
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Consistent with all programs delivered by Northstar, “Private Equity Fast Pitch” podcasts are meaningful, insightful and provide actionable information from leaders in the Private Equity community that will help you connect with the speaker in an efficient way. Each Tuesday, Jeff Henningsen from Lockton will spend time talking with his friends in the private equity community while they share insight into their world. Similar to an introductory meeting, Private Equity and Investment Banking guests will talk about their firms, recent activities, target industries, desired acquisition profile or companies they are prepping for sale, advice to aspiring professionals and their “closing pitch”.
If you would like to be considered for a Private Equity Fast Pitch interview please email jhenningsen@lockton.com
Latest episodes

Nov 6, 2020 • 28min
Quotes & Motto's from Female Private Equity Professionals

Oct 9, 2020 • 39min
Craig Hurlbert, BrightMark Partners
Mr. Hurlbert is a seasoned entrepreneur – with a thirty-year track record of building successful businesses with strong leadership teams. Mr. Hurlbert was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year® in 2009 in the Houston and Gulf Coast Area and inducted into the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year® Hall of Fame that same year. He was also a founding member of the Young Presidents Organization – Gulf Coast Region. Mr. Hurlbert is currently a Managing Partner and Co-Founder at BrightMark Partners, a growth equity and management firm dedicated to providing capital and resources to venture, growth phase, and middle market businesses. Mr. Hurlbert served as the President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Houston based TAS Energy from December of 2001 to April of 2020. TAS is leading provider of high efficiency and modular cooling and energy systems for the data center, commercial, industrial and power generation markets. TAS was sold to publicly traded Comfort Systems (FIX) on April 1st of 2020. Under Mr. Hurlbert’s leadership, TAS grew from a “start-up” to a global leader in efficiency/capacity offerings to the industrial, power generation and HVAC industries, renewable energy – including building over 300MW of geothermal plants worldwide, and data center products and services. When TAS was sold to FIX, the company had over 750 employees worldwide and delivered over 2,000 modules to 33 countries globally. Mr. Hurlbert is the Chairman of the Board at Clearas Water Recovery. Clearas utilizes patented, sustainable and proprietary technology to solve high nutrient wastewater challenges in the municipal and industrial water markets. In doing so, Clearas produces a valuable “bio waste” that can be sold into multiple vertical markets. Currently Clearas Water Recovery bio-waste is a sustainable substitute for hyrdro-carbon based products – i.e. it is being used to make foam for Addidas tennis shoes. Mr. Hurlbert sits on the Board of Prostar Geocorp, a company pioneering geospatial intelligence technology in the energy infrastructure and transportation markets. Prostar utilizes a SaaS based business model and has multiple patents and is transforming the way large utilities, construction companies, and states departments of transportation track underground assets and utilities (i.e. natural gas pipelines). Mr. Hurlbert sits on the Board of ATR SmartProcedures, a company pioneering digital transformation in the industrial industry by providing a SaaS based offering to take “paper based” operational, safety, environmental, and maintenance procedures and putting them in the cloud so they are easily accessible by plant employees. ATR has an impressive customer including Exxon, Chevron, Koch, and Commanche Peak. Mr. Hurlbert served from 2012 to 2018 on the Board of Directors at Loenbro, Inc., a diversified energy services and construction company with more than 900 employees. At Loenbro, Mr. Hurlbert provided leadership direction and oversight for the organic and inorganic growth plan, capital partnerships, risk management, organizational development, marketing and business development, as well as general and administrative oversight. Mr. Hurlbert helped Loenbro founders monetize the business in 2018 with a large New York private equity firm. Prior to joining TAS in 2001, Mr. Hurlbert served as the President and General Manager of a Pratt & Whitney Power Systems business unit, P2 Energy. Prior to P2 Energy, Mr. Hurlbert served as President and CEO of the PIC Energy Group. While at PIC, Mr. Hurlbert initiated and closed a joint venture with PWPS, which lead to the formation of P2. This transaction was valued at over $150 million to PIC, which at the time had roughly $25 million in revenue. Mr. Hurlbert left PIC to lead the P2 entity. Mr. Hurlbert is currently the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Local Bounti, a company pioneering sustainable indoor agriculture. Prior to joining PIC as the CEO, Mr. Hurlbert was named General Manager of Global Sales for General Electric’s Contractual Services business (GECS). Mr. Hurlbert was integral in building GECS from a “start- up” to over $7 Billion in backlog in just 24 months. GECS was known for pioneering the LTSA product line (long term service agreements) for GE’s gas turbine technology. LTSA’s became an industry wide standard. Mr. Hurlbert lead the team that developed out the product line, and built the global sales team from the ground up, starting with approximately 15 people and ended with over 150 when he left. When Mr. Hurlbert left GECS, the business had just closed $1 Billion in backlog in the prior quarter. A trend that continued after he left. GECS would go on to become one of the biggest success stories in the history of GE, and GE Power systems. While at GE, Mr. Hurlbert completed GE’s esteemed four-week MDC program at Crotonville. Prior to GE, Mr. Hurlbert held the position of Director of International Business Development for Stewart & Stevenson (S&S), the world’s largest third-party operator of Power Plants. S&S Power division was purchased by GE. Mr. Hurlbert joined the energy industry in 1990 in a position with North American Energy Services (NAES) a leading operations and maintenance company where he led sales in Latin America. Prior to NAES Mr. Hurlbert served as a Valuation Manager in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group for the Geneva Companies. Mr. Hurlbert successfully valued over 75 middle market businesses, company valuations ranged between $20 and $150 million. Prior to joining Geneva, Mr. Hurlbert was hired off the San Diego State University campus to work for the Ford Motor company in their esteemed “financial management” program. Mr. Hurlbert worked in Ford’s “Aerospace” division and was a financial analyst in Ford’s advanced “Star Wars” program. Mr. Hurlbert has a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from San Diego State and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the California State University – Long Beach. Mr. Hurlbert is the past President and Chairman of the Turbine Inlet Cooling Association. Mr. Hurlbert loves spending time with his wife and three daughters, Ellie, Kate, and Bella. He is also a competitive golfer, having won the 2010 Montana Mid–Amateur and the 2020 Montana Senior Amateur tournaments and other top regional and national golf events. Mr. Hurlbert has competed in 3 USGA events.

