Our Team
Mason Wells' success is built on the experience, expertise and ethics of our people. Our senior principals have an average tenure of 20 years at the firm and our network of specialized executive partners has extensive experience and knowledge in our target industry sectors.
John Byrnes
Executive Managing Director
Mr. Byrnes is Executive Managing Director of the Mason Wells Funds, where he is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the firm. Mr. Byrnes is also involved in initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, working with portfolio company management teams and arranging the disposition of investments. In this capacity, he serves as the Managing Member of the General Partner for every Fund under management at Mason Wells.
Mr. Byrnes has over 25 years of private equity investing experience. In 1983 he organized the private equity arm of the Marshall & Ilsley Corporation, where for 15 years he managed four successful investment funds, making private equity and venture capital investments throughout the Midwest. In 1998 Mr. Byrnes managed the spin-out of M&I's private equity team into Mason Wells, leading the fundraising for its first $175 million buyout fund. In 2005, the firm raised the $300 million Mason Wells Buyout Fund II, which is currently being invested.
Mr. Byrnes is active in numerous public and civic organizations in Wisconsin and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Institute, which is dedicated to innovation and economic development through collaborative research. Mr. Byrnes has previously served on the Wisconsin Governor's Economic Growth Council and the Wisconsin Technology Council, where he was responsible for shaping many of the regulatory strategies that are now helping to propel the biotech industry in Wisconsin.
Mr. Byrnes is a member of the Boards of Directors of the following public and private corporations: Dedicated Computing LLC, Premix Inc, GAMFG Precision, LLC and The Oilgear Company.
Mr. Byrnes received his JD Degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Tom Smith
Senior Managing Director
As Senior Managing Director of the Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Smith is responsible for managing the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Smith is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, serving on the Boards of Directors of portfolio companies, working with portfolio company management teams to create shareholder value and arranging for the disposition of investments. Mr. Smith is a member of the Management Committee of the firm and of the Investment Committee.
Mr. Smith has over 20 years of experience in private equity investing in middle market buyouts. He joined Marshall & Ilsley's private equity arm in 1991 after spending six years in the investment banking businesses at Robert W. Baird & Co. and Smith Barney, where he was involved in a wide range of middle market corporate finance and merger and acquisition transactions. Mr. Smith was part of the team that spun-out of Marshall & Ilsley in 1998 and is a senior member of the General Partner of Mason Wells Buyout Fund I and II.
Mr. Smith is a member of the Boards of Directors of Coating Excellence International, LLC, HK Systems, Inc., NGI Holdings Corp., and Oliver Products Company.
Mr. Smith received a Master of Management Degree from Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Bill Krugler
Managing Director
As a Managing Director of the Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Krugler is responsible for supporting the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Krugler is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, serving on the Board of Directors of portfolio companies, working with portfolio company management teams to create shareholder value and arranging for the disposition of investments. Mr. Krugler is a member of the Management Committee and the Investment Committee of the firm.
Mr. Krugler has more than 20 years of experience in private equity investing in middle market buyout transactions. He joined Marshall & Ilsley’s private equity arm in 1988, after spending eight years at Arthur Andersen & Co., where he specialized in providing merger and acquisition services to growth-oriented, middle market companies. Mr. Krugler was part of the team that spun-out of Marshall & Ilsley in 1998 and is a senior member of the General Partner of Mason Wells Buyout Fund I and II.
Mr. Krugler is a member of the Board of Directors of Dedicated Computing LLC. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking at the University of Wisconsin - Madison School of Business.
Mr. Krugler received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Greg Myers
Managing Director
As a Managing Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Myers is primarily responsible for supporting the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Myers is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, negotiating transactions, supervising due diligence, serving on the Boards of Directors of portfolio companies and working with portfolio company management teams. Mr. Myers is a member of the Investment Committee.
Mr. Myers has over 20 years of private equity investing experience in middle market companies. He joined Marshall & Ilsley's private equity arm in 1988 as an Investment Analyst. Mr. Myers was part of the team that spun-out of Marshall & Ilsley in 1998 and is a member of the General Partner of Mason Wells Buyout Funds I and II.
