CARTESIAN CAPITAL GROUP - Key Persons
Allan Leighton will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. He is an internationally recognized business leader and currently serves on the board of directors of multiple companies, including Co-Operative Group, Canal and River Trust, Element Materials Technology, Allbright, Northern Bloc, Simba Sleep, C&A AG, Pizza Express, and BrewDog. Prior to his current responsibilities, Allan served as CEO of Pandora A/S, and before that as President and Deputy Chairman of Loblaw. He led the modernization and transformation of the Royal Mail, ultimately as the organization's longest-serving Chairman. Earlier in his career he served as CEO of Asda Stores Ltd., which he turned around and led to the successful sale to Wal-Mart, and then served as President & CEO of Wal-Mart Europe. In addition, Mr. Leighton previously served as Sales Director at Pedigree Petfoods and as Managing Director and General Sales Manager for Mars. In addition to his commercial activities, Mr. Leighton has served as Chairman at Race for Opportunity, and Business in the Community, as well as Business Ambassador for HRH the Prince of Wales while also serving as Vice Patron of Breast Cancer Care. Mr. Leighton received an Honorary Degree from Cranfield University, an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Lancaster, Doctor of Business Administration from York St John University, and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard.
Andrew Wehrley is an Investment Professional at Cartesian. Mr. Wehrley currently serves on the boards of directors of Tim Hortons China and Cartesian Royalty Holdings. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Wehrley was a consultant at Bain & Company in South Africa and the United States. While at Bain, he shaped international expansion strategies and reorganized operations for a variety of transnational clients. Previously, Mr. Wehrley served at Deutsche Bank and the Afghan Ministry of Commerce. Mr. Wehrley received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and a MPA from the Kennedy School at Harvard University.
Bertrand Grabowski will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. He has over 40 years of experience leading transnational finance companies directors of DVB Bank, leading the company's global aviation finance and investment initiatives. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Grabowski was a director of the Asset Finance Group at Citigroup with a focus on Japan and certain E.U. countries. From 1985 to 2001, Mr. Grabowski held various roles at Banque Indosuez, renamed Credit Agricole CIB, including as Head of Aviation Finance for the Americas and branch manager of New York, Head of Aviation Finance for Asia, and as a branch manager of Tokyo. Mr. Grabowski started his career at Société Navale Delmas- Vieljeux, where he was in charge of all aspects of financing of new vessels for the shipping company from 1981 to 1984. Mr. Grabowski received his Master's in Business Administration from the ESSEC Business School (Paris).. He serves on the boards of directors of Cartesian Growth Corporation since February 2021, Flybondi since June 2017 and Jazeera Airways since March 2017. From 2005 to 2016, Mr. Grabowski served as Head of Aviation Finance and as a member of the board of managing
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Director
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director at Cartesian
Beth Michelson has served as our Chief Financial Officer since our inception and will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. She is also a Senior Managing Director at Cartesian where she has led numerous investments in digital infrastructure, specialized manufacturing and distribution, and telecommunications services. She serves on the boards of directors of Brilia Participacao S.A., BTS Torres, Inc. and Thermal Management Solutions Ltd. She also serves on the Global Advisory Board of Columbia Business School's Chazen Institute for Global Business. Prior to the formation of Cartesian, Ms. Michelson served as Vice President at an affiliate of AIGCP, leading investments in media and telecommunications globally. Earlier in her career, Ms. Michelson was an Associate at Wasserstein Perella Emerging Markets focusing on private equity investments and structured products, and worked in financing for media and entertainment at Dresdner Bank AG. Ms. Michelson, a CFA® charterholder, received her Master's in Business Administration and Master of International Affairs from Columbia Business School and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, respectively, and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Appointed Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development for Organon & Co
Daniel Karp will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Mr. Karp, and the teams he has led, have executed dozens of mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and collaboration transactions, totaling over $80 billion in potential deal value. Mr. Karp is the Senior Vice President, Head of Business Development at Organon & Co., a global pharmaceutical company focused on woman's health since January 2021. At Organon, Mr. Karp leads global M&A, collaborations, alliance management, and integration. He also serves on the board of directors of Cartesian Growth Corporation since February 2021. From June 2018 to March 2020, he served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development at Biogen Inc. Prior to joining Biogen Inc., Mr. Karp held a number of positions of increasing responsibility at Pfizer Inc., including as Vice President, Worldwide Business Development and Head of Business Development for Worldwide Research and Development from May 2016 to June 2018, as Vice President, Worldwide Business Development and Business Development Lead for Pfizer Vaccines, Oncology and Consumer Healthcare from January 2014 to May 2016, as Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development from December 2010 to December 2013, as Director, Worldwide Business Development from January 2008 to December 2010, as Senior Manager, Worldwide Business Development from May 2007 to December 2007 and as Manager, U.S. Business Development from July 2006 to April 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Karp held roles in healthcare and life sciences strategy consulting. Mr. Karp holds a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in Biology from Duke University.
