1847 - Key Persons
Colonel Baker served in The Liberian Frontier Force, and worked for two Liberian Presidential administrations: as a senior government official under President William V. S. Tubman, and in a national security advisory role for President William R. Tolbert. Tenneh was a school teacher, and the adopted daughter of 18th Liberian President Edwin J. Barclay, and his wife Euphemia. President Barclay served from 1930 - 1944, and was a committed US ally during World War II.
Dan Brown is the CEO of Wolo. Prior to Wolo, Brown was vice president of marketing for AGS, a leading manufacturer of specialty lubricants, adhesives and aftermarket brake, fuel, and transmission lines. At AGS he was responsible for leading, developing, organizing, and managing multiple teams. Previously, Brown was executive vice president of Premium Guard, a global sourcing platform for automotive replacement parts, where he was responsible for all functional product areas for the $60 million annual business. Brown was director of product management at Dorman Products from 2006 to 2017, where he led all aspects of the product team from initial planning through to final execution for multiple product lines. He was also responsible for prioritizing product requirements, defining the vision for the product categories and coordinating with all team members from product, engineering and supply chain in order to ensure that all goals were met. Before being named director of product management, Brown served as a product manager from 2003 to 2006. Prior to Dorman, Brown spent six years as national sales manager for Bosal USA. During his tenure, Brown was responsible for the company's OEM exhaust system parts replacement program as well as its motorsports and performance exhaust business.
Mr. Tobin was previously a Director of Global Emerging Markets North America, Inc. (GEM), where for 15 years he managed Special Situations and Venture investing for GEM's Partners Capital Fund. Ed was also a principal and on the investment committee of the MENA Fund, a Shari'ah compliant private equity fund which was a joint venture between GEM and VC Bank, itself a Shari'ah compliant bank based in Bahrain. In addition to these activities, while at GEM Ed oversaw structured finance transactions in industries such as clean tech, consumer/retail, alternative finance, media, telecommunications, manufacturing, retailing, real estate and life sciences. Prior to joining GEM, Ed was Managing Director of Lincklaen Partners, a private family investment office. Previously, he had been a portfolio manager with Neuberger and Berman, managing both pension funds and private client capital in the public equity markets. Prior to N&B, he was a Vice President of Nordberg Capital, Inc. Ed is on the Boards of 1847 Holdings LLC, Peekay Boutiques, Inc., PPI Management LLC, and GEM Holdings LLC, in addition to his various philanthropic activities. Ed received his MBA from the Wharton School, as well as a Master of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Economics (cum laude) from the University of Pennsylvania.
As the founder of 1847, Mr. Roberts brings over 20 years of private equity investing experience to the management team. Prior to founding 1847, Mr. Roberts formed RW Capital Partners LLC, an investment manager, approved by the Investment Committee of the U.S. Small Business Administration in 2010 to raise and manage a Small Business Investment Company.
Prior to founding RW Capital Partners LLC, Mr. Roberts was a Managing Director of Parallel Investment Partners LP (formerly SKM Growth Investors LP), a Dallas based private equity fund focused on recapitalizations, buyouts and growth capital investments in lower middle market companies throughout the United States. Mr. Roberts was responsible for approximately $400 million in invested capital across two funds.
Prior to Parallel, Mr. Roberts was a Vice President with Lazard Freres & Co. working in their Real Estate Principal Investment Area, where he was a senior team member involved in the investment of over $2.4 billion of capital.
Prior to joining Lazard in 1997, Mr. Roberts worked at Colony Capital, Inc., where he analyzed and executed transactions for Colony Investors II, L.P., a $625 million private equity fund and prior to that worked in the Corporate Finance Division of Smith Barney, Inc. where he participated in a wide variety of investment banking activities. During his career Mr. Roberts has been directly involved with over $3.0 billion in direct private equity investments. Mr. Roberts received his B.A. degree in English from Stanford University.
