John A. Thain has been our Chairman of the Board since August 2020 and is a co-founder of Pine Island Capital Partners and is the Chairman of the firm’s Investment Committee. Mr. Thain has 40 years of experience in the financial services sector and has held multiple senior leadership positions at some of the world’s largest financial institutions. Most recently, from 2010 to 2016, he served as CEO and Chairman of CIT Group where he successfully led the firm out of bankruptcy protection, lowered the firm’s funding costs, improved returns and grew CIT substantially. Prior to CIT, Mr. Thain was the last CEO and Chairman of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. before orchestrating a sale to Bank of America at the height of the financial crisis. He was also CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, where he led the NYSE through successful mergers with Archipelago Holdings and Euronext to create the world’s largest and most liquid exchange group, and spent nearly 25 years at Goldman Sachs, where he served as President, Co-COO, CFO, and Head of Operations, Technology and Finance. Mr. Thain currently serves as a member of the board of directors at Uber Technologies and as a member of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bank AG. He earned his BS from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Thain’s role at Pine Island Capital Partners and his previous experience provides our board of directors with financial expertise.

Philip A. Cooper has been our Chief Executive Officer and a director since August 2020 and is a co-founder and managing partner of Pine Island Capital Partners. Mr. Cooper has over 40 years of experience in private equity as an entrepreneur, principal investor, fund investor, and secondary investor. Mr. Cooper was previously a Partner at Goldman Sachs, where he helped conceive, found and lead the Goldman Sachs Private Equity Group and, as chief investment officer, oversaw hundreds of investments in companies, funds and secondaries. He implemented innovative portfolio construction and risk control methods for private equity, direct, and secondary investing funds, and designed and managed the Vintage Funds — one of the industry’s largest secondary funds. While at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Cooper served on the Goldman Sachs Asset Management Risk Committee, Operating Committee, and Goldman Sachs Technology Committee. Since retiring as a Goldman Sachs Partner in 2004, Mr. Cooper has served as a Partner or Special Partner at several private equity firms and was a Senior Lecturer in private equity at MIT’s Sloan School of Business. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Forsyth Institute Investment Committee and served on the Children’s Hospital (Boston) Endowment Investment Committee. Mr. Cooper earned his BA from Syracuse University and an MBA from MIT, where he was an Alfred Sloan Fellow. Mr. Cooper’s role at Pine Island Capital Partners and his previous experience provides our board of directors with financial expertise.

Charles G. Bridge, Jr. has been our Chief Financial Officer and Secretary since August 2020. Mr. Bridge has 30 years of broad experience and knowledge in finance, private equity, fund administration and compliance, having served in executive positions for venture capital and private equity partnerships, fund of funds and operating companies. Mr. Bridge gained his private equity experience as both a General Partner and CFO. He began his private equity career in 2000 at Boston Capital Ventures, which specialized in emerging growth and information technologies investing. Following Boston Capital Ventures, in 2003, Mr. Bridge helped found Brooke Private Equity Associates, growing the firm meaningfully. After Brooke Private Equity, Mr. Bridge served as CFO of MPM Capital from September 2010 to October 2011. Most recently, Mr. Bridge served as CFO of WAVE Equity Partners from 2011 through August 2020. Mr. Bridge also owns Godding Capital, LLC, a family office founded in 2018. Mr. Bridge holds an MBA from Northeastern University and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Maine.

Ambassador Stuart W. Holliday has agreed to serve on our board of directors. Ambassador Holliday joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and served as U.S. Ambassador for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations and Coordinator (Assistant Secretary) of the U.S. International Information Programs. Previously, Ambassador Holliday was Special Assistant to the President at the White House coordinating all executive branch appointments in foreign policy, defense national security and intelligence, and homeland security. He also served as Policy Advisor to then Governor of Texas on economic development, international trade, technology and military issues. Since 2006, Ambassador Holliday has served as President and CEO of Meridian International Center, a leading non-partisan institution that seeks to advance global security and prosperity through effective leadership and diplomacy. Ambassador Holliday also served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm and is a regular contributor to CNN and Fox News. Ambassador Holliday earned a BSFS from Georgetown University and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics. Ambassador Holliday’s government service and expertise in global security will give our board of directors insight into the industries in which we seek to acquire a target business.

