors, including leading university endowments, charitable foundations and pension funds. Graham Software Development and Striker Partners manage internal Graham Group capital and make direct investments in a variety of sectors, including software development/information technology, healthcare, education and sports.
Don earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering & Business Management from the University of Michigan, where he remains actively involved on a philanthropic and volunteer basis. Don was inducted into the University of Michigan Engineering Honorary Societies; Pi Tau Sigma and Sigma Rho Tau. Don currently serves on the President’s Advisory Group for the University, founded the University’s Graham Sustainability Institute, and serves as an active volunteer in several areas including the University’s College of Engineering and Athletic Department. He has also received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from both York College of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan and is an Honorary Penn State Alumnus.
A committed supporter of educational, community, cultural and environmental projects, Don has funded programs at many other institutions, including Dartmouth College and York College of Pennsylvania (including the Graham Business School and the Graham Innovation Scholars Program), Penn State York (including the Graham Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Studies), the University of Pennsylvania (including the Penn Museum), the York YMCA’s Graham Aquatic Center, and Burke Mountain Academy (including the Graham Family Endowment).
Don has been active in many professional groups including the Young Presidents Organization, Chief Executive Officers, World Business Council, American Business Council, and the Recycling Advisory Council, and has served on numerous corporate and philanthropic boards including chair of the Board of Trustees of the Mpala Foundation in Kenya, which is involved in a health clinic, school, research center, ranch, and wildlife conservancy. He is a member of the Plastics Hall of Fame and recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers.
Don is married with five children and seventeen grandchildren.
Fred Thiel
Fred Thiel
Fred is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of operating experience leading companies in the technology, data communications, Internet, M2M, automation, Big Data, digital media and software industries. He has repeatedly driven rapid growth and generated hundreds of millions of dollars in shareholder value. Fred is a respected expert and frequent speaker on the Internet of Things (IoT) and the digital transformations of companies and industries, providing deep technology industry expertise and strategic advice on transformational value creation – the process of generating growth and shareholder value. He has served in various roles, including public/private company CEO, board member, strategic advisor, private equity firm principal and senior advisor/operating partner.
Fred has been an advisor to Graham Partners since 2008 and has served as Executive Chairman of B+B SmartWorx, a formerly-owned Graham Partners portfolio company. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Graham Partners portfolio company OptConnect. Fred is a member of the Gold Pacific Region’s Young President’s Organization (YPO) and incoming chair to the YPO Technology Network. He has also taught as a guest lecturer at the University of San Diego Business School, the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business, and the Merage Foundation. Fred attended classes at the Stockholm School of Economics and executive classes at Harvard Business School and is fluent in English, Spanish, Swedish and French.
Peter Dachowski
Peter Dachowski
Senior Advisor / Industry Specialist - Building Products
Peter is a senior financial and global management executive with over 25 years of experience in the building products sector. Peter spent much of his career at CertainTeed Corporation, where he most recently served as Chairman and CEO. CertainTeed Corporation, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, is North America’s leading manufacturer of exterior residential and building envelope construction products.
As CEO of CertainTeed, Peter led key initiatives focused on innovation, quality, and distribution channel strategies. He directed significant expansion into Canada, established an industry-first building science team, and launched a continuing stream of product innovations. Previously, Peter served as President of Saint-Gobain’s worldwide insulation business, based in Paris. In this role, Peter launched a number of key strategic and business development initiatives, specifically: to expand the business footprint particularly in Eastern Europe and Russia, expand the suspended ceilings business, restore the profitability of the stone wool business, develop a common global brand identity and consolidate the company’s world leadership position in these product areas. Prior to joining CertainTeed, Peter worked with Exxon in its Treasurer’s department and the Boston Consulting Group.
Peter currently serves on the boards of directors of Masonite International (NYSE-DOOR), PE-backed Barrette Outdoor Living, family-owned Ball Horticultural Company, and the Foreign Relations Policy Institute. He has served on the executive committee of the advisory council to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, the advisory council to the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and the board of directors of the National Building Material Distributors Association (NBMDA) and is an emeritus board director of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association. He is a long-time member of YPO/YPO Gold.
Peter earned a First-Class Honors degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where he received the Wall Street Journal Award for Excellence in Finance.
