Team

Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz, Managing Director
Lawrence Heslin, Managing Director
Frederic Buse, Managing Director
Cory Martin, Managing Director
Raimundo C. Archibold Jr., Managing Director
Douglas A. Cummins, Executive Director
Edward Heslop, Senior Vice President
Stuart J. Safft, Senior Vice President
Stephen Anderman, Senior Advisor-Europe
Charles Axelrod, Senior Advisor
Harsha Deshpande, Senior Advisor-Asia
Andrew Vickery, Senior Advisor
David Dell, Ph.D., Senior Advisor
Kyle Tatsuo Toyama, Associate
Hakan Gomer, European Associate

Robert W. Schwartz founded the firm in 1985 and is a Managing Director. Mr. Schwartz specializes in corporate planning, finance and development. Prior to starting the firm, he was a founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of a venture-funded high tech telecommunications company. In addition, he was the President and Chief Operating Officer of an American Stock Exchange-listed company that he took public in 1979. He was also the Chief Financial Officer of a major manufacturer of outdoor power equipment. His earlier experience was with KPMG as a management consultant and with IBM. Since starting SHG, he has worked with over 350 businesses utilizing his experience in finance and general management to achieve their objectives. Mr. Schwartz holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and has done graduate work at The University at Albany. He has served as a Director of a number of public, private and non-profit organizations; he currently serves on the boards of five corporations. He has been a frequent guest lecturer at local universities and professional organizations and teaches a graduate course in entrepreneurship at The University at Albany and Union Graduate University. In addition, he chairs the University at Albany Foundation's Council on Economic Outreach. rschwartz@shggroup.com

Lawrence R. Heslin, a Managing Director since 1990, specializes in financial planning, operations review and analysis, and business improvement. These skills were developed over a 30-year period at General Electric, a company at the forefront of restructurings and other productivity actions to improve profitability and worldwide competitiveness. At General Electric, he held 14 financial management positions in which he gained significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, auditing, financial planning and analysis, cost accounting and information systems management. His last two corporate staff positions were as the CFO of two divisions of GE, each with sales in the $150 million range. At SHG, Mr. Heslin has utilized his analytical skills and management experiences to help over 160 clients achieve their objectives. He is a 1956 honors graduate of Siena College where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration. In 1962, he was the worldwide top graduate of GE's MBA program for finance personnel. In 1969, he completed five years in GE's CPA equivalency program, known for its in-depth operation reviews of GE's business units. Mr. Heslin is a Board member of a New York State manufacturer and distributor of electronics products. lheslin@shggroup.com

Frederic J. Buse, a Managing Director since 1995, specializes in corporate and governmental finance. He has extensive experience in the insurance and banking industries as well as with technology based companies. Prior to joining SHG in 1995, he was the Director of Unemployment Insurance with the New York State Department of Labor. Previously, he managed a variety of assignments with The Lawrence Group, a mid-sized property and casualty insurance organization. Mr. Buse also was a senior manager with several high tech computer software start-up companies sponsored by AT&T and Eastman Kodak, and with Security New York State Corp., a Rochester, New York based bank holding company, now part of Bank of America. He has significant experience in health care policy, planning, and resource allocation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University where he completed graduate study in economics, banking and finance. He is a member of the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters and has served as a Director of a variety of private companies and not-for-profit organizations. In addition, he teaches a graduate course in entrepreneurship at The University at Albany and Union Graduate University.fbuse@shggroup.com

Cory Martin, joined the firm in 2009 and was promoted to Managing Director in 2010. He began his professional career in the late 1990’s at Ayco, a business unit of Goldman Sachs & Co. As a Senior Financial Analyst / Advisor, Cory advised high net worth clients on all aspects of their personal and professional financial and life planning. In 2005, Cory started The Kalos Group, an independent business advisory firm to broker deals between entrepreneurs and venture capital investors, angel investors, and merchant banks. In addition, he provided advanced financial analysis and business valuations to privately held companies to assist in mergers and acquisitions, estate and gift tax planning, and other complex financial, marketing & business planning. Other positions held have included commercial credit analysis for a community bank and a Sales Director role for a media barter business unit of advertising agency holding company, The Interpublic Group of Companies, in NYC. Through both Kalos and Interpublic Cory has gained significant experience and industry relationships through the media and advertising market. Cory holds an MBA in Finance from Sage Graduate School in Albany, NY and a BS in Finance from Siena College in Loudonville, NY. cmartin@shggroup.com

