Mark J. Carmen - Director

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Mr. Carmen is Chairman of the Board of GracoRoberts, a portfolio company of CM Equity Partners.  

Mark J. Carmen is a senior advisor at CM Equity Partners, LP., focused on the aerospace and defense, specialty industrial, and business services industries. He was previously a Managing Partner at CM Equity Partners, LP. He was also previously a Board Member at Universal Weather & Aviation, Inc. (2009 to 2015) and a Board Member of Air Culinaire Worldwide, LLC (2011 to 2015). 

Mr. Carmen is a senior-level strategic and operational leader with broad experience as President of a global business aviation services company, Managing Director for private equity and investment banking firms, and as an entrepreneur.  He has a consistent record of driving growth by refocusing strategy, leading acquisitions and building high performing teams; positioning companies for financings and exits; raising equity and debt in private and public markets; and drawing on his diverse industry background in aerospace, defense, industrial, government IT services, homeland security, B2B services/outsourcing, and healthcare IT services.

As President of Universal Weather & Aviation Inc. (2009 to 2013) (a global company with 1,750+ employees providing business jet owners and operators international trip support services, ground handling, fuel, and software solutions), Mr. Carmen guided the acquisition and integration of Air Chef (rebranded Air Culinaire Worldwide), a general aviation catering business, identified prospective JV partners in India and negotiated an agreement, rationalized non-core and underperforming businesses, and created a new IT roadmap, all while growing Air Culinaire revenues 13% in a down market.  Mr. Carmen created a pricing group, which developed and implemented a new dynamic fuel pricing strategy that increased gross profit 13% in the first six months.  He made additional contributions by driving operational consistency, mitigating risks, and building a stronger corporate culture.

In his previous position as Managing Director, Private Equity at Macquarie Capital Funds, Inc., the private equity arm of the Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG), Mr. Carmen led the private equity investment in Sentient Flight Group, a leader in private jet membership card programs, on-demand charters, and fuel management.  In this role, he sourced and executed the Sentient complex carve-out acquisition, executed add-on acquisitions, and worked on several Macquarie portfolio assets, including several restructurings.

Prior to Macquarie, Mr. Carmen had a 13-year career with Jefferies & Company, Inc. in New York City, a global investment bank and subsidiary of Leucadia National Corporation (NYSE: LUK), where he held positions as Managing Director Investment Banking, Jefferies Quarterdeck; Co-head of Aerospace, Defense & IT Services Group. In these roles, he led numerous investment banking transactions across aerospace, defense, homeland security, and IT service sectors; sourced and executed IPOs, follow-on equity offerings, high yield debt offerings, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, and other financial advisory services; and structured and closed numerous complex and precedent-setting transactions.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Carmen was an Associate Director - Investment Banking at Mabon Securities Corp; Manager, Collegiate Marketing Division at The Advertising Checking Bureau, Inc. and Founder of Collegiate Marketing Concepts, Inc.

Mark received his MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and his BA from Brandeis University.

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