Robert T. Puopolo
Partner
646-375-2123
[email protected]
Mr. Puopolo brings to the team nearly 30 years of education, private equity and investment banking experience. Mr. Puopolo is responsible for overseeing all of Epic Partners' activities. As such, Mr. Puopolo originated, among others, Epic Partners' investments in St. Matthew's University School of Medicine and Oasis Children's Services. Before co-founding Epic Partners, Mr. Puopolo was a partner at Leeds Equity Partners, the largest private equity firm focused on companies involved in education and training. At Leeds Equity Partners he structured, financed and negotiated the LBO of DataMark, the leading marketing services firm for the for-profit colleges and schools market. While at Leeds, Mr. Puopolo also originated growth capital investments in two leading e-learning companies. He also identified and assisted in recruiting the CEO for Leeds' largest portfolio company, Ross University Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Mr. Puopolo was an investor in Edison Schools, the largest private management company of K-12 public and charter schools, and is currently an investor in Lincoln Educational Services, a leading proprietary post-secondary schools group. He is currently Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oasis Children's Services and a member of the board of Panax Capital. Mr. Puopolo is a former director of St. Matthew's University School of Medicine, Datamark, Provant, the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine, LAWYERStv, Helma Institute and Paxar, and a former director or advisory director of four other private companies.
Prior to joining Leeds, Mr. Puopolo spent 18 years in the M&A and Corporate Finance Departments of Oppenheimer & Co., Bear Stearns and Kidder, Peabody. While at Oppenheimer & Co., he founded and ran the Firm's M&A group for three years. Mr. Puopolo also co-founded and was co-head of the Firm's Private Equity Firm Coverage Group. During his 18-year investment banking career, he originated and/or executed over 50 M&A and other corporate financing transactions, over one third of which were LBOs and other highly leveraged M&A transactions. During his investment banking career, Mr. Puopolo represented BET plc in the sale of its Rediffusion flight simulation business to GM/Hughes Electronics. He also performed investment banking services for various other education-related companies including GP Strategies (NYSE: GPX), ECC International, Gilat Satellite Networks (NASDAQ: GILT) and Doron Precision Systems. Other than his time at Leeds and Epic Partners, Mr. Puopolo has personally invested either with clients, in clients or independently in over 20 private equity transactions.
Mr. Puopolo holds an AB in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Prior to joining Leeds, Mr. Puopolo spent 18 years in the M&A and Corporate Finance Departments of Oppenheimer & Co., Bear Stearns and Kidder, Peabody. While at Oppenheimer & Co., he founded and ran the Firm's M&A group for three years. Mr. Puopolo also co-founded and was co-head of the Firm's Private Equity Firm Coverage Group. During his 18-year investment banking career, he originated and/or executed over 50 M&A and other corporate financing transactions, over one third of which were LBOs and other highly leveraged M&A transactions. During his investment banking career, Mr. Puopolo represented BET plc in the sale of its Rediffusion flight simulation business to GM/Hughes Electronics. He also performed investment banking services for various other education-related companies including GP Strategies (NYSE: GPX), ECC International, Gilat Satellite Networks (NASDAQ: GILT) and Doron Precision Systems. Other than his time at Leeds and Epic Partners, Mr. Puopolo has personally invested either with clients, in clients or independently in over 20 private equity transactions.
Mr. Puopolo holds an AB in Economics from Harvard College and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Joseph Alibrandi
Mr. Alibrandi is a former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Whittaker Corporation. He became President of Whittaker, a conglomerate that at its height had over $1.9 billion in revenues, at the age of 40. He became CEO in the mid 1970s, and increased shareholder value over 20 times over the following two decades. Prior to joining Whittaker, Mr. Alibrandi was with Raytheon Company for 18 years in senior positions, including divisional Senior Vice President.
Mr. Alibrandi has served as Chairman of the California Business Roundtable's Task Force on Education, as Co-Chairman of President Reagan's Grace Commission and as Chairman of The International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Alibrandi has served as a member of the Board of Directors of BancAmerica Corporation and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., and as Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Mr. Alibrandi is a former member of the Board of Directors of Provant, and currently a member of the Board of Directors of AeroVironment, a public company engaged in the design and manufacture of high technology products including high altitude aircrafts. Mr. Alibrandi is currently CEO of Alibrandi Associates, a money management firm, and is taking postgraduate courses in Physics at UC Santa Barbara.
Mr. Alibrandi is a former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Whittaker Corporation. He became President of Whittaker, a conglomerate that at its height had over $1.9 billion in revenues, at the age of 40. He became CEO in the mid 1970s, and increased shareholder value over 20 times over the following two decades. Prior to joining Whittaker, Mr. Alibrandi was with Raytheon Company for 18 years in senior positions, including divisional Senior Vice President.
