BRIGHTSTAR CAPITAL PARTNERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- SENIOR OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE
Adrienne is a Senior Operations Associate at Brightstar. Prior to joining Brightstar, she worked at E78 Partners (formerly Tillman PES) as the Operations Manager, where she implemented and managed their investor portal as well as provided client support. Adrienne graduated with her B.A. from the University of Missouri - St. Louis in 2011. She is currently working on her MBA at Maryville University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Aishwarya Gondesi is an Senior Associate at Brightstar. She is currently serves on the board of InfraServ US and on the transaction team for Novae, both Brightstar portfolio companies. Her responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Aishwarya worked at Moelis & Company as an Investment Banking Analyst, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and other transactions across various industries.
Aishwarya earned a B.S. in Business Management with concentrations in Finance and Corporate Reporting & Analysis from Boston College. She is fluent in Telugu.
Andrea Alfaro is an Administrative Assistant at Brightstar. Prior to joining Brightstar, she was the Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO at an interior design firm. Previously, Andrea worked as a Guest Services Supervisor at The Breakers Palm Beach.
Andrea earned a B.S. in Hospitality Management from the University of Central Florida.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- FOUNDER
- Managing Partner
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
Andrew Weinberg is Founder, CEO, and Chair of the Investment Committee. He currently serves as Board Chair of Likewize, BrightCell Logistics, and as Co-Chair of America's Group. Andrew serves on the boards of Douglas Products, ReMarkets, and Texas Water Supply Company, all Brightstar portfolio companies. In addition, Andrew formerly served on the boards of Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), Capstone Nutrition, InfraServ US, and QualTek.
Prior to founding Brightstar, Andrew was a Partner at Lindsay Goldberg, a New York-based private equity firm. Andrew served on the Boards of 13 portfolio companies during his tenure at Lindsay Goldberg. In addition, from 2008-2011 Andrew served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of Likewize. Prior to joining Lindsay Goldberg in 2003, Andrew worked at Goldman Sachs in their Principal Investment Area (PIA). Andrew started his career at Morgan Stanley in mergers and acquisitions and leveraged finance.
Andrew received his MBA from Stanford GSB and an AB from Dartmouth College with a double major in History and Economics. Andrew serves on the board of The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Andrew is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He is also a member of the World Economic Forum where he serves on the Global Future Council on Investing and the Stewardship Board of the Forum's Platform on Shaping the Future of Investing.
Andy is a Principal at Brightstar. Andy is responsible for compliance at the firm, along with accounting, finance and administration operations.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Andy was the head of finance and business operations for a professional soccer franchise in St. Louis. Prior to that, he held roles in FP&A and auditing for ESCO Technologies, a global provider of highly engineered products.
Andy earned his MBA from St. Louis University, and a degree in finance from Missouri State University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- PRINCIPAL
Brian Cronin is a Principal at Brightstar. Brian leads Brightstar's business development strategy and is a Brightstar Sourcing Steering Committee Member. He serves on the Board of Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), a Brightstar portfolio company.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Brian was a managing member of BPC Capital and led direct investments by family offices in operating companies. He was primarily responsible for business development and execution of value-creation plans for portfolio companies, including operational improvements and revenue growth strategies.
Previously, Brian co-founded Prosperity Construction, LLC, a civil site work construction company, in 2009. In 2018, Brian merged the company into a premier general construction company headquartered in the Southeast, active in 13 states.
Brian began his career as an analyst at SPB Partners in Las Vegas, a multi-family office, where he assisted with growth capital, restructuring, and management reorganization.