Dylan Avery is an Investment Professional at Cartesian. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Avery worked in various roles in the New Zealand financial sector, including founding a not-for-profit organization focused on financial education, leading a bridge loan financing for affordable housing, and serving at Harbor Asset Management. Mr. Avery received his bachelor's degree from the University of Canterbury with a triple major in finance, international business, and marketing. In addition to his commercial activities, Mr. Avery serves as the Founding Advisor for The Pipeline, a not-for-profit addressing the diversity gap in private markets.
Elias Diaz Sese is one of our independent directors. He has over 22 years of experience leading transnational consumer companies. Currently, Mr. Diaz Sese is a shareholder and a director of Domino's Pizza UK, a $2 billion business listed in the UK. Previously, Mr. Diaz Sese served as President of Northern Europe Kraft Heinz, leading the company's turnround efforts in the region from 2017 to 2019. Prior to that, Mr. Diaz Sese held various roles at Restaurant Brands International, or RBI, from 2002 to 2017, including as the Chief Executive Officer of Tim Hortons after its $11.4 billion acquisition by RBI, President of Burger King Asia Pacific, Executive Vice President of Franchise and Emerging Markets of Burger King, and Managing Director of Southern Europe Burger King. Mr. Diaz Sese started his career within the corporate law practice of Decathlon España from 1998 to 2002, where he served as Corporate Legal Counsel & Development Director. Mr. Diaz Sese received his degree in Executive Management from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Executive Education) and holds a Master of Law, Law and European Studies from the Universidad CEU San Pablo.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Director
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director at Cartesian
Gregory Armstrong has served as our Chief Financial Officer since our inception and serves on our board of directors. He also is a Senior Managing Director at Cartesian. At Cartesian, Mr. Armstrong led numerous investments in the food service, retail, energy, and infrastructure industries, and also serves on the board of directors of NB Reinsurance Ltd. (where he also serves as a member of the underwriting committee) and Tim Hortons China. Previously, Mr. Armstrong served on the board of directors of Baltona. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Armstrong served as an Associate at AIGCP where he was involved in investments in natural resources, business services, and telecommunications. Mr. Armstrong was previously with Broadview International, a mid-market mergers & acquisitions advisory firm, where he specialized in advising communications infrastructure companies. Mr. Armstrong received a Master of Business Administration from MIT Sloan School of Management and holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University.
Martin Biely is an Investment Professional at Cartesian. Mr. Biely currently serves on the board of directors of Aloo Telecom. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Biely was a Senior Portfolio Manager at First Private Investment Management in Frankfurt, Germany where he managed two long/short equity hedge funds. Mr. Biely received his Master's in International Financial Management from the Martin Luther University of Halle Wittenberg, Germany and University of Economics, Slovakia, and his Master's in Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Mr. Biely is a CFA® charterholder and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.