Peter Linneman
Peter Linneman
Senior Advisor
Dr. Peter Linneman is the founding Principal of Linneman Associates, KL Realty and American Land Funds and is the Albert Sussman Emeritus Professor of Real Estate, Finance and Business Public Policy at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Wharton’s faculty for 35 years, founding Wharton’s Real Estate Department and the Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center. He is the founding co-editor of The Wharton Real Estate Review and has published over 100 articles during his career.
Dr. Linneman is widely recognized as a leading strategic thinker and investor, and has been cited as one of the 25 most influential people in real estate by Realtor Magazine, as well as one of the 100 most powerful people in New York real estate by the New York Observer. He is a highly sought-after speaker, appearing as the keynote speaker at numerous major industry conferences.
His quarterly research publication, The Linneman Letter, has been perhaps the most highly regarded publication in the real estate industry for over a decade. His book, Real Estate Finance and Investments: Risks and Opportunities, has been adopted at over 150 leading universities and is the leading primary reference source in real estate finance and investment.
He has served as Senior Managing Director of Equity International Properties, Vice Chairman of Amerimar Realty and the Chairman of the Board of Rockefeller Center Properties. In this latter capacity, he led the process of foreclosing on its Japanese owners and the successful sale of Rockefeller Center in 1995. He also served on the board of directors of public and private companies.
Dr. Linneman holds both Masters and Doctorate degrees in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Thomas Portland
Thomas Portland
Senior Advisor / Industry Expert
Tom is a Senior Advisor and industrial technology specialist with over 25 years of experience in all aspects of general management, business development, sales and marketing, applied research and development, strategic planning, and business transformation on an international scale.
Tom spent most of his career with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., an international supplier of industrial gases, chemicals, and related equipment with annual sales of approximately $10 billion, operations in 35 countries, and 20,000 employees. Most recently, Tom served as Vice President and General Manager of Air Products’ $1.4 billion Bulk Gases Division, where he had P&L responsibility and led the development and implementation of a new business model for the division. He also served as head of marketing for the company’s $5 billion global gases business, spanning 35 countries with 12,000 employees and 250,000 customers. Prior to this role, Tom worked for five years as Vice President and General Manager for Air Products’ global $1 billion General Industries and Metals Division. Prior to that, Tom spent several years in different leadership roles at Air Products, including managing its $300 million European Onsites, Equipment, and Energy Division in London; its $200 million Global Equipment Group; and its $150 million Texas Gases Group.
Tom’s past Graham Partners board directorships include IXS.
Tom received his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University and has taken several advanced business courses at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and the University of Chicago.
Industry Experts
Industrial Technology
Brand Elverston
Brand Elverston
Industry Expert
Brand brings over 20 years of experience in the asset protection space and served for over 11 years as a Field Artillery Officer in the U.S. Army. He currently serves as a Senior Consultant for PERFORM Alliance, a retail strategy consulting firm, as well as a Principal at Elverston Consulting, LLC. He also currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Gatekeeper.
Previously, Brand spent 21 years working for Walmart, where he held various loss prevention and asset protection roles. Over the years Brand has presented at countless conferences around the world on topics ranging from corporate strategy and technology to leadership principles and industry trends.
Brand earned his B.A. in criminal justice from the University of Alabama and went on to earn his M.B.A. from Oklahoma State University.
Bill Foley
Bill Foley
Industry Expert
Bill is a creative executive leader with over 25 years of lighting and electrical industry experience and a track record of success in business turnaround and optimization. He is recognized as an industry expert and known for his strategic vision, marketing acumen, product development, and application expertise. Bill currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Myers EPS.
Throughout his career, Bill has held leadership positions with major lighting conglomerates such as Cree, Eaton/Cooper and Hubbell. His roles have encompassed full functional P&L responsibility, as well as marketing, brand management, product development, customer service and business development functions. Bill is founder and President of Creative Epicenter, a business services consultancy catering primarily to the lighting and electrical industry.
Bill holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Architectural Engineering and Architecture from The University of Kansas with an emphasis in illumination and electrical systems. In his free time, Bill supports philanthropies including Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, Habitat for Humanity, the University of Kansas department of Architectural Engineering, and the Duke University Career Center.