Sep 25, 2020 • 26min
Nik Shah, Cohere Capital
Episode 64 of the Private Equity Fast Pitch features Nik Shah, the co-founder and managing partner of Cohere Capital. Prior to co-founding Cohere Capital with Daniel, Nik was a Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital / H.I.G. Growth Partners where he focused on private equity investments in high-growth, entrepreneur-owned companies in the business services, technology, media, and Internet sectors. In his 12 years at H.I.G., he has served on the board of over 10 past and current H.I.G. portfolio companies. Prior to joining H.I.G., Nik was with Landmark Growth Capital Partners in Boston, Massachusetts, a private equity firm focused on buyouts and growth equity investments in business services, manufacturing, and consumer companies. At Landmark, he was responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, and assisting management as a board director and observer of several portfolio companies. Earlier in his career, Nik was at AH Ventures and Adams, Harkness & Hill in Boston. Nik received his Bachelor of Arts degree in biochemistry with honors from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. 000001FA 000001F9 000043D5 0000439E 0000A6A1 0000A6A1 00007F3F 00007F3F 0002880F 0002880F

Sep 11, 2020 • 41min
Brad Brenneman, Breck Partners
Episode 63 features Brad Brenneman with Breck Partners. Prior to founding Breck, Brad was a partner at Wingate Partners for 16 years, where he served as Co-Managing Partner and was Chairman of Nekoosa Coated Products, Dunn Paper, and Sunrise Oilfield Supply, as lead board member for Industrial Container Services, and as a board member of S&N Communications and Binswanger Glass. Prior to joining Wingate, Brad was an executive with Entergy Wholesale Operations where he led project teams in acquiring and developing power generation assets. He joined Entergy from Lufkin Industries where he served as an Officer. In addition to his leadership roles in operations and finance, Brad developed and implemented Lufkin’s strategic planning process and coordinated the successful acquisition of companies in the U.S. and Europe to help implement the strategic plan. Previously, he was a consultant with Bain & Company where he advised clients on strategy and corporate turnarounds. Brad holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, summa cum laude, from Kansas State University and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. He currently serves as an Elder at Preston Trail Community Church and is a Trustee of Legacy Christian Academy. Brad is married to Leanne and they are the grateful parents of Abigail (21), Jonathan (19) and Matt (17). 000000F4 000000F4 00004BBB 00004BBB 0006C21A 0006C21A 00007E29 00007E29 0006BFA7 0006BFA7