Mr. Alibrandi has served as Chairman of the California Business Roundtable's Task Force on Education, as Co-Chairman of President Reagan's Grace Commission and as Chairman of The International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Alibrandi has served as a member of the Board of Directors of BancAmerica Corporation and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., and as Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Mr. Alibrandi is a former member of the Board of Directors of Provant, and currently a member of the Board of Directors of AeroVironment, a public company engaged in the design and manufacture of high technology products including high altitude aircrafts. Mr. Alibrandi is currently CEO of Alibrandi Associates, a money management firm, and is taking postgraduate courses in Physics at UC Santa Barbara.
Dominic J. Puopolo
Mr. Dominic J. Puopolo has more than 25 years of senior executive experience working in education, training and other service businesses. In 1997, Mr. Puopolo co-founded Provant. He played a key role in taking the company public in April 1998 and developed it into a $200 million category leader with approximately 1500 associates, offering the broadest range of best-of-breed soft skills training available from a single source. He most recently served as its Vice Chairman.
Mr. Puopolo co-founded American Medical Response, where he served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Director and Treasurer, took the firm public on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1992 and was instrumental in building it into the largest provider of ambulance services in the U.S. Mr. Puopolo also co-founded American Environmental Group, a regional environmental services company, in 1987 and served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and a Director, which was merged into Allwaste, a public environmental service company, in which Mr. Puopolo held senior positions.
Mr. Puopolo has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Emerson College and as Chairman of its Resource Development Committee. Mr. Puopolo serves on the Board of Directors of Northeastern University and also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors of the Boston University School of Medicine. Mr. Puopolo is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Accountants. Mr. Dominic J. Puopolo is unrelated to Mr. Robert T. Puopolo.
Mr. Dominic J. Puopolo has more than 25 years of senior executive experience working in education, training and other service businesses. In 1997, Mr. Puopolo co-founded Provant. He played a key role in taking the company public in April 1998 and developed it into a $200 million category leader with approximately 1500 associates, offering the broadest range of best-of-breed soft skills training available from a single source. He most recently served as its Vice Chairman.
Mr. Puopolo co-founded American Medical Response, where he served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Director and Treasurer, took the firm public on the New York Stock Exchange in August 1992 and was instrumental in building it into the largest provider of ambulance services in the U.S. Mr. Puopolo also co-founded American Environmental Group, a regional environmental services company, in 1987 and served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and a Director, which was merged into Allwaste, a public environmental service company, in which Mr. Puopolo held senior positions.
Mr. Puopolo has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Emerson College and as Chairman of its Resource Development Committee. Mr. Puopolo serves on the Board of Directors of Northeastern University and also serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors of the Boston University School of Medicine. Mr. Puopolo is a member of the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the National Association of Accountants. Mr. Dominic J. Puopolo is unrelated to Mr. Robert T. Puopolo.
Kameron K. Rabenou
Mr. Rabenou is currently the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Shore Beauty School, a Title IV funded post-secondary company. Prior to this, Mr. Rabenou founded and headed Wachovia Securities' Educational Services Investment Banking Group. Prior to its acquisition by Wachovia, he co-founded and headed EVEREN Securities' Emerging Growth Group which focused on the business and educational services, and Internet sectors. Mr. Rabenou has held investment banking positions with other major Wall Street firms, including Lehman Brothers and Bankers Trust Company.
Throughout his 23 years on Wall Street, Mr. Rabenou advised clients on public and private equity and debt financings, exclusive sales, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, fairness and valuation opinions, strategic joint-ventures and financial restructurings. For more than a decade, he focused exclusively on the business and educational services sectors.
Mr. Rabenou holds a BA in Geology from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
Mr. Rabenou is currently the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Shore Beauty School, a Title IV funded post-secondary company. Prior to this, Mr. Rabenou founded and headed Wachovia Securities' Educational Services Investment Banking Group. Prior to its acquisition by Wachovia, he co-founded and headed EVEREN Securities' Emerging Growth Group which focused on the business and educational services, and Internet sectors. Mr. Rabenou has held investment banking positions with other major Wall Street firms, including Lehman Brothers and Bankers Trust Company.
Throughout his 23 years on Wall Street, Mr. Rabenou advised clients on public and private equity and debt financings, exclusive sales, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, fairness and valuation opinions, strategic joint-ventures and financial restructurings. For more than a decade, he focused exclusively on the business and educational services sectors.
Mr. Rabenou holds a BA in Geology from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