Brian has been a Young Presidents Organization (YPO) member since 2020. Brian received his MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University and his B.A. in History from Brigham Young University. He won a gold medal in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics in Taiwan as a member of Team USA basketball team.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- PRESIDENT
Bruce Roberson is President and Chief Operating Officer at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. Bruce serves as Board Chair of Douglas Products, as Co-Chair of America's Auto Group and serves on the boards of Novae, Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), and WindsorONE, all Brightstar portfolio companies. He previously served on the board of QualTek.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Bruce was a Partner with Sun Capital Partners ("Sun") responsible for leading Sun's operations team in North America. In that role he was responsible for the performance of more than thirty portfolio companies and served as a board member for 22 of those companies. Bruce was also a member of Sun's Executive, Investment and ESG Committees, reviewing and voting on more than 100 deals as an IC member, directing numerous high-profile commercial and operational diligence assignments, and leading several high impact firmwide process improvement initiatives.
Previously, Bruce served for ten years as President and CEO of PSC Industrial Services under two different private equity owners. At PSC Bruce led four separate sale processes. Investors in PSC benefited significantly from fundamental value creation: market share gains and new market entry drove revenue growth, service quality improvements drove margin expansion, infrastructure supporting front line workers and functional support staff drove material improvements, and the overall control environment (financial controls, safety processes, and environmental compliance) became a selling feature.
Prior to PSC, Bruce was an executive with Safety-Kleen Systems as well as a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company where he worked for twenty years. At McKinsey Bruce served on the firm's global Partner Election Committee, global Strategy Committee, and co-led McKinsey's global Organization, Transportation, Electronics, and Logistics practices. Most of Bruce's client work was comprised of multi-year partnerships focused on creating industry leading competitive positions.
Bruce received an economics degree from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Vice President of Business Development
Cara is a Vice President at Brightstar. She leads our research and works with the business development team on strategy and planning. Cara is a Brightstar Sourcing Steering Committee Member.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Cara led business development initiatives in small and family-owned businesses, including digitizing operations, establishing e-commerce platforms, and implementing marketing strategies.
Cara earned a B.A. in Art History with a minor in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE
- Member of the Investment Team
Charles Hill is an Associate at Brightstar. He is currently on the transaction team for ReMarkets and Amerit Fleet Solutions, both Brightstar portfolio companies. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to Brightstar, Charlie worked at Carl Marks Advisors as an Investment Banking Associate, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions across various industries.
Previously, Charlie worked at BTIG as an Investment Banking Analyst, where he covered multiple industries.
Charlie earned a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Business from Cornell University.
Christy Lukach - CFO, Chief Compliance Officer
Job Titles:
- CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
- CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
Christy Lukach is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. She is responsible for accounting, finance, and administration operations of the firm. She served as a Board Member of InfraServ US, a Brightstar portfolio company.
Prior to joining Brightstar, she was a Client Service Director at Tillman PES, a boutique accounting and administrative firm focused on the operational needs of private equity funds and their sponsors. Before Tillman PES, Christy worked at Green Courte Partners as a Senior Associate and Fund Analyst, supporting internal strategic decision making to maximize value to investors. Previous to Green Courte Partners, she worked at Sterling Partners where she was an Analyst as part of Sterling Partners' Portfolio Reporting Group and a Fund Accountant.
Christy started her career at RSM US, LLP as an Assurance Associate, focused on Financial Services clients. Christy is a CPA, received a Master of Accountancy from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BBA in Accounting from James Madison University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human ResourceS
Colette Dodson is a Vice President at Brightstar. She develops and leads Brightstar's people strategies with a strong focus on optimizing the employee experience and maintaining our culture.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Colette spent more than ten years in Human Resources in various industries, working with global organizations and diverse workforces.
Colette received a bachelor's degree in Business with a minor in Sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Craig Thomas - CMO, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
- MANAGING DIRECTOR
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
Craig Thomas is the Chief Marketing Officer and a Managing Director at Brightstar Capital Partners.
Craig focuses on creating and accelerating the firm's marketing strategy. He also works directly with Brightstar's portfolio companies, helping them optimize their internal and external marketing strategies and processes to improve performance.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Craig spent more than two decades as a journalist at local television news stations. He worked for CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates around the country, and early in his career was a producer for a national cable outlet. Most recently, Craig was an evening anchor for the CBS and FOX affiliates in Tucson, Arizona. He was also an investigative reporter, using multiple platforms for in-depth, original reporting. Craig is a 2023 Colorado Titan 100, The Titan 100 program recognizes Colorado's Top 100 CEOs and C-level executives.