Ellery Roberts, the founder and CEO of 1847, visited Liberia in 1978 as a precocious 8 year old. This visit cemented his fascination with the history of Liberia and its unique relationship with the United States. In 2013, when Mr. Roberts decided to formalize his investment strategy to target lower middle market companies as the foundation of building a public conglomerate, he thought it was an opportune time to honor his lineage. This included his Liberian mother (Eleanor W. Baker), grandfather (Col. Nathaniel H. S. Baker, Sr), grandmother (Tenneh Barclay), and great grandfather (Edwin J. Barclay).
Job Titles:
- COO
- Member of the Executives Team
Mr. VanDam brings 30 years of experience leading operations from a diverse range of positions and is a lean manufacturing executive leader with a proven track record of both exceeding metrics and creating loyal followership within organizations. Mr. VanDam has worked for over 20 years at companies holding a direct coaching relationship with Toyota implementing the Toyota Production System (TPS) within the furniture, automotive, and agriculture industries.
Mr. VanDam joined Herman Miller in 2000, shortly after the company's organizational commitment to the lean manufacturing process with Toyota. Building from his TPS experience in the automotive industry, he was developed through the company's Executive Leadership programs to lead operations across multiple sites during his 16 years with the company, including leading a $115 million development project. VanDam's ability to utilize lean processes throughout the entire value stream, in every aspect of the business, demonstrated his ability to coach and lead an organization through lean culture transformation.
Mr. Ladt is the Vice-President of a twenty five year old woman owned family Consulting business, Ladt Consulting Services, Inc. Since joining the firm is 2012 as its Vice-President, Mr. Ladt has worked with numerous companies helping them to scale up through the use of people, processes and procedures. Prior to joining Ladt Consulting Services, Inc., he spent twenty years of successful leadership, at President/CEO level, executing winning strategies including global markets. Developed and expanded international sales through strategic alliances. (Built, motivated, and inspired cross-functional teams to embrace change and exceed corporate expectations. Experienced in managing legal, financial, operational, engineering, human resources, quality control, environmental, and occupational safety & health issues). Mr. Ladt was the President/CEO of PeTroCoke, Inc. from 1993 - 2012, which supplied an alternative fuel to fortune five hundred companies in the pulp and paper industries. Mr. Ladt simultaneously served from 2006 to 2011 as President/CEO of two other companies, AAA Fabricators and PEBCO (a worldwide manufacturer of bulk solids handling equipment and loading systems for ships and trains.). (He had overall responsibility for the environmental compliance, engineering, manufacturing, design teams, sales, and finance.) He traveled internationally developing the customer base and overseeing start-ups. Mr. Ladt received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from Vanderbilt University.
Job Titles:
- CAO
- Chief Administrative Officer Role at 1847 Holdings LLC
- Creative Strategist
Gayle Harris has been in business development and operations for more than 20 years. Gayle brings a demonstrated history of success to 1847 Holdings LLC across multiple industries, including Entertainment, Fashion, Law, Private Equity, Publishing, and Real Estate. Gayle is a high energy professional with a history of successfully innovating processes, providing tactical management insight, increasing productivity, and contributing to an increase in revenue. Her experience ranges from start-up phase to solidly established companies.
Gayle is a creative strategist, advising CEOs, executive teams, and boards of directors on business operations, organizational change, workplace culture, diversity, compensation, and talent optimization. Gayle is known for inspiring, engaging, and understanding an industry's landscape so that her teams outperform the competition.
In her current Chief Administrative Officer role at 1847 Holdings LLC, Gayle is a member of the operating committee and leads personnel operations and strategy (HR) diversity, inclusion, information technology, social responsibility, and office administration. Gayle believes that her gift to communicate effectively is the key to her success, as she genuinely cares about building relationships that last. Gayle enjoys island life, spending time with her family, writing, and speaking engagements. Most of all, Gayle specializes in inspiring others, one person at a time.
