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 continues to be involved in initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, working with portfolio company management teams and arranging the disposition of investments. In his capacity, he serves as the Managing Member of the General Partner for every Fund under management at Mason Wells.
Mr. Byrnes has over 30 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. Mason Wells Buyout Fund III, a $525 million fund, closed in May 2010, is currently being invested.
Mr. Byrnes is active in numerous public and civic organizations in Wisconsin. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Medical College of Wisconsin and was a founding director of the Milwaukee Institute, a new organization that is dedicated to innovation and economic development through expanded use of high-performance computing in 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 Board of Directors of the following public and private corporations: Dedicated Computing LLC, GAMFG Precision, LLC, Paragon Development Systems, Inc., 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 Board 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, II and III.
Mr. Smith is a member of the Board of Directors of Coating Excellence International, LLC, Mullinix Packages, Inc. and Pacon Corporation.
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.
Greg Myers
Senior Managing Director
As Senior 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 Board 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, II and III.
Mr. Myers is a member of the Board of Directors of Eddy Packing Co. Inc., Oliver Products Company, and NEX Performance Films. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
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 15 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, II and III.
Mr. Kenealey is a member of the Board of Directors of NGI Holdings Corp., and Paris Presents, Inc. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Milwaukee Children's Museum.
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 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 Board of Directors of GAMFG Precision LLC.
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.
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 Board of Directors of portfolio companies, working with portfolio company management teams to create shareholder value and arranging for the disposition of investments.
Mr. Khan has over 14 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 serves on the Board of Directors of Dedicated Computing LLC, Paragon Development Systems, Inc., and 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 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, conducting due diligence, negotiating debt financings, serving on the Board of Directors of portfolio companies and working with portfolio company management teams.
Mr. Radtke has over 12 years of private equity investing experience in middle market 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 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 is a member of the Board of Directors of Coating Excellence International LLC, Oliver Products Company, Mullinix Packages, Inc., NEX Performance Films and Pacon Corporation.
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 the investment and portfolio development activities of the firm. In this capacity, Mr. Holbrook is responsible for initiating investment opportunities, creating investment analyses, performing market research, conducting due diligence support, negotiating debt financings, serving on the Board of Directors of portfolio companies, and working with portfolio company management teams.
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 serves on the Board of Directors of Eddy Packing Co., Inc and Paris Presents, Inc.
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.
Christopher Pummill
Associate
As an Associate for Mason Wells, Mr. Pummill is primarily responsible for supporting the partners' investment activities. In this capacity, Mr. Pummill 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 2011, Mr. Pummill served as an Associate intern at Thoma Bravo in Chicago, Illinois, where he was responsible for the origination, analysis, and due diligence of buyout investments in middle-market business services, distribution, and technology busineses. Prior to Thoma Bravo, Mr. Pummill was an Associate at Western Reserve Partners, a middle-market investment bank in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Pummill received a Master of Business Administration with honors from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Business, cum laude, from Miami University.
Richard (Buddy) Erickson
Analyst
As an Analyst for Mason Wells, Mr. Erickson is primarily responsible for supporting the partners' investment activities. In this capacity, Mr. Erickson 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 2010, Mr. Erickson was a Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company in their Chicago office, where he served clients on engagements covering strategic growth initiatives, organizational redesign, competitive analysis, marketing and sales, and strategic due diligence efforts. Mr. Erickson's time at McKinsey included assignments abroad in London and South Africa, and coverage of the Healthcare, Consumer Packaged Goods, and Retail industries.
Mr. Erickson received a Bachelor of Science Degree with Highest Honors in Enterprise Systems Engineering and a Minor in Technology & Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Bill Krugler
Managing Director - Retired
Mr. Krugler retired in 2011 as a Managing Director of the Mason Wells Buyout Funds. While active in this role, Mr. Krugler was 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 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 he was a member of the General Partner of Mason Wells Buyout Fund I and II.
Mr. Krugler is a member of the Board of Directors of AA Management Group, Inc. 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.
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 Board of Directors of Deltanoid, Opgen, 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.