David Galuska
David Galuska
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
John C. Horn
John C. Horn
Industry Expert
John is a proven Internet of Things (IoT) Executive and Leader. Having built successful companies and teams for over 18 years in the Connected Ecosystem, John has been recognized as an M2M Pioneer, a Most Admired CEO, and by INC. Magazine as a top ten speaker: “Who Will Wow Your Crowd.” Currently, John sits on multiple company and community boards and enjoys being able to help others reach their goals. John serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, OptConnect.
Previously, John served as President of RacoWireless and CEO of Ingenu. John believes that the right group of people build profitable companies and has been able to maintain a core team of leaders through different companies for nearly two decades. Whether it was building the first IoT Team at T-Mobile, growing RacoWireless to a highly respected industry leader, or building a new global brand, creating the right culture and empowering the right people is what makes the difference.
John received his B.A. in Political Science from University of California, Davis.
Kevin Hunter
Kevin Hunter
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Gary Landry
Gary Landry
Industry Expert
Gary has over 28 years of technology industry experience. Most recently Gary served as the President and CEO of Tidel, a former Graham Partner’s portfolio company that provides secure cash management and loss prevention solutions to the retail industry. During his five year tenure at Tidel, he led two successful Private Equity sales transactions. He also currently serves on the Advisory Council for two Graham Partners portfolio companies — Gatekeeper and OptConnect.
Previously, Gary was President of Brink’s – U.S., a worldwide leader of secure logistics and cash management solutions for over 22 years. The last four years at Brink’s, he served as Executive Vice President – International, where he led acquisition teams and negotiated joint ventures across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Karl Langhorst
Karl Langhorst
Industry Expert
Karl brings 40 years of experience in retail crime and loss prevention. He currently works as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Cincinnati’s School of Criminal Justice, where he instructs on retail loss prevention and corporate security. He currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Gatekeeper.
Karl also currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Alto USA, where he worked previously as Executive Vice President and Vice President of Innovation. Karl has also held senior loss prevention-related roles for The Kroger Co. and Safeway. Prior to Safeway, he served as Deputy Sheriff and Deputy Constable for the County of Dallas, Texas.
Karl earned his B.A. in Political Science from The University of Texas at Arlington and went on to earn his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is board certified as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by the American Society of Industrial Security a Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) awarded by the Center for Interviewer Standards & Assessments and Loss Prevention Certified (LPC) by the Loss Prevention Foundation.
Michael Lawler
Michael Lawler
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Thomas Lichtenberger
Thomas Lichtenberger
Industry Expert
Thomas has over 25 years of experience as a strategic advisor and senior management executive. He has a strong 15-year track record of generating sustainable sales growth in the dynamic, global automation technology marketplace. Thomas is the owner and President of Bluestrive LLC, a management consulting firm, and currently serves as Partner of Executive Business Leadership for Altix Consulting, a boutique management consulting firm that helps small and middle-market industrial companies compete globally. Thomas also currently advises Graham Partners on its investment in Kinova, a manufacturer of collaborative robotic arms.
Previously, Thomas served as CEO of Festo Didactic Inc., a leading provider of advanced solutions for technical and industrial education, where he was responsible for all market and sales activities in North America. Prior to Festo Didactic, Thomas served as President and CEO of Festo Canada, where he oversaw all business activities of the automation market. Thomas also held several executive management positions in Festo’s headquarters in Germany before relocating to Canada
Thomas holds an executive M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business Administration in Zurich, Switzerland; a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Applied Science in Karlsruhe, Germany; and a B.S. in Business Engineering from the University of Applied Science in Esslingen, Germany.
Jeff Matthews
Jeff Matthews
Industry Expert
Jeff has nearly 35 years of experience in the fintech industry, including 20 years in Senior executive positions with two leading global corporations. He also serves as the Chairman of Grant Victor Cares, a non-profit organization working to improve education in Kenya, Africa. Currently, Jeff is the CEO for Grant Victor LLC, one of the largest providers of financial self-service kiosks in the country. He also serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, OptConnect – a business that he helped start.
Prior to his current positions, Jeff served as Chief Customer Officer (Sales & Account Manager) for Consona Software Solutions, a global technology company based in Seattle Washington. He began his career in fintech at American Express, where he led a number of initiatives around electronic payments.