May 22, 2020 • 60min
Advice to College Graduates
Today we are excited to present a montage of college graduates advice from past Fast Pitch guests. Today’s college graduates find themselves in an unprecedented and challenging environment because of the COVID 19 national lock down. To address this national challenge, we’ve compiled the best advice to college graduates from top private equity professionals. we will hear how they overcame challenges in their past and tangible advice they would offer to young graduates in an unfamiliar environment. 000003FA 000003F7 000153B5 000153B5 000305C6 000305C6 00007ED2 00007ECC 00119087 00119087

May 8, 2020 • 32min
Julia Karol, Watermill Group
Julia Karol is President and COO of Watermill Group. She is responsible for overall firm operations and helping Watermill portfolio companies develop and implement their strategies. Previously, as a Watermill Principal, Julia helped guide the day-to-day operations of the firm, directed the firm’s investor relations and managed fundraising initiatives for acquisitions. Prior to joining Watermill, Julia worked at Jumpstart, a national nonprofit organization. While at Jumpstart, she managed Boston-area fundraising, coordinated communication and marketing efforts, cultivated partnerships, developed alumni relations programming, and oversaw staff recruitment efforts. Julia currently serves as a Partner with Social Venture Partners Boston, a venture philanthropy organization which connects Boston’s most promising nonprofits with the money and minds to fuel their success. Julia has served as a Mentor for Endeavor, a global high-impact entrepreneurship movement and that promotes economic growth and job creation. She also serves as a member for the Budget and Administration Committee for Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Previously, Julia founded and served as board chair for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network in Boston. Julia is a member of ACG Boston and the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and has been named as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A by Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine for three consecutive years. In 2019, Julia received the Women of Influence Award from ACG Boston and was named one of Boston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees. In 2017, Julia was named an Emerging Leader by the M&A Advisor. EDUCATION: She received a M.A. in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership from Stanford University, completed the Owners, Presidents, Managers program at Harvard Business School, and the Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and earned a B.A. from Tufts University.

Apr 24, 2020 • 42min
Bob Landis, The Riverside Company
COMPANY OVERVIEW With over $10 billion in assets under management, The Riverside Company is one of the largest and oldest global private equity firms. Riverside makes control and non-control investments in companies with enterprise values under $400 million. Since its founding in 1988, Riverside has invested in more than 650 transactions and currently has a portfolio that includes more than 90 companies worldwide. The firms’ specializations include healthcare, education and training, manufacturing, tech-enabled business services, software, consumer, and franchising. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Robert Landis is a Founding Partner, Origination in the New York office of The Riverside Company, a private equity firm investing in premier companies at the smaller end of the middle market. Robert joined Riverside in 2002 and has over 42 years of commercial and investment banking experience gained at Deutsche Banc Alex Brown (18 years) and its predecessors, and at Citibank/ Chemical Bank.. At The Riverside Company he works with a team of 17 professionals who coordinate origination and structuring opportunities for Riverside's investment portfolios across 9 diversified funds globally. At Deutsche, he developed industry expertise in the consumer, industrial, transportation, and telecommunications sectors and in his last position (1987-2002) he created and led the Aerospace and Defense Group in North America. Robert previously headed the firm's North American corporate finance group as it transitioned to an investment bank in the mid 1990's. At Citibank, he was Vice President of the Multi-National Group. Prior to that, Robert was a Major (ret.) in the U.S. Army, serving 6 years active duty and 14 years active reserve with the 42nd Infantry Division, NYARNG. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Association for Corporate Growth, NY Chapter Board Member EDUCATION Mr. Landis holds a BS from the University of Colorado and an MBA in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management. Personal: Married with two children: Matthew and Moshe: wife Norma formerly of Colombia , language translator at NU Langonne Matthew :Notre Dame Lacrosse: 2x NCAA lacrosse defenseman of the year ( Schmeisser Award), Tewaarton Finalist ( similar to Heisman Trophy) and professional lacrosse player: 2 years Major League Lacrosse ( PLL) and one year Professional League Lacrosse ( PLL) , currently as of 2020, Ensign, U.S. Navy Moshe Landis: currently living in Israel, formerly member of the IDF Special Forces unit Sayeret Yahalom 000000C1 000000C0 000096B7 000096B7 0002140A 0002140A 00007E61 00007E61 00021958 00021958