Craig received an AB from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts.
Daniella attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she earned a B.S. in Hospitality Management.
David Millar is an Associate at Brightstar. He currently serves on the transaction teams for BrightCell, Likewize, and Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), all Brightstar portfolio companies. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to Brightstar, David worked at Guggenheim Securities as an Investment Banking Analyst in their Industrials Group.
David earned a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations with Business and Real Estate minors from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Partner
- Board Chair of Amerit Fleet Solutions
Raul Deju is a Partner at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. Raul serves as Board Chair of Amerit Fleet Solutions and serves on the board of WindsorONE, both Brightstar portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Raul served as an advisor to PSC and Recon and as President and COO of EnergySolutions, which generated more than $1.5 billion of proceeds from its IPO and follow-on offerings. Prior to EnergySolutions, Raul was SVP of IT Corporation, now Chicago Bridge & Iron; CEO of URS (acquired by AECOM); and President of several major entities within the Waste Management family of companies. He was also a founder of Isadra, a technology venture sold to VerticalNet and ISG Resources, a construction materials company merged into Headwaters, a public company.
Raul is a Board Member in a number of private companies in diverse fields and has created a program to help entrepreneurs, especially service-disabled veterans so they can succeed in their business ventures. He also serves as mentor to a number of Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned businesses. Over 100 graduates of Raul's university-level programs now own companies. Raul has extensive international experience managing European and Latin American subsidiaries and has served as Member of the Board of Governors of the World Nuclear Association. He also has served in Advisory Committees to the Secretary of Commerce and the US EPA Administrator during the Clinton Administration.
Raul has been named one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in the San Francisco Bay Area. Raul is also the recipient of the 2015 John F. Kennedy Lifetime of Entrepreneurship Award and recently published his 7th book, "We Got Mojo", in 2016. He received both his B.S. degree in Mathematics and Physics and his Ph.D. degree in Engineering and Geosciences from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Senior Partner
Gary is a Senior Partner at Brightstar and is an Observer to the Brightstar Investment Committee. He serves as a board member for America's Group and Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering).
Prior to joining Brightstar, Gary served on the boards of Formation Energy, Intermodal Holdings and MBI Energy Services. After serving in the United States Air Force Security Service, Gary founded the Cynergi Group, a provider of comprehensive advisory services to family offices and closely held businesses.
Gary also served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Carlson Marketing Group, a division of the Carlson Companies, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. Prior to his time at Carlson, Gary served as CEO & President of various companies in the telecom, satcom, data services and manufacturing sectors. These companies include: Wam!Net, The Miner Group, World Satellite Network, and Apollo Communications. Gary currently serves on the board of Accumold.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE
- Member of the Investment Team
Gordon Eides is an Associate at Brightstar. He is currently on the transaction team for WindsorONE, a Brightstar portfolio company. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Grant LaFurney is an Associate at Brightstar and currently serves on the transaction team for Novae. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Hayle Barry is an Administrative Assistant at Brightstar in the firm's New York headquarters. Prior to joining Brightstar she worked as a Title & Closing Analyst with Fidelity Residential Solutions. She graduated from Coastal Carolina University with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts and a minor in Global Studies.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE
- Member of the Investment Team
Jeffrey Johnsen is an Associate at Brightstar. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Jeffrey worked at Wells Fargo as an Investment Banking Analyst in their Middle Market Investment Banking Group.
Jeffrey earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington & Lee University.
Jeremy is a Vice President & Controller at Brightstar. He is responsible for accounting and finance activities pertaining to the funds, including reporting, valuation and investor requests.
Prior to joining Brightstar, he worked at PwC as an Assurance Associate in the audit practice. Jeremy served both public and private companies in the pharmaceutical, utility, and consumer products industries.
