Our Team
Ryan Kim, Managing Partner
Mr. Kim has extensive experience as a private equity investor in growing middle market companies. Prior to founding Castle Island Partners in 2005, Mr. Kim was an investment professional with Parthenon Capital, a $1.1 billion private equity firm with offices in Boston and San Francisco. At Parthenon Capital, he co-headed the firm’s consumer products and logistics/distribution group. Prior to joining Parthenon Capital, Mr. Kim was with EasyLink, a publicly-traded provider of outsourced business and consumer e-mail and fax management services. Prior to EasyLink, Mr. Kim spent several years in the domestic private equity group of Bain Capital, where he closed several transactions in the food and beverage industry and worked closely with the management of several portfolio companies. Mr. Kim began his career at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ), where he focused on providing both debt and equity capital to middle market companies. He received his AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Barry, Partner
Mr. Barry has extensive experience as the CEO of industrial distribution businesses as well as in the global sourcing of products. He was the President and COO of Copperfield Chimney Supply, a $50 million supplier of proprietary chimney and hearth products to retailers and professional contractors. Mike was also the President of Woodard, Inc., a $65 million multi-location manufacturer of casual patio furniture to specialty retailers and mass merchants. Prior to joining Woodard, Mike was the President and CEO of Intech EDM, an industrial distributor of consumable materials for Electrical Discharge Machining with operations in six countries, originally a subsidiary of N.V. Indivers. Mike started out his career as an accountant with Grant Thornton in Washington, D.C. He received his BS from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School.
David Sullivan, Partner
Mr. Sullivan has deep experience as a private equity investor across a broad range of sectors. He was previously a founding member of Royal Capital Equity Partners, a middle market leveraged buyout group, and its predecessor, Integer Capital Partners. Prior to founding Integer, Mr. Sullivan was a Principal at Fidelity Capital Investors, where he was focused on lower middle market buyouts. Previously, he was a Principal with The Cypress Group. While at Cypress, he completed five transactions totaling over $2 billion in transaction value. Prior to joining Cypress, he was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers, Inc., where Mr. Sullivan was a Corporate Analyst in the merger and acquisitions group. He received a BA from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
David Brown, Advisory Partner
Mr. Brown has 25 years of experience advising middle market companies with respect to business turnarounds and restructurings. His clients have included manufacturers of rubber, metal and plastic products, hard and soft goods retailers, construction firms, and business/financial services companies. David is also Managing Director and founder of Red Hawk Associates, a financial advisory firm focused on distressed situations. He began his career with what is now Deloitte Consulting, and then was an investment banker at KeyBanc Capital Markets (previously McDonald & Co.). David holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS from Georgetown University.
Gerald Leonard, Advisory Partner
Mr. Leonard is a 25 year veteran of the food industry. Beginning with Proctor & Gamble’s Food Division, he spent many years with manufacturers, including The Wm Underwood Co and Green Giant/Pillsbury. He then moved to the Food Brokerage side of the food business and rolled up and took public Merkert American in 1998. During his time in the Food Brokerage business his company managed sales and marketing for virtually every major CPG manufacturer in the industry, including Mars, Nestle, HJ Heinz, Ocean Spray, Kraft/Nabisco and Hershey. He has long established relationships with many major retailers in food, speciality distributors, convenience and mass merchandise. He earned a BS from Siena College and completed the Cornell Food Executive Course, Cornell Univeristy.
John Nugent, Advisory Partner
Mr. Nugent has extensive experience as a CEO and marketer in a wide range of food and consumer categories. He was the CEO and President of Eagle Family Foods, a $225 million branded food manufacturer backed by GE Capital and Warburg Pincus. Prior to joining Eagle Family Foods, Mr. Nugent was President of Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer Products division, which marketed products under a variety of brands, including Band-Aid and Johnson’s Baby. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Nugent was the COO and VP of Marketing for a $600 million division of Unilever Foods. Earlier in his career, Mr. Nugent worked at Borden, Calgon and Procter & Gamble, and was a Captain in the United States Army. Mr. Nugent was awarded two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He received his BA from Georgetown and his MBA from the University of Chicago.
