Industry & Services >> CEO Interviews >> June 14, 2012
Steve Klinsky is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Mountain Capital, LLC, a firm formed in January 2000 to achieve long-term capital appreciation through private equity and equity-related investments. He is Chairman at New Mountain Finance Corporation. Before founding New Mountain Capital, Mr. Klinsky was Co-Founder of Goldman Sachs & Co.’s leveraged buyout group from 1981 to 1984, and a Partner of Forstmann Little & Co. from 1984 until leaving to found New Mountain in June 1999. He earned his B.A., with high honors, from the University of Michigan, an MBA from Harvard Business School and his law degree, with honors, from Harvard Law School. He has served as Chairman or Director of numerous public and private companies and is active in charitable and educational causes. New Mountain was voted North American Midmarket Buyout Firm of the Year in 2004 and 2007, according to Private Equity International; was one of five finalists for Buyout Firm of the Year in 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to Buyouts magazine; and was voted Private Equity Firm of the Year, Mid-Market, North America, according to Dealmakers Monthly magazine in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Profile
Robert A. Hamwee, Managing Director of New Mountain Capital, joined the firm in 2008. He is the CEO of New Mountain Finance Corporation. Before joining New Mountain, he was President of GSC Group, where he had responsibility for managing GSC's control distressed debt funds. He was with Greenwich Street Capital Partners, the predecessor to GSC Group, from 1994 to 1999. Before that, Mr. Hamwee was with The Blackstone Group from 1992 to 1994, where he worked of assignments in the restructuring and merchant banking departments. Mr. Hamwee has led numerous creditor committees and bank steering groups, and has been a lead Director for many corporate boards, including Purina Mills, LLC, Envirosource and Viasystems Group Inc. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan with a BBA in finance and accounting. Profile
TWST: Please begin with a brief overview of New Mountain Finance, as well as your responsibilities there.
Mr. Klinsky: New Mountain Finance is a tax-efficient business development