Team

Robert Schwartz

Robert Schwartz, Managing Director
Lawrence Heslin, Managing Director
Frederic Buse, Managing Director
Andrew Vickery, Managing Director
Thomas Thompson, Managing Director
Raimundo C. Archibold Jr., Executive Director
Stephen Anderman, Senior Advisor-Europe
Charles Axelrod, Senior Advisor
Harsha Deshpande, Senior Advisor-Asia
Cory Martin, Senior Vice President

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

Andrew C. Vickery, a Managing Director since 2004, specializes in investment banking. 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

Thomas A. Thompson, a Managing Director since 2003, specializes in business and financial planning, industrial property valuation, business valuation, and litigation support. He developed these skills over a 30-year business career that includes experience in large international accounting and consulting firms, traditional manufacturing, software start-up ventures and high-tech hardware manufacturers. Prior to joining SHG in 2003, he served a wide range of public and private sector clients as vice president of MDI Associates, LLC, a management and valuation consulting firm. He began his career at Arthur Young & Company, now Ernst & Young. He then spent a decade with Garden Way Incorporated, where he filled an increasingly responsible series of financial accounting, planning and corporate development positions. He then joined Enable Software as CFO and, subsequently, Bitwise Designs, now Authentidate Holding Corporation, as COO. Mr. Thompson earned a bachelor's degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York and an MBA from Rutgers University. He is a licensed CPA and certified general real estate appraiser in New York State, and a member of several professional societies. thompson@shggroup.com

Raimundo C. Archibold Jr., an Executive Director since 2010, 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 as an investor in the technology, media and telecommunications industries, and as 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

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

Cory Martin, Senior Vice President since 2009, 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