Ambassador Capricia P. Marshall has agreed to serve on our board of directors. Ms. Marshall joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and previously served as Chief of Protocol of the United States from 2009 to 2013, setting the stage for diplomacy at the highest levels. From 1997 to 2001, Ms. Marshall also served as Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary. Ms. Marshall’s book on cultural diplomacy was published in 2020 by Harper Collins division ECCO, advising readers on the use of protocol as a tool for leveraging influence. Ms. Marshall currently serves as Ambassador-in-Residence at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC and as President of Global Engagement Strategies, which advises international public and private clients on issues relating to the nexus of business and politics. Ms. Marshall is also on the Case Western University International Advisory Board, the Boards of Trustees for the Blair House Restoration Fund and the Sibley Memorial Hospital, and is a member of the Council of American Ambassadors. Ms. Marshall earned her BA from Purdue University and a JD from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Ms. Marshall’s experience in international diplomacy will give our board of directors insight into the industries in which we seek to acquire a target business. 

Michael E. Roemer has agreed to serve on our board of directors . Mr. Roemer previously served as Chief Compliance Officer for Wells Fargo from January 2018 through August 2020. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Mr. Roemer was the group head of compliance at Barclays PLC in London, United Kingdom from 2014 through 2017. He was a member of the executive committee and also served as the co-chair of Barclays’ executive diversity and inclusion committee. Mr Roemer was the Chief Internal Audit Executive at Barclays from 2012 through 2013. Prior to his time at Barclays, Mr. Roemer served as chief auditor at CIT Group Inc., reporting directly to the board audit committee with global responsibility for the internal audit function. Prior to CIT Group, he was the chief audit executive at AIG from 2005 to 2009. Prior to AIG, he spent 23 years at JP Morgan Chase and its predecessor organizations. Mr. Roemer serves on the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House of New York and is the audit committee chair. Previously, he served on the advisory board of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and was their audit committee chair. He also served on the audit committee of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre in New York. Mr. Roemer earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. John’s University, and he completed the Tuck Executive Program at the Tuck School of Dartmouth College. Mr. Roemer’s experience leading internal audit and compliance functions at large multi-national institutions will give our board of directors insight into financial, accounting and auditing matters.

Pine Island Capital Partners Team

In addition to the management team and board of directors described above, the Pine Island Capital Partners team will devote their time and expertise to the pursuit and execution of an initial business combination. These team members include:

General Lloyd J. Austin III, Ret. joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2020 and is a retired four-star U.S. Army general with nearly 41 years of military service, including three years as the head of U.S. Central Command. He was also the Combined Forces commander in Iraq and Syria, and he has extensive operational experience, having commanded troops in combat throughout his General Officer career. Prior to Central Command, General Austin served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. His many awards and decorations include five Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit. He serves on the boards of directors of Raytheon, Nucor Corporation, Tenet Healthcare Corporation and Guest Services, Inc., and on the board of trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Auburn University. General Austin is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and he holds two master’s degrees — one in education from Auburn University and another in business management from Webster University. 

Senator Saxby Chambliss joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and is a former two-term U.S. Senator (Georgia) and four-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Chambliss is the former Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the former Chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. He is currently a partner at the global law firm, DLA Piper. Senator Chambliss also served as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Rules Committee and was Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Senator Chambliss currently serves as Chairman of the board of directors of InVeris Training Solutions and is a member of the board of directors of Primerica, Inc. He earned his BA from the University of Georgia and a JD from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Senator Tom Daschle joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and served as the U.S. Senator from South Dakota from 1987 to 2005. He is one of only two senators to have served twice as both Senate Majority and Minority Leader. Senator Daschle is a leading thinker on climate change, food security and renewable energy policy and has authored several books on historic economic and national security challenges. He is the founder and CEO of the Daschle Group, a Public Policy Advisory arm of Baker Donelson, and is a co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center. Senator Daschle also serves as Chair of the board of directors of the Center for American Progress and as Vice-Chair of the National Democratic Institute. He is a member of the Health Policy and Management Executive Council at the Harvard Kennedy School. He earned his BA from South Dakota State University.

