NEW YORK, July 25, 2018 – MidOcean Partners (“MidOcean”), a premier middle market private equity firm focused on consumer and business services, today announced the following additions to its private equity team:
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David Kieselstein, current Executive Board member, has been appointed Chairman of the MidOcean Executive Board.
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Steve Miller, who was previously Chairman, will continue as an active member of the MidOcean Executive Board.
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Matt Rubel, an experienced retail and brand CEO and current Executive Chairman of MidOcean portfolio company KidKraft, has joined MidOcean’s Executive Board as Chairman of the Consumer Group.
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Eric Roth, most recently a Managing Director and Head of the Consumer Retail group at Lazard Middle Market, has joined MidOcean as a Managing Director. Mr. Roth will assist in identifying investment opportunities in the consumer sector and working with existing portfolio companies to drive operating performance.
“A core tenet of MidOcean’s investment strategy is leveraging the topflight executive talent and operating experience of our Executive Board to drive transformative growth in our portfolio companies,” said Ted Virtue, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MidOcean. “David is an accomplished executive and longtime partner of MidOcean, having served previously as CEO of former MidOcean portfolio company Penton. Steve continues to be an outstanding leader, helping strengthen our firm and investments. Matt has led many successful global brands, serving as CEO of Varsity Brands, Collective Brands and Cole Haan, and will provide valuable guidance to our current and future portfolio companies. We look forward to working with Matt and continuing to work closely with David and Steve for the benefit of our investors and portfolio companies as we continue to build the firm for future success.”
MidOcean’s Executive Board is comprised of influential senior executives who have experience running large companies within MidOcean private equity’s target sectors. These leading industry executives, who previously served as Chairpersons, CEOs and in other senior management positions with leading companies and government entities, provide operational expertise and unique insights, including in-depth knowledge of industry dynamics, competitive landscapes and trends that guide MidOcean’s private equity investment themes and value creation strategies.
The addition of Eric Roth, who brings nearly two decades of experience in the consumer space, demonstrates MidOcean’s continued commitment to building a deep, experienced private equity investment team which is now comprised of 17 investments professionals and supported by 20 Executive Board Members and 13 Management Affiliates.
“Eric is a seasoned and highly-respected executive and we welcome him to MidOcean,” said Mr. Virtue. “His expertise in advising consumer retail companies on M&A, corporate finance, and restructuring transactions will significantly benefit our existing portfolio companies, and we look forward to leveraging his deep channel expertise and relationships as we continue to source and execute deals in this attractive sector.”
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David Kieselstein Bio
David Kieselstein joined MidOcean’s Executive Board in January 2018 and serves as Chairman. Mr. Kieselstein also serves on the board of MidOcean portfolio company The Planet Group. Most recently, Mr. Kieselstein was CEO of Penton, a former MidOcean portfolio company and the largest privately held professional information services company in North America. After joining the company in early 2012, he was instrumental in driving the rapid transformation of Penton, by executing on a three-pronged innovation and growth strategy: focus on the core business with continuous improvement of core offerings, strategic acquisitions in high potential industry sectors, and creation of a new product launch engine.
Prior to joining Penton, Mr. Kieselstein served as Chief Executive Officer, North America of TNS, a division of WPP which provides high-quality market research insights to Fortune 500 clients in virtually all industries. Prior to that, Mr. Kieselstein led Dun & Bradstreet’s Small Business Division, the company’s largest and fastest growing division. While at Dun & Bradstreet, Mr. Kieselstein integrated three distinct operations into a single, customer-centric business unit, and he launched several new product suites that accelerated overall performance. Prior to Dun & Bradstreet, Kieselstein served in a range of key leadership roles at Time Warner, including Chief Executive of the Parenting Media Group, and President and Chief Executive of the Personal Finance Media Group, which included creating a partnership with CNN that resulted in the creation of CNNMoney, one of the world’s most successful personal finance web properties. Earlier in his career, he also held a number of marketing management positions at FORTUNE Magazine, and launched Time Inc.’s centralized direct marketing and database division. Mr. Kieselstein holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, where he served on the Alumni Board. He received his BA in Economics from Binghamton University.
Matt Rubel Bio
Matt Rubel is a renowned retail and brand CEO, having led many successful global brands and businesses. Most recently, Rubel served as CEO, President, and Board Member of Varsity Brands, the leader in sport, spirit and achievement products which he strategically focused and integrated, while bringing it to record profits and sales. Previously, Rubel served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Collective Brands, Inc., (NYSE: PSS) which included Payless ShoeSource, Sperry Topsider, Saucony, Stride Rite and Keds. Prior to Collective Brands, he was Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Cole Haan LLC from February 1999 to July 2005, transforming the company into a global lifestyle brand celebrating American luxury while more than doubling the business. Before Cole Haan, he served as an Executive Vice President of J. Crew Group. Early in his career, he served as President of the Specialty Division of Revlon and Executive Vice President of Murjani International Ltd., where he was in charge of the Tommy Hilfiger businesses.
Mr. Rubel currently serves as Executive Chairman of MidOcean portfolio company KidKraft, is an Independent Director at Hudson’s Bay Company, Tree house Foods and The Joint Chiropractic, and became a Presidential Appointee to the House Advisory Council on Trade Policy Negotiation in 2010, a service he continues to fulfill today. Previously, Mr. Rubel served on the Board of HSNi, the holding company of HSN and Cornerstone Brands, was an Independent Director at SUPERVALU and a Board Member at ELF Cosmetics and Furniture Brands. Mr. Rubel holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University and an MBA from University of Miami.
Eric Roth Bio
Eric Roth has nearly two decades of experience in the consumer retail space, most recently as a Managing Director and Head of the Consumer Retail group at Lazard Middle Market. Prior to joining Lazard Middle Market, Roth was an Associate in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Dewey Ballantine LLP, a New York based, international law firm. He received his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics-Political Science from Columbia University.
