Merged into Gelesis, ticker now GLS
CPSR

Completed

Gelesis

Capstar Special Purpose Acquisition Corp

Raised
$200M
CIK
1805087
SPAC Ticker
CPSR
Merger
Gelesis
Merged Ticker
GLS
Focus
Consumer, Healthcare, Technology, Media, Telecommunications, TMT
External link: SEC Filings

SPAC Team

Leadership

R. Steven Hicks has served as our Chairman and Chief Financial Officer since our inception and, since May 2020, as our Chief Executive Officer. In June 2000, Mr. Hicks founded Capstar Partners, a private investment firm focusing on small and middle market buyouts, real estate development, and public investing in the media and broadcasting, healthcare services and e-commerce industries. Mr. Hicks has served as Chairman of Capstar Partners since its founding. Prior to founding Capstar Partners, Mr. Hicks was the Vice Chairman of AMFM Inc. (NYSE: AFM), the nation's largest owner and operator of radio stations, with over 450 radio stations in markets across the United States. In 1996, Mr. Hicks founded Capstar Broadcasting Corporation, which became the nation's largest radio station holding company by 1998 with 350 radio stations. Mr. Hicks led Capstar Broadcasting Corporation to a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 1998. In August 1999, Capstar Broadcasting Corporation merged with Dallas-based Chancellor Media Corporation in a stock swap valued at $4.1 billion, forming AMFM, where Mr. Hicks remained as the Vice Chairman. In 1993, Mr. Hicks co-founded SFX Broadcasting, building it into one of the largest radio groups in the United States. Mr. Hicks serves on the University of Texas System Board of Regents after being appointed for a six-year term in each of 2009 and 2016. In addition, Mr. Hicks has served on the Board of the University of Texas Investment Management Company since 2009. Mr. Hicks received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972.

Rodrigo de la Torre has served on our board of directors as Lead Director since the date of this prospectus. Mr. de la Torre has over 15 years of business development, finance and strategy experience in top tier multinational organizations, predominantly in the consumer and retail sectors. He has been the Head of Finance and Strategy for Taco Bell Global since April 2019 and previously served as Global Director of Finance and Head of M&A at Pizza Hut International from March 2016 to April 2019. During his time at Yum! Brands, Mr. de la Torre has executed landmark master franchise agreements and partnerships such as the 2018 strategic alliance with Telepizza across Latin America & Iberia. Prior to joining Yum! Brands, Mr. de la Torre was a Vice President in the Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group of Credit Suisse in New York, where he worked from 2010 to March 2016. During his time at Credit Suisse, Mr. de la Torre advised corporations and financial sponsors in a range of high-profile consumer sector transactions. Mr. de la Torre additionally held M&A and strategy roles at Fonterra Co-operative, a leading dairy products manufacturer, from 2004 to 2007 and was an analyst at ANZ Bank from 2003 to 2004. Mr. de la Torre received a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in 2010 and a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors in Economics and Finance from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand in 2003. We believe Mr. de la Torre is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive leadership and business experience, including his management positions in public restaurant businesses and financial services positions.

Jamie Weinstein has served on our board of directors since the date of this prospectus. Since September 2019, Mr. Weinstein has served as a managing director, portfolio manager and head of corporate special situations at PIMCO, focusing on PIMCO's opportunistic and alternative strategies within corporate credit. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2019, Mr. Weinstein worked for KKR as a portfolio manager for the firm's special situations funds and portfolios, which he managed since their inception in 2009. Mr. Weinstein was also a member of KKR's special situations, real estate, and India NBFC investment committees and the KKR credit portfolio management committee. Previously, Mr. Weinstein was a portfolio manager with responsibility across KKR's credit strategies. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Weinstein was with Tishman Speyer Properties as director of acquisitions for Northern California and at Boston Consulting Group as a consultant. He has 18 years of investment experience and received a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University in 2002 and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Operations Research from Princeton University in 1998. We believe Mr. Weinstein is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive leadership and business experience, including his expertise in investment management and acquisitions.

Kathryn Cavanaugh has served on our board of directors since the date of this prospectus. Since January 2019, Ms. Cavanaugh has served as the Managing Partner of Capstar Ventures GP, LLC, an early stage venture capital firm that invests in the next generation of innovative consumer companies. From April 2016 to December 2018, Ms. Cavanaugh was a Partner at Grace Beauty Capital where she advised and invested in early stage companies in the consumer and retail sectors, including Rothy's, Inc., Parachute Home, Inc., Primary Kids, Inc., Supergoop!, LLC, MM.LaFleur, Inc., ThirdLove (MeCommerce, Inc.), Vengo, Inc., and Pixlee, Inc. From April 2015 to March 2016, Ms. Cavanaugh served as Director of Franchise Growth Strategy, Sales and Operations, and from March 2013 to February 2014 as a Board Director, for The Bar Method, Inc. From October 2011 to February 2014, Ms. Cavanaugh served as Vice President of Talent for Mainsail Partners, a growth equity firm. From September 2005 to June 2010, Ms. Cavanaugh worked at De Novo Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm, where she evaluated, executed and supported more than $350 million of equity investments in early to late stage healthcare companies. Ms. Cavanaugh received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 2005 and Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 1997. We believe Ms. Cavanaugh is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on her extensive leadership and business experience, including her management positions and investment management background in the healthcare and consumer sectors.

John Ghiselli has served on our board of directors since the date of this prospectus. In June 2019, Mr. Ghiselli founded Waterloo Capital Private Equity, LLC, an investment firm that invests in small cap companies through private equity and mezzanine debt, where he serves as a partner. Since January 2006, Mr. Ghiselli has served as the President of Waterloo Real Estate Investments Inc., a commercial real estate mortgage and investment company. In January 2013, Mr. Ghiselli co-founded Red Hook Capital Partners, LLC, a real estate investment and development firm focused on the charter school sector, where he was a principal until January 2018. Previously, Mr. Ghiselli was an Executive Vice President at Lincoln Property Company in charge of its commercial investment and development business in Southern California. Mr. Ghiselli received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1986. We believe Mr. Ghiselli is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive leadership and business experience, including his management positions and investment management background.

James Whittenburg has served on our board of directors since the date of this prospectus. Since October 2015, Mr. Whittenburg has served as Executive Chairman of Longhorn Health Solutions, Inc., a home medical supplies distributor in the Medicaid market. From October 2016 to September 2018, Mr. Whittenburg served as President and Chief Executive Officer of SunTree Snack Foods, LLC. Since November 2017, Mr. Whittenburg has served as a director and Vice President of each of Trek Exploration, Inc. and North Hills Corporation of Amarillo Texas. From March 2004 to January 2012, Mr. Whittenberg held a variety of executive management roles with HealthTronics, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: HTRN), a healthcare services and medical device company, including serving as a director and Chief Executive Officer from May 2007 to January 2012. In July 2010, Mr. Whittenburg led the sale of HealthTronics to Endo Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ENDP) and thereafter served as HealthTronics' Group President from July 2010 through January 2012. Previously, Mr. Whittenburg was counsel at the international law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from August 1997 until February 2004. Mr. Whittenburg also served as an independent board member and audit committee member of Harden Healthcare, LLC from September 2009 to October 2013. Mr. Whittenburg received a Juris Doctor from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law in 1997, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997 and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin in 1993 and was previously a Certified Public Accountant. We believe Mr. Whittenburg is well qualified to serve on our board of directors based on his extensive leadership and business experience, including his management positions in the healthcare sector and accounting expertise.