BATON ROUGE, La., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernhard
Capital Partners Management, LP ("Bernhard Capital" or the "Firm"),
a service and infrastructure-focused private equity management
firm, today announced that Luther C. "Luke" Kissam, IV has joined
Bernhard Capital as a Partner.
Mr. Kissam is a visionary leader and investor in the
transitional energy space and has two decades of experience in the
operational and financial aspects of major global businesses. He
previously served as Chairman and CEO of Albemarle Corporation
(NYSE: ALB), a global company with leading positions in lithium and
a nearly $16 billion market
capitalization. In this role, he spearheaded Ablemarle's
$6.2 billion acquisition of Rockwood
Holdings, Inc. in 2014, and helped transform Albemarle into a
global leader in the fast-growth lithium business, which is a
critical enabler for electric reliability, energy storage and the
emerging clean energy economy. He currently serves on the Board of
Directors of Albemarle as well as DuPont de Nemours Inc. and OGE
Energy Corp.
Jim Bernhard, partner at Bernhard
Capital, said, "Luke is an excellent addition to our team and we
are thrilled to welcome him to the Firm. He brings strong
experience in our core competency areas as well as a history of
innovative and forward-looking investments in transitional energy
and the renewable future – which we believe will be a significant
focus area in 2021 and beyond. Luke's highly successful 17-year
track record as an executive (including as CEO) of Albemarle will
enhance our capabilities. As a tried-and-true manager of successful
businesses, Luke fits in well with our Firm that is composed
largely of industry experts who understand what it takes to drive
excellence and help our portfolio companies succeed."
Luke Kissam said, "I'm excited to
be joining this highly successful firm. I've known Jim Bernhard for many years and believe the team
at Bernhard Capital possess a unique combination of operational
know-how and infrastructure sector expertise. They have a strong
track record of working with management teams to grow successful
companies – which is something that I love doing. Coming on as a
partner at Bernhard Capital is the perfect progression from my time
leading Albemarle and will allow me to continue to pursue my
passion for leading and investing in great companies."
Bernhard Capital also announced that Jeffrey Koonce and Jonathan de Lauréal have been
promoted to Partner and Managing Director, respectively. Mr. Koonce
has been with the Firm since January
2015. Mr. de Lauréal has been with the Firm since
August 2013.
Jim Bernhard continued, "We're
very happy to be recognizing Jeff and Jonathan, both of whom have
impressive backgrounds and have made substantial contributions to
our success. Jeff's extensive and widely recognized expertise in
taxation and transactions has proven to be highly impactful in his
role and we are excited to welcome him to the partnership. In his
years here at Bernhard Capital, Jonathan has grown to take on
increasing levels of responsibility building on his investing
background. We look forward to both Jeff's and Jonathan's
continuing success."
Luther C. Kissam, IV Biography
Mr. Kissam served as President and Chief Executive Officer of
Albemarle Corporation from September
2011 to April 2020. He was
elected to the company's board of directors in 2011 and served as
Chairman of the board from 2016 to April of 2020. Mr. Kissam joined
Albemarle in 2003 as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate
Secretary and served as Senior Vice President, Manufacturing and
Law, and Corporate Secretary from January
2008 until his promotion to President in March 2010.
Prior to joining Albemarle, Mr. Kissam served as Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary of Merisant Company, a manufacturer
of artificial sweeteners. Before Merisant, he was Assistant General
Counsel of Monsanto Company, a provider of agricultural products
and solutions. In addition to his public company directorships, Mr.
Kissam has served on a number of community and charitable boards
and associations. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of
Arts degree in English from The Citadel
in 1986 and magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law in
1989.
Jeffrey Koonce Biography
Mr. Koonce is a Partner at Bernhard Capital. He is involved in
all areas of the Firm's investment activities. Prior to joining
Bernhard Capital, Mr. Koonce was a partner at Phelps Dunbar, LLP
where he focused on federal and state taxation, business formations
and business transactions. Mr. Koonce has been recognized by
Chambers USA: America's Leading
Lawyers for Business and Louisiana Super Lawyers in tax law, and
was recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" in tax law by The Best
Lawyers in America. He is the Past-President of the Baton Rouge
Chapter of the Society of Louisiana CPAs, a Past-Board Member of
the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants, and
Past-Chairman of the Louisiana State Bar Association Tax Law
Advisory Commission. Mr. Koonce received his B.S. in Accounting
from Louisiana State University and is
a certified public accountant (inactive). He received his J.D. from
the Louisiana State University Paul M.
Hebert Law Center and his L.L.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law.
Jonathan de Lauréal Biography
Mr. de Lauréal is a Managing Director at Bernhard Capital. He is
involved in all areas of the Firm's investment activities. Prior to
joining Bernhard Capital, he served as an Associate at Lightyear
Capital in New York, NY. While at
Lightyear, Mr. de Lauréal was involved in all aspects of the
investment process including evaluation of new investment
opportunities, deal structuring and execution, and ongoing
monitoring of existing portfolio companies. Prior to his tenure at
Lightyear, Mr. de Lauréal was a member of the Financial
Institutions Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he worked
on various mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and capital
raises for clients in the asset management and insurance
industries. Mr. de Lauréal received his B.S. in Finance from the
University of Georgia.
About Bernhard Capital Partners
Bernhard Capital Partners is a service and
infrastructure-focused private equity management firm established
in 2013 by Jim Bernhard,
Jeff Jenkins and a team of
experienced private-equity professionals. Bernhard Capital seeks to
create sustainable value by leveraging its experience in acquiring,
operating and growing services and infrastructure businesses.
Bernhard Capital portfolio companies include Allied Power, National
Water Infrastructure, Atlas Technical Consultants, Bernhard Energy
Solutions, Brown and Root, Charah
Solutions, Epic Piping, The Lemoine Company and United Utility.
Contacts
Karen Doty
Bernhard Capital Partners Management, LP
225-228-2500
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SOURCE Bernhard Capital Partners Management, LP