Joe Gantz

Mr. Gantz is a founding partner, a managing director and the chief operating officer of Pine Brook. He is also a member of the Investment Committee. Mr. Gantz is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Pine Brook, including investor relations and marketing.Mr. Gantz has extensive experience in corporate senior management and is an experienced and successful investor. In 1996 and 1997, respectively, he played an integral role in the successful turnaround of Seymour Housewares Corp., a portfolio company of Chase Capital Partners, and Fitz & Floyd, Inc., a portfolio company of ML-Lee Acquisition Funds II, LP, a joint fund managed by Thomas H. Lee Partners and Merrill Lynch. He served as the chairman and/or CEO of Empire Brushes, Inc., Seymour Housewares Corp. and PECO Pallet. In 1998, he became a founding partner of an SBIC fund focused on investing in creative retail concepts, consumer products and financial services companies. Mr. Gantz is currently a member of the executive committee of the Committee for Economic Development, a 70-year-old organization of business, academic and foundation leaders formed to develop public policy recommendations.Mr. Gantz holds a B.A. in History from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.