Jeff earned his B.A. in Accounting from Weber State University. He and his wife Rachel reside in Holladay, Utah.
Fred Purches
Fred Purches
Industry Expert
Fred brings over 14 years of experience to Graham Partners portfolio companies. Fred previously served as an Advisory Council member for former Graham Partners portfolio company, Tidel, and currently serves on the Advisory Council for portfolio company, OptConnect. He is also the Head of Product at EnergyBot, a Dallas-based tech start-up.
Fred began his career at Brink’s, where he grew from the U.S. General Manager to the Global Vice President for Products and Technology Solutions. While there he was responsible for implementing new procedures that lead to a 20% annual growth and 30% improvement of operating margins, and later a 200%+ revenue increase from $97 million to $200 million. Fred then moved on to Vice President of Product Management at MoneyGram International and Head of Product at Solera, Inc.
Fred earned his B.S. in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University, and his M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Mitch Solomon
Mitch Solomon
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Al Uszynski
Al Uszynski
Industry Expert
Al is an experienced executive with over 25 years of experience in the lighting industry. He is the Principal of inside.lighting, an online media company that provides valuable resources to lighting industry professionals. Additionally, Al offers strategy consulting for select clients, and most recently served on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Myers EPS.
Al has held several management roles with leading lighting companies including CEO of Traxon Technologies, a division of Osram; Area Vice President at Cooper Lighting Solutions; and VP of Sales and Marketing at NICOR, Inc. Al also served as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University, instructing courses on Professional Selling and Public Speaking.
Al earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University and went on to earn his M.B.A. in Management from Hofstra University.
Consumer & Food
Marco Barbier
Marco Barbier
Industry Expert
Marco is a seasoned professional in the packaging industry with over 30 years of experience. Marco co-founded EasyPak, a current Graham Partners portfolio company, in 2004, and most recently served as CCO of the company from 2017 – 2019. Marco currently serves on the Advisory Council for EasyPak.
Previously, Marco served as a member of the Board of Advisors of Lion-Cao Asset Management. Prior to that, he served as CFO/CCO of Imperial Bag and Paper Co., and CEO of Phoenix Capital Limited before that. Marco also served as CEO of Selva for 13 years. He has lived and worked in South America, Europe and the United States.
Marco earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and went on to earn his M.B.A from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Danny Beard
Danny Beard
Industry Expert
Danny has over 25 years of experience in the packaging space and currently serves as President of Packaging Specialists, a private consulting business focused on flexible packaging for hard to hold products. He currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, ABX.
Previously, Danny served as Commercial Director at Schoelle Corp, Business Manager at American Packaging Corporation, and Account Manager at Printpak. Danny frequently presents and moderates at various industry-related events such as Global Pouch Forum, Aseptipak, PET Strategies, FISPAL, and Food Packaging Technology Summit, and has authored several industry-focused publications.
Danny earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
John Bennett
John Bennett
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Bill Burke
Bill Burke
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Tom Coffman
Tom Coffman
Industry Expert
Tom brings over 30 years of experience in the packaging space. He is currently the Managing Director at Polaris Packaging Group where he provides consulting and film development services to the flexible packaging industry, and also has experience in the sales, service, upgrade, and repair of multilayer coextrusion lines for blown and cast films. Tom currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, ABX.
Tom has held numerous relevant senior and executive positions throughout his career at packaging companies including Handgards, Inteplast, Winpak, Sealed Air, and Alcan Packaging. He is intimately familiar with ABX management and operations, having assisted in the selection and installation of ABX’s equipment as well as having assisted in the development of ABX’s film portfolio since shortly after its founding.
Tom earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Michigan State University, and also received his master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Nuclear Power School at the Division of Naval Reactors. Tom also holds a master’s degree in International Relations (Soviet/Eastern European Affairs) from the University of Maryland.
Jim DePietro
Jim DePietro
Industry Expert
Jim is a senior operating executive with extensive and successful C-Level leadership and general management experience in the consumer products industry. His expertise ranges across business functions, with a particular focus on strategy, brand, and business development. Jim’s extensive network in the consumer products industry provides senior executives with assistance in business plan development and execution.
