MANAGEMENT TEAM
William D. Thomas – Senior Managing Director
William D. Thomas is the Senior Managing Director of TGP Investments. He is also the Senior Managing Director of George K. Baum Merchant Banc, L.L.C., the investment manager of the George K. Baum Capital Partners, L.P. (the “GKB Fund”), a $100 million private equity fund. With 40 years of experience in corporate finance, Mr. Thomas has significant expertise in all phases of investment and merchant banking, with emphasis in the areas of structuring, negotiating, and financing leveraged buyouts. From 1974 to 1990, he headed the Corporate Finance Department of George K. Baum & Company, and from 1990 to 1994 was Vice Chairman. Mr. Thomas has served on the board of directors of numerous public and private companies. He is currently a director of Colorado Powersports, Inc., DaVinci Roofscapes, L.L.C., and LICO, Inc. Mr. Thomas has been awarded the professional designation of Chartered Financial Analyst; received a B.A. degree from the University of Kansas; and J.D. and L.L.M. degrees from the University of Missouri of Kansas City.
Eric V. Graham – Managing Director
Eric V. Graham is a Managing Director of TGP Investments. He is also a Vice President of George K. Baum Merchant Banc, L.L.C. where he has served as part of its management team since 2000. Prior to joining Baum, he served as an Associate with Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co., a Charlotte, NC-based investment banking firm focused on mergers and acquisitions serving middle-market corporate clients and the financial sponsor community from 1998 through 2000. Mr. Graham has also worked in Lehman Brothers Inc.’s equity capital markets investment banking group in New York, NY (1994 through 1996) and the investment banking division of A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. in St. Louis, MO (1992 through 1994). During graduate school, he worked in Dillon, Read & Co. Inc.’s mergers and acquisitions department in New York, NY (1997). Mr. Graham has considerable experience in the origination, structuring, and execution of a broad range of strategic corporate transactions in a variety of industries. He currently serves on the board of directors of Ascend Integrated Media, L.L.C. Mr. Graham received a B.S. degree magna cum laude in Finance from Kansas State University, and also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
Shane C. Parr – Managing Director
Shane C. Parr is a Managing Director of TGP Investments. Previously, he served as a member of the George K. Baum Merchant Banc, L.L.C. management team from 1997 through 2009, most recently as Vice President. Prior to that and during graduate school, he worked for Holden Capital Advisors, a venture capital firm based in Prairie Village, Kansas. Mr. Parr has extensive experience in originating, evaluating, and executing acquisitions, as well as working closely with management teams to help achieve long-term objectives. In addition, Mr. Parr has significant experience in raising, structuring, and negotiating senior and subordinate debt facilities. He is a director of Ascend Integrated Media, L.L.C. and DaVinci Roofscapes, L.L.C. Mr. Parr received a B.S. degree in Business Administration and an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas.
Nathan J. Kuhn – Managing Director of Business Development
Nathan J. Kuhn is the Managing Director of Business Development of TGP Investments. Immediately prior to joining TGP Investments, Mr. Kuhn was President of NJK Land & Cattle Co. LLC, a family-owned partnership. From 2006 through 2008, he was a Vice President with LaSalle Business Credit where he had responsibilities for originating and structuring asset-based senior debt facilities. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Kuhn sourced senior debt financings for Merrill Lynch, where he was recognized for being one of the top commercial loan producers in the Midwest Region (and nationally) within the Merrill system during 2004. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Kuhn served as an Associate in the Corporate Finance Department of Oppenheimer & Co., focusing principally on merger and acquisition advisory services and private placements of debt and equity securities. Mr. Kuhn received a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics and an M.B.A. from Texas Tech University.
John J. Williams – Director of Business Development
John J. Williams is Director of Business Development of TGP Investments. With nearly 40 years in the financial services arena, he has extensive experience in developing client relationships and selling investment and commercial banking services. Before joining TGP Investments, he was a Business Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch from 2002 thru 2006. For the three years prior, he was a Senior Vice President in the Corporate Finance Department of Oppenheimer & Co. focusing principally on merger and acquisition advisory services and private placements of debt and equity securities. From 1998 to 1999, Mr. Williams was a Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending with INTRUST Bank after spending a year and a half as a Vice President and Producer with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. For the previous 14 years, he had been a Vice President focusing on business development and relationship management in the Corporate Finance Department at George K. Baum & Company. He had commenced his business career in 1970 with Commerce Bank of Kansas City in Commercial Lending and when he left the Bank in 1982, he was Senior Vice President in charge of the Corporate Group. Mr. Williams received a B.A. degree in History and an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas, after which he served three years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
George E. Hansen, III – Director
George E. Hansen, III is a Director of TGP Investments. Mr. Hansen has more than 30 years experience managing businesses in multiple industries in both North America and Europe. In addition to managing for exceptional growth he has also been principally involved in a variety of transaction types, including acquisitions, demergers and exits in both the public and private markets. Immediately prior to joining TGP Investments, Hansen was the CEO and President of Corporate Lodging Consultants, Inc., a market leading business process outsourcing company serving Fortune 100 companies and the US government. Rapid growth and performance there lead to an exit for its investors in 2009. From 1999 to 2004, he was the CEO and President of CARSTAR, Inc. the nation’s largest collision repair aggregator. Hansen held senior positions at Thorn EMI, PLC from 1988 to 1998, where as Executive Vice President he helped lead the sale of Thorn Americas, Inc. to a strategic buyer. Hansen began his career in the food service business, holding senior positions at Denny’s, Inc. and Wendy’s International. A graduate of the University of Maine he also holds a certificate in Management from Columbia University. Hansen has served on a number of charitable boards and currently sits on the Board of Advisors to the Business School at the University of Kansas, where he regularly lectures on strategy.