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Our team has years of experience in private equity investing, acquisition sourcing and integration, operations, investment banking, finance, accounting and fund management.

Bob Hellman - CEO and Managing Director



 Bob has nearly 20 years of experience as a private equity investor and director in industries including building materials, forest products, office supplies, printing, energy, deathcare, apparel, health and fitness, and entertainment. He invented the pioneering application of MLPs to the deathcare industry, leading to the successful IPO of StoneMor Partners in 2004. He has been a managing director at McCown De Leeuw & Co. and its CEO since 2001, with substantial experience in M&A and business strategy from his prior work at Bain & Company. Bob received an MBA from Harvard University with Baker Scholar Honors, an MS in economics from the London School of Economics, and a BA in economics from Stanford University.
George McCown - Managing Director



 George has 22 years of experience as a private equity investor and has been an investor, manager and/or director of over 20 companies in 16 industries. He co-founded McCown De Leeuw & Co. after 18 years as a general manager at Boise Cascade Corporation in industries including paper and packaging, building materials and real estate. George received an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, where he served as a trustee from 1980-1985.
Matt Carbone - Managing Director



 Matt spent 14 years in corporate finance before joining our team, sourcing, managing and executing more than 80 transactions worth over $10 billion. He has built and led business and acquisition integration activities in several financial services firms, most recently growing Wit Capital’s revenues from $2 million to over $370 million in four years. His prior experience includes Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley and First Boston. Matt received an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BA in Neuroscience from Amherst College.
Ryan Barnes - Principal



 Ryan Barnes joined us with over ten years in corporate finance, fund management and operations. He has executed more than 30 transactions worth over $4 billion. Most recently, he was a partner at SkyBridge Capital, a $325 million fund formed in collaboration with MSD Capital, Michael Dell's investment office. His prior positions include director of strategic development at Soleil Securities Group, an institutional brokerage firm backed by Bain Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners, and a vice president at Wit Capital where he oversaw the operations of its 140-person Japanese joint venture. Mr. Barnes began his career in the leveraged finance group at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He holds a BA in Economics from Stanford University.
Ed Diffendal - Principal



 Ed Diffendal joined our team in 2007 with over 14 years of investing and operating experience in the energy and technology industries. He most recently served as Founder and CEO of MRail Technologies, an industrial services company focused on delivering test and measurement data to transportation and logistics companies. Prior to MRail, Mr. Diffendal was at Symantec, where he managed the company’s ISV relationships, was a Vice President with Broadview Capital Partners, and a Global Account Manager at Monitor Company, focused on energy and natural resources clients. He received an MBA with Highest Distinction from Dartmouth, and MA and BA degrees from Stanford.
Brian Barlow - Principal



 Brian has over 14 years of investing experience in public and private equity markets. He most recently led the public research and investing activities in energy, basic materials and natural resources at Scion Capital, a $750 million hedge fund. Earlier, Brian spent six years at Broadview Capital Partners where he helped launch and manage Broadview's inaugural $250 million private equity fund. Brian began his career at Dain Rauscher where he covered MLPs, REITs, and utilities for an institutional separate accounts portfolio. Brian received an MBA with distinction from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Washington.
Ed Leung - Associate



 Ed Leung has over five years of experience in private investing, M&A and corporate finance. Most recently, he was an associate at Ridgewood Capital, the venture capital arm of Ridgewood Companies, a $2 billion family of private equity funds, where he assisted in sourcing and executing investments in private technology and energy technology companies. Prior to Ridgewood, he worked as an investment banking analyst with Banc of America Securities, where he helped execute M&A, equity and debt offerings. Ed received a BS in Business Administration with highest honors and a BA in Economics with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley.
Nancy Katz - Vice President, Investor Relations



 Nancy has over 18 years of experience in investor relations, marketing, communications and general management, over a decade of which have been in private investment firms. She was the first Executive Director of Net Impact, an international MBA membership organization. Her previous experience also includes investor relations at RREEF, a leading institutional real estate investment firm, and at Modulaire Industries. Nancy received an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and a BA magna cum laude from Amherst College.
Judy Bornstein - CFO



 Judy has 13 years of finance, operations and administration experience, most recently as the CFO of MDC and, previously, of InterDimensions Corporation, an Internet consulting and technology company. Her prior experience includes serving as the Director of National Operations for SmartRoute Systems, with responsibilities for operations, financial and budget management and quality control. Judy received an MBA from Simmons College in Boston, where she graduated first in her class, and a BA from Hampshire College.