Jim is currently Principal of The DePietro Group, Inc., where he provides advising and consulting services to investors and portfolio companies in the food and beverage industries. Jim’s prior experience over his 30+ year career includes senior level management roles with companies such as Hain BluePrint, Inc., The Healthy Beverage Company, Ideal Snacks, and Unilever.
Jim earned his B.B.A. in Marketing and Management from Temple University and an Executive Management Certificate from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Dan Donahue
Dan Donahue
Industry Expert
Dan has over 40 years of leadership experience in the food technology space at the plant, operational, and staff levels at a number of prominent food and beverage companies. His experience spans both domestic and international assignments. His areas of expertise include research and development, quality, food safety, processing, packaging, purchasing, consumer services, acquisition diligence / integration and business productivity. Dan is currently the Founding Partner of Celtic Hill Advisors and serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Giraffe.
Most recently, Dan served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at TreeHouse Foods for four years. Prior to TreeHouse, Dan served in senior research and development, productivity, and quality roles at a variety of other leading food and beverage companies including Continental Mills, Campbell Soup Company, Quaker Oats, Sara Lee, Pillsbury, and Miller Brewing Company.
Dan earned his B.S. in Biology / Chemistry from Marquette University, and his M.S. in Business Management from Cardinal Stritch University.
Hector Echaniz
Hector Echaniz
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Igor Estraykh
Igor Estraykh
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Jonathan Gardner
Jonathan Gardner
Industry Expert
Jonathan is a proven expert in global sourcing and supply chain management, with almost 20 years of experience. He currently serves as Principal and Founder of J. Gardner Group, a boutique consultancy dedicated to growing EBITDA for middle market businesses through better deal-making, strategy, resilience, and relationships. Jonathan also most recently served on the Advisory Council for former Graham Partners portfolio company, Mercer.
Previously, Jonathan served as Chief Procurement Officer for Albertson’s Companies. Prior to this, he spent nine years at Starbucks, where he worked his way up to Vice President of Global Sourcing. Jonathan also served as Global Sourcing Manager for Dell for almost seven years, and served as Senior Manager of Sourcing for General Motors for five years before that.
Jonathan earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Carolina, where he graduated cum laude. He went on to earn his J.D. and International M.B.A. from the University of South Carolina with concentrations in Corporate Law, Business Associations, Tax, Portuguese language, and International Business.
Rik Jacobs
Rik Jacobs
Industry Expert
Rik brings over 30 years of global food technology experience to Graham Partners’ portfolio companies. He brings expertise in areas such as packaging, retail management, sourcing and marketing to the entire food value chain.
Currently, Rik is a consultant to international clients and serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Mercer.
Previously, Rik was CEO / COO of SunOpta, Inc., a publicly listed, vertically integrated, natural and organic foods company with revenues of ~$1.3 billion. Prior to SunOpta, he held a number of international sales, marketing and management positions with companies such as Tetra Pak, North European Cluster, PepsiCo, Royal Dutch Ahold and the Coca-Cola Company.
Rik received his B.B.A. from Oregon State University and his M.B.A. from the American Graduate School of International Management. Originally from the Netherlands, Rik currently lives in Toronto, Canada and enjoys sailing, traveling and cooking.
Brien Kumbalek
Brien Kumbalek
Industry Expert
Brien brings over 25 years of food manufacturing experience in engineering, operations management, and continuous improvement. He currently serves as the President of BK Engineering and Consulting, a firm that helps food manufacturing and food packaging companies support growth initiatives while reducing costs and improving processes.
Prior to BK Engineering and Consulting, Brien spent 12 years at Bay Valley Foods, serving as Plant Manager, Engineering Director, Senior Director of Operations, and Senior Director of Engineering, respectively.
Brien earned his B.S. in Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Peter Martin
Peter Martin
Industry Expert
Peter is a senior operating executive with years of broad-based executive, M&A, sales & marketing, operations, and financial management experience. Peter has a demonstrated history of leadership in strategy development, market share growth, and strategic acquisitions. He is the Founder of Fair Meadow Consulting and brings extensive industry expertise to Graham Partners’ portfolio companies. He currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, VPET.