Jeremy is a CPA and earned his B.S. and Master of Accountancy from the University of Alabama.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Co - Head of Investor Relations / Managing Director
Jesse Rosenfeld is Managing Director and the Co-head of Investor Relations at Brightstar.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Jesse worked for Riva Ridge Capital Management. At Riva Ridge, he led fundraising and investor relations efforts for a private investment firm specializing in complex, overlooked, or misunderstood situations in the leveraged company universe.
Before joining Riva Ridge, Jesse worked for J.P. Morgan as an Executive Director in their Capital Introduction Group. Previously, he was the Director of Business Development for Xaraf Management LLC, a hedge fund firm.
Jesse graduated with a B.A. from Princeton University. He began his career as a professional basketball player, primarily in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.
Job Titles:
- VICE PRESIDENT
- Vice President Finance & Compliance
John is a Vice President at Brightstar. He focuses on Fund Financial Planning and Analysis and Portfolio Monitoring.
Prior to joining Brightstar, John worked at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank as an Investment Specialist, where he focused on serving the investment management needs of institutional clients.
John is a level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst Program, and earned his B.A. from the University of Missouri, with concentrations in Finance, Economics, and Statistics.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE
- Member of the Investment Team
Justin Han is an Associate at Brightstar. He is currently on the transaction teams for Douglas Products and Texas Water Supply, both Brightstar portfolio companies. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to Brightstar, Justin worked at Barclays as an Investment Banking Analyst in their Global Industrials Group.
Justin earned a B.A. in Economics from Middlebury College.
Job Titles:
- Receptionist
- Receptionist / COMPANY
Kathryn Eckburg is a Receptionist at Brightstar in the firm's New York office. Prior to joining Brightstar, she did an AmeriCorps service year with City Year Chicago. Kathryn earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Lake Forest College.
Job Titles:
- CONTROLLER
- Vice President
- Vice President & Controller / Operations
Kyle is a Vice President & Controller at Brightstar. Kyle focuses on the firm's accounting, finance and compliance operations.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Kyle worked at RSM US LLP as a Senior Assurance Associate with a focus on Housing and Urban Development as well as tribal casinos and governments. Prior to RSM, Kyle earned a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from the College of Saint Scholastica.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
Larry Schmidlapp is a Managing Director at Brightstar and currently serves on the Boards of Amerit Fleet Solutions and Texas Water Supply Company, all Brightstar portfolio companies. He previously served on the board of InfraServ US.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Larry was a Senior Associate at Fifth Street Asset Management on the investment team where he evaluated and executed direct debt investments in private middle market companies. Prior to Fifth Street, Larry was an Associate at TAP Advisors where he focused on executing merger & acquisition transactions for clients in the telecommunications and media sectors.
Larry began his career at AGC Partners, a boutique investment bank in Boston primarily advising clients in the technology sector.
Larry is a CFA charter holder and received his MBA from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in Finance from Wake Forest University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Senior Executive
Maggie Amroussi is a Senior Executive Assistant at Brightstar. Prior to joining Brightstar, she worked at netamorphosis, a creative-digital agency, as the Manager of Team Building and Cultural Operations. Maggie earned her B.A. in English Literature with minors in Psychology and Studio Art from Hunter College.
Maggie is a Principal at Brightstar. She is responsible for the accounting and finance activities pertaining to the funds, including reporting, portfolio monitoring, valuation and investor requests.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Maggie held various roles in Finance and FP&A, most recently serving as the Manager of FP&A and Consolidation for a hard discount grocery retailer headquartered in St. Louis. Maggie started her career with Deloitte in the Audit and Assurance practice where she served a variety of both public and private clients in the financial services, manufacturing, energy and healthcare industries.