Gayle holds a BA degree in Business Administration, Marketing and Human Resource Management, she is a Cum Laude graduate of Chapman University, and studied Human Resources Management at UCLA.
Job Titles:
- Partner of Park North Capital
Job Titles:
- Operating Partner to 1847 Holdings LLC
Ken Yuan is an Operating Partner to 1847 Holdings LLC. Ken has a diverse experience in growth strategy development, financial operations, corporate restructuring, and private equity investment. He has advised and operated both distressed and non-distressed companies in industries such as retail, manufacturing, and telecommunications. Ken also founded Spinningbook, LLC, an advisory services firm that provides investment, financial, and operational advisory.
Prior to working with 1847, Ken was the Head of Strategy at FedEx Supply Chain; he led a team of analysts and worked closely with the CEO office in developing growth strategies. Ken was the president of American Plastics, a provider of medical-grade materials and services to the Orthotic & Prosthetic industry. He led the company in developing new product-offerings and expanding its customer base; because of Ken's effort, American Plastics' sales grew by more than 10% and its EBITDA grew by more than 15% in less than two years. Ken successfully helped the owners of American Plastics exit the business by selling it to a strategic buyer.
Previously, Ken was a Director with Alvarez & Marsal North America, LLC., a global professional services company. At Alvarez & Marsal, Ken developed and executed a vendor management strategy for a $14 billion, tier-1 automotive supplier in securing a $135 million bankruptcy court vendor relief; negotiated a $120 million senior debt facility for a corrugated packaging company; developed a POS system implementation play for a $300 million oil-&-lube franchisee for its bankruptcy restructuring.
Ken worked at TPG Capital, a global, large-cap private equity firm. His work at TPG focused portfolio-company performance, and operational analysis; his operational portfolio included companies such as Neiman Marcus, Petco, and Debenham. Ken worked closely with TPG's operations team and portfolio-companies in identifying operational issues. He also worked with TPG's China/Hong Kong office.
After graduate school, Ken joined Braxton Associates, the corporate strategy practice of Deloitte Consulting, in Dallas, Texas. While working at Deloitte/Braxton, Ken focused on functional areas of strategic planning, market growth and customer retention, channel strategy, and financial restructuring. After leaving Deloitte, Ken joined XRoads Solutions Group, a national turnaround and advisory services firm.
Ken holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Utah. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has a basic knowledge of Japanese.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Paul has served on the board of directors of 1847 Holdings since January 2014. In 2009, Mr. Froning co-founded Focus Healthcare Partners LLC, a Chicago-based private equity investment, advisory and asset management firm targeting the senior housing and healthcare sectors. Prior to that, from February 2008 to October 2009, Mr. Froning was a Managing Director in the private equity department of Fortress Investment Group LLC (NYSE: FIG), a publicly-traded New York-based private investment firm. Prior to that, Mr. Froning was the Chief Investment Officer and Executive Vice President of Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD), a publicly-traded affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC, from 2005 to 2008. Previously, Mr. Froning held senior investment positions at the private equity investment arms of Lazard Group LLC (NYSE: LAZ) and Security Capital Group, prior to its acquisition by GE Capital Corp., in addition to investment banking experience at Salomon Brothers, prior to its acquisition by Travelers Group, and the securities subsidiary of Principal Financial Group (NYSE: PSG). Mr. Froning has a B.A. degree from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Froning was selected to serve on our board of directors due to his twenty years of private equity, investment and advisory experience.