Previously, Peter served as the President and CEO of Cosmetic Essence Innovations, a leading contract manufacturing solutions provider for the beauty care market. Prior to that, Peter served as President and CEO of Captive Plastics, a manufacturer of blow-molded and injection-molded plastic products for the food, health care, spirits, and personal care markets, where he led the firm in several strategic acquisitions and integrations. Peter began his career with Continental Can Company where he held several positions in sales & marketing in the company’s metal can and plastics operations.
Peter earned his B.A. from Colgate University.
Beth Muscato
Beth Muscato
Industry Expert
Beth has over 30 years of experience leading manufacturing organizations in the packaging space. She currently serves as Board Director and Advisor for Unipharma LLC and PPC Flexible Packaging. Beth also currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, VPET.
Previously, Beth served as President and CEO for Plastic Industries, Inc. for over eight years. She has held several other senior leadership positions throughout her career at Graphic Packaging International, Associated Packaging Technologies (part of Sunoco Products), and Sweetheart Cup Company (part of Dart Container).
Beth earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University.
Ari Powell
Ari Powell
Industry Expert
Ari is a lawyer turned entrepreneur with over 25 years of owner/operator leadership experience within the food industry. His breadth of expertise includes business strategy, culture development and deployment, entrepreneurship, product sales and marketing across multiple channels, manufacturing operations, process optimization, and more. Ari most recently served as CEO of Giraffe Foods, a previous Graham Partners portfolio company, for 25 years, after founding the company in 1997.
Ari earned his B.A. in Psychology from McGill University and his L.L.B./J.D. from University of Toronto.
David Randall
David Randall
Industry Expert
Dave has over 20 years of experience in the plastic packaging industry. Most recently, Dave served as CEO of D&W Fine Pack, where he led the integration and consolidation of seven regional packaging companies into a large, nationwide packaging leader. Prior to Dave’s retirement in 2016, D&W Fine Pack was awarded Turnaround of the Year by the Turnaround Management Association. Dave currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio companies, EasyPak and VPET.
Dave began his packaging career in 1992 as CFO of Liquid Container LP, a manufacturer of plastic containers for the food and consumer products industries. He became President and CEO in 2006 and remained in that role until Liquid Container was sold to Graham Packaging in 2010. Prior to Liquid Container, Dave was a Senior Manager in the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen & Co. where he provided audit, tax and consulting services to mid-sized businesses in a variety of industries.
Dave earned a B.S. in Agriculture and Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). He currently resides in suburban Chicago.
Bruce Rosa
Bruce Rosa
Industry Expert
Bruce is an experienced food technology expert who formerly served as the President of the T. Marzetti Company, a specialty food group of the Lancaster Colony Corporation. His specialties include profit and loss management, cross- functional team leadership, supply chain, inventory management, food safety, and product development. Bruce most recently served on the Advisory Council for former Graham Partners portfolio company, Giraffe.
While at T. Marzetti, the company grew from ~$16 million of annual revenue to more than $1.2 billion through organic growth initiatives and a number of strategic acquisitions. Previously, Bruce served as the Vice President of Development for Lancaster Colony Corporation.
Bruce earned his B.B.A. from Ohio University, M.B.A. from Xavier University, and went on to The Ohio State University where he earned his Executive M.B.A.
Skip Rosskam
Skip Rosskam
Industry Expert
Skip brings over 50 years of food technology experience to Graham Partners’ portfolio companies. Currently, he is the CEO of White Space – the Right Place, LLC and most recently served on the Advisory Council for former Graham Partners portfolio company, Mercer.
Previously, Skip was the President and COO of David Michael & Co., a leader and innovator in the food flavor industry for more than 100 years. Skip held this role since 1990 and was responsible for R&D, global business development and strategic business development and marketing, among others. He began his tenure with David Michael & Co. almost 40 years ago as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager.
Prior to David Michael & Co., Skip was the Director of Marketing with Enterprise Paint Company and with the Lincoln Mint. He began his career in sales and marketing with the Gillette Company in 1968. Throughout his career, Skip served in various roles on the Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association.
Skip earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Gary Schachter
Gary Schachter
Industry Expert
Gary has over 35 years of experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. His specialties include food manufacturing, marketing, sales, and business development across a wide range of products in the retail, industrial, and food service channels. His core competencies are general management for branded, private label, and custom manufacturing. Gary most recently served on the Advisory Council for former Graham Partners portfolio company, Giraffe.