Raimundo C. Archibold Jr. joined the firm in 2010 and was promoted to Managing Director in 2011. He specializes in corporate finance, strategic planning and M&A activities. Prior to joining SHG, he enjoyed a career in finance in New York City for over 25 years, principally as an equity analyst covering the technology and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Archibold has wide experience in equities and capital markets and has been involved in over 20 initial public offerings and M&A transactions. His experience includes work with JP Morgan Equity Research where he was the lead analyst covering the IT Services sector. At Kaufman Bros, he was the lead analyst covering the telecommunications industry. In addition, Raimundo worked with financial institutions while at Fox-Pitt Kelton. He has experience with advanced materials, is an investor in the technology, media and telecommunications industries, and is a financial advisor working with entrepreneurs and professionals. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Dayton, and an MBA in economics from Pace University. Mr. Archibold is a Chartered Financial Analyst. rarchibold@shggroup.com

Douglas Cummins joined SHG in early 2011 as Executive Director. Mr. Cummins has had extensive CEO experience over the past 20 years, having served as CEO/President of four firms: two Fortune 500 companies -- Salem Carpet Mills and Liggett Group -- and two privately held companies -- Acctech and North Atlantic Trading Company. Mr. Cummins began his career in Marketing at Ogilvy and Mather in New York where he managed the Hershey and Bristol Myers accounts. He then served as VP of Marketing at RJ Reynolds Industries for 5 years, with international responsibilities for two of those years. Mr. Cummins has been a member of the Board of Directors of 15 companies over the past 20 years. These companies represent a variety of businesses ranging from manufacturing to retail and advanced technology. Additionally, he has worked with and invested in advanced materials enterprises. Since becoming a member of the SHG team, Mr. Cummins concentrates on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions and family business issues. Mr. Cummins holds a B.A. (cum laude) degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia University. dcummins@shggroup.com

Edward Heslop joined SHG in October 2011 as Senior Vice President and is located in central NYS. With more than 30 years experience in green tech and sustainability, Mr. Heslop has played a lead role in establishing many new businesses, commercializing technology and launching new products and services from inception to sale. Most recently he was Chairman and CEO of Environmental Credit Corp. (ECC), a business he helped conceptualize in 2004 that creates and trades carbon credits. Prior to ECC, Mr. Heslop was a co-founder in 1993 and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AnAerobics/Ecovation, an enterprise that developed and marketed innovative, organic wastewater treatment technology. Not long ago, the business was sold to Ecolab. In 1989, he co-founded and served as Director of Operations for Paracelsian, based on technology he licensed from Cornell University and the University of Rochester. He raised the venture capital to launch this bio-tech business focused on drug discovery based on detecting environmental carcinogens in water and soil. In 1992, he took the company public. Earlier in his career, for the better part of a decade, Mr. Heslop owned and actively managed two dairy farm businesses. Mr. Heslop is a graduate of Cornell University with a Master of Science in Production Economics and Finance, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Finance and Management. He serves as an Advisory Board Member to Cornell University’s Charles Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. In addition, he is a Founding Board Member of the Executive Council for the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell. eheslop@shggroup.com

Stuart J. Safft , Senior Vice President, joined firm in 2011 and manages the firm’s practice in Connecticut and western Massachusetts. He has over 40 years experience in finance, general management, entrepreneurship and management consulting. He has held a succession of financial and general management positions at several multinational firms; founded two companies and helped manage a third start-up. Mr. Safft has been a management consultant for the past thirteen years, focusing on operations/process improvement, strategic planning and M & A activities, and profit-improvement/turnaround programs for small and medium-sized companies. He has experience with large & small, private & public, domestic & international companies and with a wide range of hi-tech, low-tech and service industries. Mr. Safft earned an MBA with Distinction from Harvard University and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Swarthmore College. ssafft@shggroup.com

Stephen Anderman, Senior Advisor-Europe since 2001, has a background in the general management of small to medium sized businesses. He has actively pursued opportunities as Investor Director in a number of start-up and established high-tech manufacturing companies, and has over 40 years experience with his family's enterprise, The Anderman Group, in London, UK, which specializes in the international sales, marketing and distribution of technical industrial products. Chairman and Managing Director for the past 15 years, he managed the handover to the third generation and the strategic planning of future direction. Before joining Anderman & Company Ltd, Stephen was joint founder and Managing Director of Anderman & Ryder Ltd, a leading manufacturer of technical ceramic components, and oversaw the sale of the business to the Morgan Crucible Plc, a FTSE 100 listed corporation, where he also became Divisional Director of their Morgan Matroc Group. Stephen was for many years the Chairman of the British Industrial Ceramics Manufacturers Association, as well as the European Ceramics Society. Stephen is a Fellow of the British Institute of Materials and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from University of London. stephen@psaltd.org