Maggie is a CPA and received her BSA and Master of Accountancy from the University of Missouri.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Partner
Matthew Allard is a Partner at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. He currently serves as Board Chair of Novae, Texas Water Supply Company, Vice Chair of Amerit Fleet Solutions and as a board member of BrightCell, Likewize and WindsorONE, all Brightstar portfolio companies. Matt previously served on the board of QualTek.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Matt was Head of Financial Sponsors at Stifel where he was responsible for leading the firm's Private Equity client coverage and execution efforts, was a member of the Investment Bank Management Committee and had extensive merger & acquisition and capital markets experience across a range of industries. Matt started his finance career with Citi and Bank of America, and previously held positions in both consulting and operations.
Matt received his MBA from Columbia Business School, Beta Gamma Sigma honors, and a BSE from the University of Michigan with a major in Industrial and Operations Engineering. He is a Trustee of the King School in Connecticut.
Michael Drexler - Chief Strategy Officer, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER
- MANAGING DIRECTOR
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
Michael Drexler is the Chief Strategy Officer and a Managing Director at Brightstar. He currently serves on the boards of America's Group and REMarkets, both Brightstar portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Michael was Managing Director and Global Head of Strategy and Business Transformation at J.P. Morgan Asset Management based in New York. He was a member of the division's Operating Committee and worked with all business lines on strategic initiatives, including M&A, business efficiency, and decision making.
Previously, he worked for nearly a decade in a senior leadership role at the World Economic Forum as Member of the Executive Committee responsible for partnerships and content in the Alternative Investment industry and later the Forum's content initiatives across the financial sector, infrastructure, and long-term investing. Michael also spent nearly a decade at Barclays Capital in London, as the Global Head of Strategy and Planning for the majority of his time there, following his role as a consultant at McKinsey & Co and a post-doctoral position at Stanford University.
Michael holds a doctorate in Mathematics from Oxford University and an M.Sc. in Engineering from the Technical University at Munich.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- PARTNER
Michael Singer is a Partner at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. Michael currently serves as Chair of Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), and on the board of Amerit Fleet Solutions, both Brightstar portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Michael led and was the executive sponsor for numerous transactions, Including acquisitions, their respective integrations and portfolio sale processes. He most recently was the Chief Strategy Officer for Likewize, where he also served on the boards of several of its portfolio companies. Michael also served on the board of LightWorks Optics, an aerospace & defense optics supplier, and the advisory board of FutureDial, a device diagnostics software provider.
Previously, Michael was the Corporate Vice President, Strategic Planning and CIO for B/E Aerospace, a publicly traded designer and manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft products with 50 global locations. In that role, Michael led a 262-person department, and helped the company grow revenue from $600M to $3B over 7 years. During his career, Michael also gained experience as a management consultant and design engineer in both the public and private sectors, including at the Department of Defense.
Michael earned a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia and an MBA, with highest honors, from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business.
Job Titles:
- ASSOCIATE
- Associate / Investor Relations
Nate Skolds is an Associate at Brightstar. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Nicole Tramel is an Administrative Assistant at Brightstar. Prior to joining Brightstar, she was a Regional Trainer and Technician for Greenbrook TMS NeuroHealth Centers.
Nicole earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Vice President
Noah Siegel is a Vice President at Brightstar and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Douglas Products and Novae, both Brightstar portfolio companies. His responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Noah worked at AEA Investors, focusing on investment opportunities across a range of industries including industrial services and business services. He began his career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in the Strategy & Corporate Finance practice.
Noah received his BA in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Co - Head of Investor Relations
- Co - Head of Investor Relations / Managing Director
Peter is Managing Director and the Co-head of Investor Relations at Brightstar.
Prior to joining Brightstar, he was an Associate at Barclays Investment Bank in the Industrials sector where he was actively involved in the Airlines and Aerospace & Defense verticals.