Mr. Myers is a member of the Board of Directors of Oliver Products Company. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a member of the President's Council at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
Mr. Myers received a Master of Business Administration Degree from Marquette University and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Iowa.
Kevin Kenealey
Managing Director
As a Managing Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Kenealey is primarily responsible for supporting the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Kenealey is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, negotiating transactions, supervising due diligence, serving on the Board of Directors of portfolio companies and working with portfolio company management teams. Mr. Kenealey is a member of the Investment Committee.
Mr. Kenealey has over 14 years of experience in the private equity industry. Prior to joining Mason Wells in 1999, he was an attorney in the private equity group of Kirkland & Ellis, a Chicago-based law firm with a national private equity practice. Mr. Kenealey has been involved in more than 40 private equity transactions, including leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations, venture capital financings and private equity fund formations. He joined Mason Wells shortly after the formation of the firm and is a member of the General Partner of Mason Wells Buyout Fund I and II.
Mr. Kenealey is a member of the Board of Directors of NGI Holdings Corp. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Milwaukee Children's Museum, the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation and the Advisory Board to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Engineering.
Mr. Kenealey has a JD Degree from the Northwestern University School of Law, a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Minnesota.
Jim Domach
Chief Financial Officer
As Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Domach manages the financial and accounting functions for the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Domach is responsible for all accounting and tax matters relating to Mason Wells funds, financial reporting and investment valuations of portfolio companies, limited partner reporting, investor relations and management information systems of the Mason Wells organization. He is a member of the Management Committee and Investment Committee of the firm.
Mr. Domach has over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Mason Wells in 1998, he was a loan audit manager, having spent seven years in Marshall & Ilsley Corporation Commercial Audit Group. His experience as a manager at M&I included monitoring the commercial loan portfolio, conducting fraud audits and assisting in work-out situations. Prior to joining M&I, Mr. Domach worked as an auditor at Ernst & Young.
Mr. Domach serves on the Boards of Directors of GAMFG Precision LLC and Premix Inc. He also serves as Mason Wells observer on the Board of Directors for CHF Inc.
Mr. Domach earned a Master of Business Administration from Marquette University and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from St. Norbert College. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Private Equity CFO Association and National Venture Capital Association CFO Task Force.
Asim Khan
Director
As a Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Khan is primarily responsible for the buyout and portfolio development activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Khan is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, serving on the Boards of Directors of portfolio companies, working with portfolio company management teams to create shareholder value and arranging for the disposition of investments. Mr. Khan serves on the Board of Directors of The Oilgear Company. Mr. Khan was previously a member of Board of Directors at Converting, Inc., prior to its sale in October 2007.
Mr. Khan has over 11 years of financial services and operations experience. Prior to joining Mason Wells in 2003, Mr. Khan served as a Senior Investment Banking Associate at SWS Securities, where he was principally responsible for initiating and executing merger and acquisition transactions for middle-market companies. Prior to SWS Securities, Mr. Khan served as the Director of Business Development in 2001 for Cybiko, a 250-employee, late-stage wireless start-up based in Moscow, Russia. At Cybiko, Mr. Khan was responsible for the firm's venture capital fundraising, market strategy and new business development activities. Prior to Cybiko, Mr. Khan served as Business Development Manager for SoDeog Technologies, an early-stage wireless start-up based in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was also responsible for the firm's venture capital fundraising, market strategy and new business development activities. Prior to SoDeog Technologies, Mr. Khan was an Investment Banking Associate for Merrill Lynch, where he was involved in a wide range of corporate finance and merger and acquisition transactions.
Mr. Khan received Bachelor of Science Degrees in Accounting and Finance from Marquette University.
Jay Radtke
Director
As a Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Radtke is primarily responsible for supporting the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Radtke is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, creating investment analyses, performing market research, conducting due diligence, negotiating debt financings and monitoring portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Mason Wells in 2006, Mr. Radtke worked for Cornerstone Equity Investors, LLC in New York for five years, where he was responsible for the origination, analysis, due diligence and execution of control-oriented investments in middle market companies in the business services, healthcare and specialty manufacturing industries. Prior to Cornerstone Equity Investors, Mr. Radtke worked in Lehman Brothers' New York office for three years, where he was an Investment Banking Analyst in the real estate and mergers and acquisitions groups.
