KPS Capital Partners has promoted Raquel Palmer to Co-Managing Partner, and Ryan Baker and Kyle Mumford have been promoted to Partner.
KPS Capital Partners is the manager of the KPS Special Situations Funds, a group of private equity funds with approximately $5.4 billion of assets under management that invests in restructurings, turnarounds and other special situations. KPS targets manufacturing and industrial companies that are going through a period of transition or experiencing operating or financial difficulties. The firm’s portfolio companies have aggregate annual revenues of approximately $5.5 billion, operate 110 manufacturing plants in 27 countries, and employ over 21,000 people worldwide.
Ms. Palmer serves on the Board of Directors of the following KPS portfolio companies: DexKo Global (Chairman), Expera Specialty Solutions (Chairman), International Equipment Solutions (Chairman), Autokiniton Global Group, C&D Technologies, Chassis Brakes International Group, TaylorMade Golf, and Winoa. In addition, Ms. Palmer previously served on the Board of Directors of 26 former KPS portfolio companies. Prior to joining its predecessor and creating KPS in 1997, Ms. Palmer was an investment banker in the Paper and Forest products group with Kidder, Peabody & Co. She has a degree in Political Science from Stanford University.
“Raquel’s elevation to Co-Managing Partner is an acknowledgment of the critical leadership role she plays at our firm,” said Michael Psaros, Co-Founder of KPS. “Raquel was present at its creation, and for nearly the past quarter century she has been integral in building KPS into the leading global private equity firm and franchise it is today. She is also recognized as one of the most accomplished and creative professionals in the private equity business. We look forward to working with Raquel to accelerate our firm’s extraordinary trajectory and momentum.”
The KPS team has been together for many years. The firm’s co-founders – Michael Psaros and David Shapiro – have worked together since 1991. Raquel Palmer has been a KPS team member for nearly 25 years and Partner Jay Bernstein has been a KPS team member for nearly 20 years. Ryan Baker and Kyle Mumford have been KPS team members for over 10 years.
Prior to joining KPS in 2007, Mr. Baker was an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in their Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Mr. Baker has an MBA and JD degree from the University of Toronto and an undergraduate degree in computer science and statistical sciences from the University of Western Ontario.
Mr. Mumford joined KPS in 2008. Earlier in his career, he was an analyst with UBS Investment Bank in the Global Industrial Group. Mr. Mumford has a BA from Bucknell University in Philosophy and Comparative Humanities.
“We congratulate Ryan and Kyle, the first members our team elevated to Partner in more than a decade,” said David Shapiro, Co-Founder of KPS. “Ryan and Kyle’s contributions over the past decade are truly extraordinary, yet they earned this partnership not only because of their exceptional body of work, work ethic and success but, importantly, because they embody the values and value system of our firm. Mike, Raquel, Jay and I look forward to working with our new Partners to continue to create value for our investors into the future by seeing value where others do not, buying right and making businesses better.”
KPS Capital Partners is headquartered in New York (www.kpsfund.com).
© 2018 Private Equity Professional | November 5, 2018
