CHARTWELL INVESTMENTS - Key Persons


Christine Del Pilar

Job Titles:
  • Executive Assistant
  • Executive Assistant / Executive Council
Christine joined Chartwell in 2020. She is the Executive Assistant to CHIEF's Managing Partner and Vice President as well as the Company's Executive Administrator. Prior to joining Chartwell, Christine served as the Product Lead for an online fundraising platform for travelers, FundMyTravel.

Cliff Pennell

Job Titles:
  • Executive Council / Executive Council
  • Founder & President of STONEBREAKER LLC
Cliff is Founder & President of STONEBREAKER LLC, a Strategic Services Consulting Company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established in 2000, STONEBREAKER provides strategic assistance to companies with a focus on general business management, marketing, branding and process optimization.

Deepak Sethi - VP

Job Titles:
  • Vice President
Deepak joined Chartwell in 2015, and has 15 years of investment experience. He is responsible for evaluating, structuring, and executing potential new platform and add-on acquisitions, as well as general portfolio company oversight. Previously, Deepak was an Associate at Hyde Park Holdings (HPH), a middle market buyout firm, where he was responsible for new investment analysis, equity and debt financings, and strategic initiatives. Prior to HPH, he was an Associate at Velocity Capital Advisors (VCA), the external investment advisor to a former publicly traded business development company. At VCA, he helped to grow the portfolio by analyzing and executing unitranche, 1st lien, 2nd lien, and mezzanine investments as part of a general credit strategy. Prior to VCA, he held various roles within the finance division at Morgan Stanley. He started his career as an Analyst with GE Capital. Deepak currently serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Ocean Aesthetic Holdings, LLC, Rohrer Aesthetics, Inc., Contract Datascan Holdings, Inc., EFM Equipment Company, LLC, and General Rubber Corporation and has previously served as a Director of TTG Imaging Solutions. Deepak has an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business, a B.S. from the Fairfield University Dolan School of Business as a dual major in Finance and Marketing.

Gary Kessler

Job Titles:
  • Executive Council / Executive Council
Gary Kessler is the former President & CEO of Carey International, Inc., a private equity-backed, $220 million, tech-enabled business services company. During Gary's tenure as CEO, Carey transformed the way it conducted business, making the company significantly more profitable and re-shaping the way it went to market, despite operating in an industry that has been significantly disrupted by Uber and Lyft. Gary has extensive M&A experience, created diverse go-to-market strategies, and developed technology solutions to improve scalability within capital- and labor-intensive organizations. A magna cum laude graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, Gary also holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

John Diab

Job Titles:
  • Executive Council / Executive Council
  • Member of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association
John is the President and CEO of Bordentown Truck Driver Training School, one of the largest commercial driver's training schools in the country. Under Diab's leadership, Smith & Solomon and Progressive Truck Driving School has grown to 11 locations in 4 states, helping train more than 55,000 students. Prior to acquiring Smith & Solomon in 2003, Diab operated two of the northeast's largest truck stops employing over 300 people and serving the transportation needs of commercial truck drivers and the transportation industry. In 1999, as an extension of the truck stops' services, Diab started Bordentown Driver Training School to help develop the next generation of high quality commercial truck drivers. Diab has been a member of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) since 2009 and has been a member of the CVTA Board of Directors since 2011. He has held multiple positions within the association including Legislative Chair, Image Committee Chair and Vice Chair, and was voted Board Member of the Year in 2012. In 2014 Diab was elected Chairman of CVTA. Diab's current CVTA roles include Motor Carrier Committee Chairman, Executive Committee and Board Member Emeritus.

Mark Skolnik

Job Titles:
  • Executive
  • Executive Council / Executive Council
  • Member of the Wilson Council
Mark Skolnik retired as a Sr. Executive of ExxonMobil Corporation in 2011 after 35 years of service. He held significant leadership roles in Refining, Global supply chain management, Chemicals, and Marketing. After the merger of Exxon and Mobil, Mr. Skolnik held the position of Vice President of Global Fuels Marketing. He subsequently took on the role of Director of Strategic Planning and led many of the Corporation's global divestment activities, concluding over $3 Billion of transactions.Mr. Skolnik was involved over many years with ExxonMobil's employee diversity initiatives, actively participating in the Corporation's various mentoring programs. Mr. Skolnik has been a member of the Wilson Council, part of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, based in Washington, D.C. Mr. Skolnik also served as Chair of the Thomas Jefferson Partnership Fund and has been involved as a mentor for SCORE (Service Corp. of Retired Executives), helping aspiring entrepreneurs succeed in their business endeavors. Mr. Skolnik received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Union College and holds an MBA from Wharton Graduate Business School.

Michael Shein - CEO, Chairman

Job Titles:
  • Chairman of the Board of Directors
  • Managing Partner
Mike has over 30 years of experience in all facets of private equity investing and has participated in the purchase or sale of businesses with transaction values exceeding $4 billion. Mike currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors across multiple organizations: Blue Ocean Aesthetics Holdings, LLC, Rohrer Aesthetics, Inc., Contract Datascan Holdings, Inc., PPC Holdings, Inc., EFM Equipment Company, LLC, and General Rubber Corporation, and serves as a Director of Richard Childress Racing. Mike has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors or as a Director of multiple private companies including TTG Imaging Solutions, RQM+, Carey International, Bell Sports, Petro Stopping Centers, and SunPark.

Ms. Mary George

Job Titles:
  • Executive Council / Executive Council
Ms. Mary George has an exceptional history of success in the management of publicly traded and private equity-held consumer products and medical device companies. Throughout her 30+ year career, she has directed the development of internationally renowned branded products and created new paths for companies in transition. Ms. George most recently held the position of the CEO of Easton Hockey, a leader in the field of ice hockey equipment and served as Co-Chairman of Bell Automotive Products, a leader in the automotive aftermarket accessories category. Currently, as a co-founder of Morningstar Business Development Group, she advises Venture Capital and Private Equity firms on a wide range of business opportunities. Ms. George has amassed extensive Board experiences in a variety of industries including Oakley, 3-Day Blinds, Bell Automotive Products, Oreck Corporation, Bell Sports, Red Digital Camera, Swell Inc., Remedy Temp, Tokos Medical Services and Mission Hospital. She currently serves on the Boards of BRG (formerly Easton-Bell), and is on the Advisory Board of American Securities, a New York based middle-market private equity firm. Ms. George holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis in Finance and Marketing.