Mr. Radtke received a Master of Business Administration Degree from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vanderbilt University.
Ben Holbrook
Director
As a Director of Mason Wells Buyout Funds, Mr. Holbrook is primarily responsible for supporting the Partners in the investment activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Holbrook is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, creating investment analyses, performing market research, providing due diligence support, negotiating debt financings and monitoring portfolio companies.
Mr. Holbrook has over 12 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining Mason Wells in 2005, Mr. Holbrook served as a Research Associate at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was principally responsible for equity research coverage of the Information Security sector.
Prior to Janney Montgomery Scott, Mr. Holbrook served as a Corporate Finance Analyst in 2001 for Thomas Weisel Partners, based in San Francisco, California. Prior to Thomas Weisel Partners, Mr. Holbrook served as a Principal in the Umbrella Project, an early stage investment fund based in Princeton, New Jersey. At the Umbrella Project, he was responsible for the creation of deal flow, the assessment and analysis of new deals, investment recommendations, industry research and the development of essential financial and industry resources for entrepreneurs. Prior to the Umbrella Project, Mr. Holbrook was a Research Assistant for Bloomberg L.P., based in Princeton, New Jersey.
Mr. Holbrook received a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honors in Psychology from Brown University. He competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece as a member of the United States Olympic Rowing Team.
John Martin
Associate
As an Associate for Mason Wells, Mr. Martin is primarily responsible for supporting the partners' investment activities. In this capacity, Mr. Martin is responsible for new investment analysis, financial modeling, market research, due diligence support and the monitoring of portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Mason Wells in 2006, Mr. Martin served as a Financial Analyst in the Investment Banking division of Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., where he was responsible for creating comprehensive financial models, preparing client presentations, company valuations and financial analyses and providing analytical support. At Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc., Mr. Martin was also the lead participant in the due diligence process on buy-side and sell-side assignments within the diversified media, wireline and wireless telecommunications, utilities, data processing and outsourced services industries.
Mr. Martin received a Bachelor of Science Degree with High Honors in Finance and a Minor in History from the University of Illinois.
Trevor D’Souza
Managing Director
As a Managing Director of the Mason Wells Venture Fund, Mr. D'Souza is responsible for managing the venture capital investment activities of the Fund. In this capacity he is responsible for structuring and negotiating transactions, serving on the board of directors of the portfolio companies, working with portfolio company management teams to create shareholder value, and arranging for the orderly disposition of investments at a profit to the Fund.
Mr. D'Souza joined Mason Wells in 2000. Prior to joining Mason Wells, he had many years of experience in consulting and management in the technology and biomedical industries. Previously, Mr. D’Souza was the President & CEO of PharmaSoft North America, Inc., a provider of software products and services for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device communities worldwide. Prior to that, Mr. D’Souza was a Senior Program Manager with Booz·Allen & Hamilton, Inc., an international technology and strategy consulting firm, where he was responsible for leading the supplier side of the Healthcare IT practice. Prior to that, he was the Director of Information Systems for McKesson BioServices Corporation, a professional services firm providing specialized support for bio-medical research and development.
Mr. D'Souza serves on the Boards of Directors of Dedicated Computing LLC, Deltanoid, Opgen, Zystor, Teramedica, The Wisconsin Technology Council, Spirit of Milwaukee, Inc., and the Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation.
Mr. D’Souza received his Master of Business Administration from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Catholic University.
Joanne Vaughn
Office Administrator & Corporate Secretary
Ms. Vaughn joined M&I Capital Markets Group in 1994 and made the transition to Mason Wells in 1998. As Office Administrator, Ms. Vaughn is responsible for recruiting, supervising and evaluating the administrative office support staff as well as Human Resources administration. As Corporate Secretary, she is responsible for the maintenance of fund files and documentation of fund activities, as well as initiation and maintenance of all corporate records. She brings with her over 30 years of office administration experience. Prior to joining our team in 1994, Ms. Vaughn worked for six years with Trammell Crow Company in Itasca, Illinois. Her past experience includes legal secretarial work in real estate as well as a license to sell real estate in Illinois. She is also the assistant to the Executive Managing Director. Ms. Vaughn attended Harper College.