Apr 23, 2020 • 33min
Restructuring & Turnaround Guidance for Directors & Officers
Many of you listened to Episode 57 which addressed the importance of a plan, urgency and actions necessary to begin and implement a turnaround for a company facing challenging issues. Our guest, Jeff Sands, shared his own journey in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and his work assisting companies with turnarounds. At the time we recorded Episode 57 we had no idea just how significant the coming days would be in terms of the consequences of Covid -19. For those that have not listened to Episode 57 it is well worth the time as it provides a road map for dealing with the challenging times we are all facing. The economic circumstances associated with Covid-19 have impacted individuals, families, businesses, schools, colleges and universities, local, state and federal governments in ways never before experienced. The impact is far beyond anything anticipated or contemplated by today’s contingency or crisis plans. The results are something that we will all have to work to overcome in the coming days, months and years. As optimists, we will all help our communities, businesses and people rise from the moment and return to a more normal way of life. Our guests today share a unique background, perspective and experience in assisting companies with the impact of crisis, restructuring and bankruptcy. While insurance may not be the first thing we think of in times of crisis, on this episode you will hear the implications and considerations apply across a spectrum of businesses. Insurance is more necessary than most think to position a company for recovery. We have three guests today… Devin Beresheim who is the Global Leader of Lockton Financial Services which includes Lockton’s Corporate Restructuring Team. Allison Witt, an energy expert within LFS and the co-leader of CRT and Tim Kelly who is a Senior Advisor to Lockton Financial Services and the Corporate Restructuring Team. 00000187 00000185 00003ED7 00003ED7 0006D3A7 0006D3A7 00007E06 00007DD9 000284CB 000284CB

Apr 10, 2020 • 31min
John Goldasich, Arlington Capital
Being heavily involved in the Food & Beverage Industry, John has valuable insights on how the current COVID-19 lockdowns have effected businesses and what they are doing to combat the impacts. John is a senior advisor to middle-market companies on sell-side and buy-side merger & acquisition transactions, corporate divestitures, management buyouts, recapitalizations and other corporate finance matters. John's primary responsibilities at Arlington include leading deal execution and business development. Prior to Arlington, John worked as a financial analyst for AmSouth Capital Markets, now Regions Capital Markets (NYSE: RF). At AmSouth, John specialized in corporate syndicated senior debt, leveraged finance, private placements, interest rate derivatives, taxable and tax-exempt bond issuances and other capital markets solutions for the bank's commercial clients. Representative clients during his time at AmSouth include many notable public and private companies from $100 million to $3 billion in revenue. John graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lipscomb University in 2001 with a B.A. degree in Political Science, where he was chosen to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy Assembly as the top Political Science student in his class. In addition, John was a four-year letterman on Lipscomb's NCAA Division-I golf team, where he was an academic All-American. He also earned a Masters degree, with distinction, in Management, Economics and International Relations from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, where he was a Ransome Scholar. At St. Andrews, John led a team of fellow students in winning the university's venture based business plan competition. An avid amateur golfer, John is a Member of Fenwick Brands Advisory Board and Investment Committee, Former President of Glenwood Autism & Behavioral Health's Junior Board and an active member of Birmingham's Monday Morning Quarterback Club. 000000E5 000000D9 00003BF8 0000384F 0019CDEB 0019CDEB 00007EA7 00007A17 00014449 00014449

Mar 30, 2020 • 46min
Jeff Sands, Dorset Partners
Jeff grew up in working in his family's manufacturing business and returned as an adult to help grow, fix, grow again, fix again and eventually exit that business.Since then he has specialized in corporate turnarounds; fighting to save businesses, jobs, fortunes and the communities they support. 3-times Jeff has been awarded of one of the Turnaround Management Association's prestigious Turnaround of the Year Awards for each of the following businesses; Vermont Aerospace (2017), Canadian Kraft Paper (2018) and Union Metal Industries (2019). Since 2002, he has transformed dozens of businesses in dozens of industries with a reputation for taking on the most dire situations. In addition to corporate turnarounds, Jeff is known widely for his ability to attain top dollar in the sale of distressed businesses, maximizing going concern value while saving jobs, revitalizing the local economy and providing a dignified exit to the debtors. Jeff recently authored Corporate Turnaround Artistry, Fix Any Business in 100 Days which will be published by J. Wiley & Sons in 2020. Jeff married his college sweetheart and they enjoy their free time skiing, biking and shuttling their 3 children around to sporting events. For more information, here are a few links: http://dorsetpartners.com/we-wrote-the-book/ www.DorsetPartners.com www.AIAC.com Corporate Turnaround Artistry Book 0000011E 0000011E 00003B2B 00003B2B 0002A524 0002A524 00007ED6 00007ED6 000281D6 000281D6