Currently, Gary is the CEO of Pinnacle Peak Consulting Corporation, a management consultancy focused on strategic planning, marketing, sales, operational performance, and organizational design principally for the food and beverage industry. Most recently Gary served as the Vice President / General Manager of TreeHouse Foods. Gary has held management positions at Nestle, Kraft and Unilever as well.
Gary earned his B.S. in Business from Arizona State University.
Anil Shah
Anil Shah
Industry Expert
Anil brings over 20 years of operations experience, particularly in the plastics and packaging sectors, to the Graham Partners portfolio companies. He has proven success developing and executing business and operational strategies that deliver improved efficiencies and profits. He also excels in M&A operational due diligence and the integration of businesses, cultures and people.
Anil has held various positions with plastics and packaging-focused companies, including Solo Cup Company. Currently, Anil is Principal and CEO of ARS Consulting Company and serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, EasyPak.
Anil received his B.S. in Statistics and Mathematics. He has also served on the board of directors for Syntac Coated Products LLC.
Adam Unfried
Adam Unfried
Industry Expert
Adam is a proven and results-driven executive with 25 years of experience in the packaging industry. He brings a strong background in business development, revenue and earnings growth, and hands-on leadership to Graham Partners’ portfolio companies. He has leveraged his business acumen across diverse functional areas and personnel, driving innovative packaging, change management, and strategic execution.
Adam began his career in 1993 at Berry Plastics Corporation (Berry Global), a former Graham Partners portfolio company. He advanced his managerial responsibilities throughout his tenure at Berry before retiring as Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning in 2016. He currently provides consulting services to Graham Partners and serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, EasyPak.
Adam received his B.S. in Marketing and Management at Ball State University. He volunteers his time with a number of community organizations.
Medical Devices & Life Sciences
Srini Conjeevaram
Srini Conjeevaram
Industry Expert
Srini is a global executive and strategic leader in healthcare. Srini currently serves as Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Treasurer for Penumbra, Inc., a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies that address challenging medical conditions in markets with significant unmet need.
Previously, Srini spent six years at SC Capital, a healthcare fund that he founded. At SC Capital he identified, evaluated, and proposed healthcare investments to family offices and select fund groups. Prior to that, Srini was a General Partner at Galen Associates, a late-stage venture capital investment firm investing exclusively in healthcare. Over his 15 years at Galen, Srini reviewed 1,200 investments, worked with 59 portfolio companies and was deeply involved with 15, and served on four boards. Prior to Galen, he was an Associate at Smith Barney Harris & Upham. Srini began his career at General Motors Corporation designing aircraft engines.
Srini is an Advisory Board member of Stanford Center for Asian Research and Education (CARE), a premier leader in Asian health research on a global scale. He previously served on the board of Gilda’s Club, a not-for-profit charity focused on free emotional and social support for cancer patients and families.
Srini earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Madras University in India. He also earned his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and his M.B.A. in Finance from Indiana University.
Srini is based in San Francisco and Miami. His personal interests include tennis, golf, photography, and travel.
Phil Ebeling
Phil Ebeling
Industry Expert
Phil Ebeling is a medical device executive with substantial experience in operations and new product development. He currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Velosity.
Phil previously worked for Abbott Laboratories (formerly St. Jude Medical) as VP, Chief Technology Officer – Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation Division following the sale of St. Jude Medical to Abbott. Phil was responsible for an organization of 1300 R&D employees at 19 global locations. He was also responsible for 250 regulatory affairs personnel, while leading critical new technology discussions with FDA and various, global notified bodies. His division had its own technology development, including electrical and non-electrical human implantables (Class III devices), and various engineering disciplines (Software, Hardware, Firmware, Electrical, and Biomedical). Prior to that he held the role of Senior Vice President, R&D – Cardiovascular and Electrophysiology Division (CATD). Prior to joining St. Jude Medical in 2008, he spent over 12 years at Boston Scientific where he held numerous positions starting as an engineer and ultimately becoming their Director of Program Management and Risk Management. Prior to Boston Scientific, he worked at Rexam Flexible Packaging in product development and engineering.