Peter started his career at Morgan Stanley in their Private Wealth Management division, servicing ultra-high net worth individuals, families and institutions. Peter holds a B.A. in History from Trinity College.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Partner
Reidar Brekke is a Partner at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. He currently serves as a Board Member of Novae, and Observer to the Board of Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), all Brightstar Portfolio Companies. He previously served as Board Chair of InfraServ US and is currently an Observer to the board.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Reidar was President of Intermodal Holdings LP, a provider of containers and portable storage solutions for both on land and maritime usage from 2012-2018. Prior to 2012, he held a number of senior roles including manager of Poten Capital Services, a strategic and financial advisory specializing in the logistics and maritime sectors. Prior to 2003, Reidar was CFO, then President and COO of SynchroNet Marine, a logistics service provider to the global container transportation industry, and held numerous senior positions with AMA Capital Partners LLC, a merchant bank.
Reidar served as an Advisor for the Norwegian Trade Commission in New York & Oslo, Norway, and as a financial advisor in Norway. He has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs - Center for Energy, Marine Transportation and Public Policy and has served as an Independent Director for Scorpio Tankers (STNG) since December 2016 and for Diana Containerships Inc. (DCIX) from June 2010 to February 2022. Reidar represented Norway in the Eisenhower Trophy, a biennial world amateur team golf championship led by the International Golf Federation.
Reidar graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute and obtained an MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Partner
- Member of Young Presidents Organization
Roger Bulloch is a Partner at Brightstar and a Member of the Investment Committee. He currently serves as Board Chair of WindsorONE, a Brightstar portfolio company. In addition, Roger formerly served on the boards of Capstone Nutrition and QualTek.
Prior to joining Brightstar, he was a Co-founder and Managing Principal of SPB Capital Partners. Roger also Co-founded Wet ‘n' Wild Las Vegas, a waterpark partnership with Village Roadshow Ltd, Howard Hughes Corporation, AgassiGraf, and other families to promote social impact investing and youth employment.
From 2004 to 2010, Roger was the Co-founder and CEO of Sher Capital, a significant family office (heirs to Fortune 500 Company) and Sher Gaming, a licensed gaming partnership with interests in three hotel casinos totaling 2,300 hotel rooms.
Prior to SPB Capital Partners and Sher Capital, Roger was a Senior Vice President in the Private Bank of Bank of America. Roger also worked in the Investment Services Group of Credit Suisse in Los Angeles, California and its predecessor firm, Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette (DLJ).
Roger has been a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) since 2007. Roger received his BS in Business from the Marriott Business School at Brigham Young University and his MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Principal
Sam Totusek is a Principal at Brightstar and currently serves on the Board of Directors for BrightCell, Likewize, and Astrion (f/k/a Oasis Technology & Engineering), all Brightstar portfolio companies.
Prior to Brightstar, Sam worked at KKR Capstone, a division of KKR that identifies and delivers sustainable operational performance within the firm's portfolio companies. He worked across multiple sectors, including manufacturing and healthcare, focusing on business unit integration, strategic sourcing, and capital allocation.
Sam began his career at The Boston Consulting Group, where he assisted companies with sales optimization, growth (5-year growth plans) and post-merger strategies.
Sam earned his BBA degree (Accounting and Business Honors) from Texas A&M's Mays Business School.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS
Shana Bochinis is a Vice President at Brightstar.
Shana is responsible for the coordination, planning and support of daily activity and administrative functions across Brightstar's operations. She also assists the Managing Partner.
Shana graduated from New York University with a B.S. in Information and Communication Technologies. Shana is active in many organizations in her community, including youth mentorship at The New York Foundling Hospital and volunteer services at New York Cares, The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Vice President
Simi Kavthekar is a Vice President at Brightstar. She serves as a Board Member for WindsorOne, a Brightstar portfolio company. Her responsibilities include evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Brightstar, Simi worked at CSL Capital, focusing on investment opportunities in the oilfield services industry. Simi began her career at Credit Suisse as an Analyst in the Oil and Gas investment banking coverage group.
Simi received her MBA from The University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and graduated from the Business Honors Program at The University of Texas at Austin where she earned a BBA in Finance.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Partners and Managing Directors Team
- Partner
Job Titles:
- Member of the Investment Team
- Principal