Senator Byron L. Dorgan joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and served as the U.S. Senator from North Dakota from 1992 to 2011. Before that, he served as U.S. Representative from North Dakota from 1981 to 1992. During his time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Dorgan served as Assistant Democratic Floor Leader and then as Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee from 1999 to 2011. He was Chairman of Senate Committees and Subcommittees on the issues of Energy, Aviation, Appropriations, Water Policy and Indian Affairs. Senator Dorgan is now a Senior Policy Advisor at Arent Fox LLP, Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and founder and Chairman of the Center for Native American Youth, at the Aspen Institute, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people on Indian Reservations. Senator Dorgan also spent five years as an Adjunct Visiting Professor at Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute. He earned a BS from the University of North Dakota and an MBA from the University of Denver.

Lucas Evans joined Pine Island Capital Partners in 2018 and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Mr. Evans was previously a Principal in the Private Equity Group at Ares Management, a leading global alternative asset manager. Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Evans spent nine years as a Partner at NRDC Equity Partners and its successor, the Hudson’s Bay Company, where he led or co-led all mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, treasury and investor relations activities. During his tenure, Mr. Evans played an instrumental role in growing the firm and generating significant returns for its investors. Mr. Evans currently sits on the board of directors for InVeris Training Solutions and is a board observer for Precinmac. Mr. Evans holds a BS in Finance from Georgetown University, an MPS in Real Estate from Cornell University and an MBA from INSEAD. 

Michèle A. Flournoy joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2019 and previously served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2009 to 2012. Prior to that, Ms. Flournoy co-founded and served as President of the Center for a New American Security from 2007 to 2009; she also served as its CEO from 2014 to 2017. In the mid-1990s, Ms. Flournoy served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Threat Reduction and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy. Ms. Flournoy is also a former member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the Defense Policy Board and the CIA Director’s External Advisory Board. She is a co-founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors (a strategic advisory firm), a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and serves on the boards of directors of Booz Allen Hamilton, Amida Technology Solutions, The Mission Continues, Spirit of America and CARE. Ms. Flournoy earned her BA from Harvard University and a master’s degree from Balliol College, Oxford University. 

Representative Richard Gephardt joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and served as the U.S. Representative from Missouri from 1977 to 2005. Representative Gephardt served as House Democratic Leader for over 14 years, first as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995 and then as House Minority Leader from 1995 to 2003. While in Congress, he also served on the House Ways and Means and Budget Committees. In his role as House Democratic Leader, Representative Gephardt emerged as the chief architect to landmark reforms in healthcare, pensions, education, energy independence and trade policy. He has also facilitated multiple negotiations between corporate leaders and the union movement, including assisting to facilitate the landmark acquisition of Spirit Aerosystems on behalf of Onex. Representative Gephardt serves on the boards of directors of Spirit Aerosystems and Centene Corporation and previously served on the boards of directors of Ford Motor Company, CenturyLink and United States Steel Corporation. He is the President and CEO of Gephardt Group, which provides strategic counsel on federal government relations and domestic and international labor relations issues. Representative Gephardt earned his BS from Northwestern University and a JD from the University of Michigan.

David Horowitz joined Pine Island Capital Partners in 2018 and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. He has over 15 years of experience investing in middle market companies and was previously a Managing Director in the principal investing division of Macquarie Group, where he was responsible for sourcing, structuring, underwriting and monitoring investments across the capital structure. Prior to Macquarie, he spent almost a decade in the Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group, where he was a founding member of the Private Capital Investing team. He has been responsible for providing capital to mid-sized companies to help them meet their growth and liquidity needs and has invested in or served on the boards of Datapipe, LifeLock, ECi Software, iWeb, ORBCOMM and other successful businesses. Mr. Horowitz currently sits on the board of directors of InVeris Training Solutions. Mr. Horowitz is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College and Smeal College of Business, where he served on the Executive Committee of the Schreyer Alumni Society Board from 2012 to 2019. He is also a CFA charterholder.