Paulina thrives in the accounting arena; her experience includes working as an accountant in the health care industry and as an assistant professor of accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Ohio. Paulina brings a passion for research and a deep knowledge of daily business operations and accounting practices. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Guanajuato, and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University. It was while completing her MBA at WVU that she fell in love with accounting and decided to pursue a graduate degree in this field and went on to graduate from Florida Atlantic University with a Ph.D. in Accounting in 2015. She will work alongside Ross and Vernice to support and develop our investment team. In her free time Paulina enjoys the outdoors with her three children and exploring local parks.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Robert has served on the board of directors of 1847 Holdings since January 2014 and has served as Controller of 1847 Holdings' subsidiary Neese, Inc., since July 2017. From April 2013 until August 2016, Mr. Barry was Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Pawn Plus Inc., a chain of five retail pawn stores in suburban Philadelphia and one pawn store in northeastern Ohio. Prior to that, Mr. Barry served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Regional Management Corp. (NYSE:RM), a consumer loan company based in Greenville, South Carolina, from March 2007 to January 2013. Prior to joining Regional Management Corp., Mr. Barry was the Managing Member of AccessOne Mortgage Company, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 1997 to 2007. During this time, he also served as part-time Chief Financial Officer for Patriot State Bank, in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, from March 2006 to March 2007 and Nuestro Banco, Raleigh, North Carolina, from July 2006 to March 2007. Prior to his time at AccessOne, Mr. Barry was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Regional Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:REGA), a consumer finance company based in Greenville, North Carolina and prior to that he was a financial institutions partner in the Raleigh, North Carolina office of KPMG LLP. Mr. Barry is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in North Carolina and Georgia. Mr. Barry was selected to serve on our board of directors due to his years of relevant financial and business expertise.
Job Titles:
- Operating Partner With 1847 Holdings LLC
Bob Patterson is an Operating Partner with 1847 Holdings LLC. Bob has extensive experience providing leadership for small to mid-cap growth investments in specialty retail and service industry. Prior to 1847 Holdings, LLC, Bob has served as Operating Partner for Parallel Investment Partners (Dallas, TX) and Blackstreet Capital (Chevy Chase, MD). Bob understands that success in his role requires that people, process, and technology is aligned with the strategic objectives of an organization and that shareholder value is increased through execution of the investment thesis.
Currently, Bob is President/CEO for the 1847 Holdings' investment in Asien's Appliance. Located in Santa Rosa, California and founded in 1948, the Asiens provides a wide variety of appliance services including sales, delivery, installation, service and repair, extended warranties, and financing to the North Bay.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant in the States of Maryland
Ross Walker is a Certified Public Accountant in the states of Maryland and Illinois. He graduated from Salisbury University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a Minor in English. He then joined CohnReznick, a large public accounting firm, in their Baltimore office. From there he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he currently resides, and became an Audit Manager with BKD, LLP. He recently joined 1847 Holdings LLC as an investment professional. He has extensive experience in the Health Care, Construction, Manufacturing & Development, Not-for-Profit, Private Equity, and Real Estate industries, among others. In his current role, he researches and advises on potential new acquisitions, assists in preparing financial information for the parent company, and supports the CEOs of the subsidiaries.
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Founding Member of Chief
Ms. Howard has over 30 years of experience in the fields of finance and accounting. Howard brings a wealth of knowledge to the CFO position. The foundation of Ms. Howard's accounting and finance hierarchy began with public accounting for several years gaining experience in the tax, auditing, television broadcasting for Cronkite & Ward as Chief Financial Officer to Walter Cronkite; entertainment industry, for-profit businesses, nonprofit sector of social services; and formulating experience for Association's with the American Political Science Association (APSA).
Prior to joining 1847 Holdings LLC, Howard worked for Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC); affiliates and IEC Foundation for twelve years as a Chief Financial Officer providing financial and strategic management.
Howard's financial restructuring background established a track record for continual growth throughout her tenure with IEC. Before her work with IEC, Howard's professional background established an emphasis in forensic accounting. Her experience in forensic accounting has provided financial restructuring for every company she has held a position. She has a visionary ability to strategically identify the problem; and implement result-driven financial solutions. Her skills have been held in high esteem to many court cases as an expert with providing restored finances in the millions to companies.
Ms. Howard is a Founding Member of Chief, DC which is a vetted network of C-level or Rising VP's supporting and connecting exceptional woman. Howard holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Trinity Washington University Graduate School of Business Management, Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Duquesne University.