Charles Axelrod, Senior Advisor since 2007, is a seasoned corporate finance attorney with more than 30 years of experience taking companies public and acquiring and selling companies. His concentration has been on all aspects of corporate and securities law and servicing public and private capital formation projects involving public offerings, private placements, venture capital transactions and merger and acquisition transactions. He also has dealt with SEC investigations and enforcement matters and advised and counseled boards of directors, audit committees and special board of director committees. Chick was formerly a shareholder in the corporate department of the New York office of Greenberg Traurig LLP, a 1650 attorney international law firm. He is a member a numerous committees and subcommittees related to his practice areas and has published many articles. He holds a BS in Economics and Labor Relations from New York University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. Chick will focus his efforts on assisting SHG clients in M &A and capital formation strategies and execution. charlesaxelrod@optonline.net

Harsha Deshpande, Senior Advisor – Asia since 2009, worked closely with the senior management of Time-Warner in the launch of the HBO TV channel in Asia and previously held management positions in Time-Warner owned/funded companies in New York. He was involved in the renewal of the Manhattan cable franchise and the cable industry’s entry into data services. Recently he has been identifying investment opportunities in the media, entertainment, and IT businesses for Fortune 500 companies in Asia. He also works with emerging markets companies looking for acquisitions in North America. He was also a senior executive at two California start-up internet companies that were acquired. Harsha holds a Masters degree in Media Management form Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and a Law degree from the University of Mumbai. He holds UK and India law licenses. He resides in Mumbai and Seattle and travels frequently in Asia. hdeshpande@shggroup.com

Andrew C. Vickery, after seven years with SHG, has been appointed CEO and Principal of Targeted: 10S, effective October 1, 2011. Targeted: 10S specializes in short form media buying for major national advertisers. Andrew will continue his association with SHG on selected projects. In addition to extensive M&A experience, he has worked in corporate, syndicated, structured, project and export finance, capital markets, and restructuring. He also manages several private investment vehicles focused on high growth potential companies. Prior to 2002, Mr. Vickery was a Director/Vice President in the Global Investment Bank of JP Morgan Chase and Co. where he completed more than $25 billion in transactions. His last assignment was in Frankfurt, Germany heading the Corporate Finance team responsible for technology, media and telecom. Prior to that held various Vice President level positions based in Hong Kong, Singapore and Frankfurt, Germany. He holds a Bachelors degree in economics from the University of Colorado and serves on a variety of corporate, charitable and advisory boards including the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. avickery@shggroup.com

David J. Dell, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, rejoined SHG in 2011. He specializes in shaping and guiding corporate strategy in complex situations. He has a unique background combining best practices research, management consulting, executive leadership, and investment banking over 30 years. Through publications, conference presentations and media, he has been recognized as a thought leader in sustainability, outsourcing, M&A integration, HR, corporate IT strategy, and other areas. Currently as CEO co/founder of Sustainable Profitability Group, Dr Dell is active in developing new energy investments and commercialization of technologies. In his personal practice Dr. Dell serves on the boards of growth companies and non-profit organizations, and is a trusted personal adviser to senior business leaders. He has served companies in transition and turnarounds as interim CEO, Chief Technology Officer as well as Chief Talent Officer and been an officer and director of 2 NASD National listed companies. As an investment banker he focused on funding, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures of emerging technology companies. He advises growth companies on commercialization and funding strategy, and securing funding and helps investors properly understand risks and opportunities. A recent migrant to the central Hudson Valley, he currently serves as Chairman of non-profit Sustainable Hudson Valley and serves as Chairman of the Management Board of Luminary Publishing, publishers of Chronogram Magazine. David holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the languages and culture of India. david@daviddell.net

Kyle Tatsuo Toyama, Associate, joined SHG mid-2011. Prior to joining SHG, he spent time in Singapore as an intern working at Credit Suisse AG in Asset Management as part of the Multi Asset Class Solutions Team. He also studied at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan. Mr. Toyama graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. from the University of Albany. ktoyama@shggroup.com

Hakan Gomer is a London-based venture capital investor associated with SHG. He has invested in, chaired and been a director of a range of startups and growth companies in IT, telecoms, financial services and consumer products. The mainstay of his professional career has been in strategy consulting. Håkan was the chairman of Arkwright, a North European consulting and investment firm which he co-founded with three professionals from the London and Munich offices of Bain & Company. A graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics, he holds a European doctorate and attended the doctoral programme at the Harvard Business School. hakangomer@yahoo.co.uk