Nam Trinh is an Investment Professional at Cartesian. Mr. Trinh currently serves on the board of directors of Simba Sleep Ltd. and is the chief financial officer of Simba Sleep Canada Ltd. Previously, Mr. Trinh served on the board of directors of Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd and was the chief financial officer of Aqua Comms DAC. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Trinh served as an associate at a Wall Street investment bank and in the audit practice at Deloitte. Mr. Trinh received his bachelor's in science in economics from The Wharton School and a BSE in computer science and engineering from The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Trinh is a CFA® charterholder.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director
- Senior Managing Director at Cartesian
Paul Hong is a Senior Managing Director at Cartesian where he has led numerous investments in logistics, maritime services, basic industries, and financial services. Mr. Hong currently serves on the boards of directors of Simba Sleep Canada Ltd., Flybondi Ltd., Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd., ASO 2020 Maritime, Viva Air, and Aqua Comms DAC. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. Hong served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of AIGCP and participated in the bulk of the firm's investments during his tenure. Prior to joining AIGCP, Mr. Hong practiced law in the corporate and tax departments of Kirkland & Ellis LLP where he specialized in private equity transactions. Mr. Hong received his LL.M. in taxation from New York University School of Law, his J.D. from Columbia Law School, and holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Columbia College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chief Executive Officer
Peter Yu has served as our Chief Executive Officer since our inception and will serve as Chairman of our board of directors upon completion of this offering. He also is a Managing Partner of Cartesian. At Cartesian, Mr. Yu led more than 20 investments in companies operating in more than 30 countries. Mr. Yu currently serves on the boards of directors of several companies, including CGC I, Burger King China, Tim Hortons China, PolyNatura Corp., Cartesian Royalty Holdings Pte. Ltd., ASO 2020 Maritime, Flybondi, and Simba Sleep Ltd. Prior to forming Cartesian, Mr. Yu founded and served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of AIGCP. Under his leadership, AIGCP became a leading international private equity firm, with more than $4.5 billion in committed capital. Mr. Yu led numerous investments in several regions and served as Chairman of the investment committee of eight AIGCP private equity funds. Prior to founding AIGCP, Mr. Yu served President Bill Clinton as Director to the National Economic Council, the White House office responsible for developing and coordinating economic policy. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Mr. Yu served as President of the Harvard Law Review and as a law clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court. Mr. Yu received a bachelor's degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School. In addition to his commercial activities, Mr. Yu serves on the Advisory Council for the Princeton School for Public & International Affairs, the Advisory Council for the Princeton Institute for International & Regional Studies, on the board of directors of The John Paul Stevens Fellowship Foundation and on the Global Council of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Senior Managing Director
Rafael de Luque will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. He is a Senior Managing Director at Cartesian where he has led transactions in numerous sectors, including in financial services, convenience retail, mobile communications, and legal services. Mr. de Luque currently serves on the boards of directors of Viva Air and Flybondi. Prior to joining Cartesian, Mr. de Luque served as a Vice President at an affiliate of AIGCP, where he specialized in media and content-related investments. Earlier in his career, Mr. de Luque held the position of Financial Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank. Mr. de Luque, a CFA® charterholder, received his Master's in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and holds a bachelor's degree from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia.
Job Titles:
- Independent Director
- Investment Leader
Sheryl Schwartz will serve on our board of directors upon completion of this offering. Ms. Schwartz is an internationally recognized investment leader and was identified by Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine as one of the "Most Influential Women in the Mid-Market M&A" for multiple years. She serves as Chief Investment Officer of Alti Financial, a platform focused on democratizing private equity, since November 2021. From May 2013 to April 2020, she was a Managing Director at Caspian Private Equity, building an investment portfolio of more than $3 billion. Previously, she was a Senior Managing Director at Perseus and Managing Director of Perseus Mezzanine Finance. Earlier in her career, Ms. Schwartz served as Managing Director of Alternative Investments at TIAA, a Fortune 100 diversified financial services firm, where she built an investment portfolio of more than $13 billion. In addition to her commercial activities, Ms. Schwartz also is an Adjunct Professor of Private Equity and Finance at the Fordham Gabelli School of Business, and a board member of the Women's Association of Venture and Equity (WAVE) since 2007. Ms. Schwartz received both her Master's in Business Administration and bachelor's degree from New York University.