Robert Knox is an advisor to Pine Island Capital Partners and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Mr. Knox is the co-founder and senior managing director of Cornerstone Equity Investors, L.L.C., a private equity firm. Cornerstone has funded over 120 companies through buyouts and growth equity financing in healthcare services and products, business services, technology and consumer products. Portfolio investments have included Dell Computers, Health Management Associates, Linear Technology, Micron Technology, Centurion, Team Health, and True Temper Sports. He has served on the boards of more than 30 private and public companies, including as the lead independent director and chair of the compensation committee of Health Management Associates, Inc. (NYSE: HMA) prior to its acquisition by Community Health Systems. Prior to forming Cornerstone, Mr. Knox designed and executed the initial Alternative Asset investment strategy at Prudential Financial beginning in 1981 and was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Prudential Equity Investors, the private equity subsidiary of Prudential. Mr. Knox has been a Trustee of Boston University for over twenty years, and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2016. Mr. Knox holds a BA in Economics and an MBA, both from Boston University.

Wm. Russell Mann is a co-founder of Pine Island Capital Partners and serves on its Investment Committee. Mr. Mann was previously a consultant for institutional investors. His expertise is in the creation, management, and analysis of sophisticated investment products, strategies, and portfolios, both in the private and public markets. In a direct investment management capacity, he served for three years as Portfolio Manager at StratiFi, designing and managing customized option strategies. Mr. Mann has previously served in a risk management role for multiple hedge funds, and in the private equity space, has over his career consulted with both private equity managers and private equity-focused institutional investors, as well as portfolio companies as a consultant and an investor. Mr. Mann earned an AB from Princeton University, a master’s degree from University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar, and a PhD from Harvard University in Mathematics as a Putnam Fellow. 

Admiral Michael Mullen, Ret. joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and is a retired U.S. Navy Admiral who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2007 to 2011. As top military advisor to both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Admiral Mullen is widely respected as an “honest broker” by policymakers, members of Congress and senior military officers. Admiral Mullen oversaw the end of the combat mission in Iraq and the development of a new military strategy for Afghanistan, while promoting international partnerships, new technologies and new counter-terrorism tactics. A 1968 graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, Admiral Mullen sought challenging positions including command at every level to develop his leadership skills during his naval career. He rose to be Chief of Naval Operations prior to assuming duties as Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Precinmac, is a member of the board of directors of Bloomberg Philanthropies and the board of trustees of Caltech, and was formerly a member of the boards of directors at General Motors and Sprint Nextel Corp. He also teaches at the U.S. Naval Academy. Admiral Mullen earned his BS from the U.S. Naval Academy and his MS in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He is also a Distinguished Alumni of Harvard Business School and serves on the Harvard Business School board of advisors.

Senator Don Nickles joined the Pine Island Capital Partners team in 2018 and served as the U.S. Senator from Oklahoma from 1981 to 2005. During his time on the U.S. Senate, Senator Nickles was elected by his peers to several leadership positions, including Assistant Majority Leader, Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was a senior member of the Senate Finance and Energy Committees. Over his 24 years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Nickles championed economic growth and free enterprise. Among many legislative achievements, Senator Nickles successfully fought to repeal inheritance tax on surviving spouses, cut dividend and capital gains taxes, and repeal the Windfall Profits Tax. He also was a staunch advocate to eliminate onerous regulations, especially in the natural gas markets. Prior to his time in the U.S. Senate, Senator Nickles served in the Oklahoma State Senate and worked for family-owned Nickles Machine Corporation. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Valero Energy Corporation and Washington Mutual Investors Fund and previously served on the board of directors of the Chesapeake Energy Corporation. He is the Chairman and CEO of The Nickles Group, a firm he founded in 2005. He earned his BA from Oklahoma State University.

Clyde Tuggle is a co-founder of Pine Island Capital Partners and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. Mr. Tuggle previously spent 30 years at the Coca-Cola Company, where he was a member of Coca-Cola’s Executive Committee and managed the company’s corporate productivity activity. Mr. Tuggle held multiple senior management roles at Coca-Cola and was most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer, where he managed Coca-Cola’s global public affairs and reported directly to the Chairman and CEO. He was also President of the Russia, Ukraine and Belarus Division, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Public Affairs and Communication, Deputy Division President of Central Europe and Executive Assistant (chief of staff) to former CEO Roberto C. Goizueta. Mr. Tuggle currently serves as a member of the board of directors at the Georgia Power Company and at Oxford Industries, Inc. He earned his BA from Hamilton College and a master’s degree from Yale University. He also studied at the Ludwig-Maximillian Universität in Munich, Germany and the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.