Phil has a Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers and holds patents relating to Multi-Cord Extrusion Manufacturing Techniques for Catheter Members, Chemical Bonding Technique for Angioplasty Catheter Assembly Operations and Procedural Sheath Adapter for Vascular Closure Device.
Joe Fleischhacker
Joe Fleischhacker
Industry Expert
Joe Fleischhacker is a medical device industry expert with over 40 years of experience. He was most recently owner and CEO of Lake Region Medical, which was founded in 1947 by Joe’s father. Joe currently serves on the Advisory Council for Graham Partners portfolio company, Velosity.
The Fleischhacker family grew Lake Region Medical into a global leader in the development and manufacturing of medical devices, supplying the world’s largest medical device companies with minimally invasive delivery solutions. The company was sold to Accellent in 2014. Accellent, then a Kohlberg Kravis Roberts portfolio company, renamed the merged company Lake Region. At the time of the transaction, Lake Region had operations in the United States and Ireland employing approximately 1,800 people.
John Heinmiller
John Heinmiller
Industry Expert
John Heinmiller worked as a senior executive at St. Jude Medical from 1996 until its merger with Abbott in 2017, most recently serving as an Executive Vice President overseeing the business and reporting directly to the CEO. From 1998 to 2012, before becoming EVP, John served as Chief Financial Officer of St. Jude Medical. During his time at St. Jude Medical, John negotiated and executed 20 acquisitions with aggregate purchase prices of approx. $9B. John was instrumental in negotiating St. Jude Medical’s $31B merger with Abbott. At the time of the merger, St. Jude had ~$6B in revenue and employed 18,000 people across the globe.
Prior to St. Jude Medical, John served on the Board of Directors and as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Daig Corporation, a designer and producer of disposable catheter devices that was acquired by St. Jude Medical in May 1996.
John currently serves on the Board of Directors of Fairview Health Services. Fairview is a nonprofit organization that operates the University of Minnesota academic medical center as well as 10 community hospitals, 6 ambulatory care centers, over 65 specialty clinics, 4 long-term care facilities and other related health services facilities. Fairview has approximately 32,000 employees and in 2018 is expected to have approximately $6B in total revenue.
Ray Newkirk
Ray Newkirk
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Scott Thome
Scott Thome
Industry Expert
Bio in progress.
Other Functional Specialists
Bob Woellner
Bob Woellner
Functional Specialist - Environmental
Bob brings over 30 years of experience in environmental risk management to the Graham Partners portfolio companies. He is currently the President of QUEST Environmental and QUEST Management International, environmental consulting companies that specialize in industrial hygiene and risk management.
Prior to joining QUEST, Bob held numerous senior environmental risk management positions with consulting, insurance, laboratory and geotechnical companies. He has significant experience in environmental risk assessment and management, environmental insurance, analytical services and the development and implementation of environmental management systems.
Bob holds a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Middlebury College and a M.S. degree in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
The Operations Team provides consulting services to the portfolio companies of the Graham Partners funds and, in certain instances, to the funds themselves. The Operations Team is comprised of certain full-time employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC), as well as various operations executives who operate as 3rd party contractors. The most active such 3rd party contractors are listed on this page. Costs and expenses of the Operations Team are borne directly or indirectly by the Graham Partners funds, and reflect pass-through expenses provided at cost, while its costs are intended to be at or below market rates. See footnote denoted by an asterisk on this page, and for further information please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
*Designates employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC). GPOC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Graham Partners, Inc. that provides consulting services and the operations consulting and other services provided by operations executives, industry experts, consultants and outside firms to the Graham Partners portfolio companies, funds, affiliates and other entities. With the exception of personnel designated as employees of GPOC, all Technology and Innovation Council members are 3rd party contractors who are not employees of Graham Partners, Inc. For further information regarding GPOC, please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.
The Technology and Innovation Council is part of the Operations Team, which provides consulting services to the portfolio companies of the Graham Partners funds and, in certain instances, to the funds themselves. The Operations Team is comprised of certain full-time employees of Graham Partners Operating Company (GPOC), as well as various operations executives who operate as 3rd party contractors. See footnote denoted by an asterisk on this page, and for further information please refer to Part 2A of Graham Partners, Inc.’s Form ADV, available on the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website.