David Ropp, Advisory Partner
Mr. Ropp has over 30 years of experience running manufacturing businesses. He was with Dover Corporation from 1998 to 2009, most recently as the President & CEO of Dover Industrial Products, responsible for 14 companies representing over $2 billion in sales and 25% of Dover’s overall revenue. Mr. Ropp’s other positions within Dover included President & CEO of Dover Resources and OPW Fueling Components. Prior to that, he was the President of Crosby Valve (now part of FMC), which he grew to $125 million in sales. He spent 18 years at Ingersoll Rand as a general manager and plant manager. Mr. Ropp was a US Marine Corps Officer in Vietnam and was awarded Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Commendation Medal. He is a founding member of Executive Forum and on the President’s Council of Manufacturer’s Alliance (MAPI). He received his BSME from the General Motors Institute and MBA from Xavier University.
Robert Tyre, Advisory Partner
Mr. Tyre has extensive experience working in corporate development and strategy consulting. Mr. Tyre was the Vice President of Corporate Development for Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV), a $6 billion diversified manufacturer of industrial products and manufacturing equipment. Dover is a Fortune 300 company with operations worldwide and customers in more than 100 countries. Under Mr. Tyre’s leadership, Dover completed over 100 acquisitions comprising several billion dollars in transaction value. Prior to Dover, Mr. Tyre was a partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, providing strategic and financial advisory service to global corporations. Earlier in his career, Mr. Tyre worked at US Industries and NCR Corporation. Mr. Tyre received his BA from Williams College, his MBA from New York University and his JD from Fordham University.
Paul Wolff, Advisory Partner
Mr. Wolff has extensive experience as a CEO and senior executive in a variety of health and wellness related and consumer industries. Mr. Wolff was Chairman and CEO of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc, a manufacturer of branded food and information products. Prior to Atkins Nutritionals, Mr. Wolff held various senior positions with Times Mirror Corporation, a leading publishing and media company publishing many of the leading magazines and newspapers in major metropolitan markets. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wolff worked at American Express and in a variety of early stage companies in the natural food industry.
Mr. Kim has extensive experience as a private equity investor in growing middle market companies. Prior to founding Castle Island Partners in 2005, Mr. Kim was an investment professional with Parthenon Capital, a $1.1 billion private equity firm with offices in Boston and San Francisco. At Parthenon Capital, he co-headed the firm’s consumer products and logistics/distribution group. Prior to joining Parthenon Capital, Mr. Kim was with EasyLink, a publicly-traded provider of outsourced business and consumer e-mail and fax management services. Prior to EasyLink, Mr. Kim spent several years in the domestic private equity group of Bain Capital, where he closed several transactions in the food and beverage industry and worked closely with the management of several portfolio companies. Mr. Kim began his career at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette (DLJ), where he focused on providing both debt and equity capital to middle market companies. He received his AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Michael Barry, Partner
Mr. Barry has extensive experience as the CEO of industrial distribution businesses as well as in the global sourcing of products. He was the President and COO of Copperfield Chimney Supply, a $50 million supplier of proprietary chimney and hearth products to retailers and professional contractors. Mike was also the President of Woodard, Inc., a $65 million multi-location manufacturer of casual patio furniture to specialty retailers and mass merchants. Prior to joining Woodard, Mike was the President and CEO of Intech EDM, an industrial distributor of consumable materials for Electrical Discharge Machining with operations in six countries, originally a subsidiary of N.V. Indivers. Mike started out his career as an accountant with Grant Thornton in Washington, D.C. He received his BS from Georgetown University and an MBA from The Wharton School.
David Sullivan, Partner
Mr. Sullivan has deep experience as a private equity investor across a broad range of sectors. He was previously a founding member of Royal Capital Equity Partners, a middle market leveraged buyout group, and its predecessor, Integer Capital Partners. Prior to founding Integer, Mr. Sullivan was a Principal at Fidelity Capital Investors, where he was focused on lower middle market buyouts. Previously, he was a Principal with The Cypress Group. While at Cypress, he completed five transactions totaling over $2 billion in transaction value. Prior to joining Cypress, he was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers, Inc., where Mr. Sullivan was a Corporate Analyst in the merger and acquisitions group. He received a BA from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
David Brown, Advisory Partner
Mr. Brown has 25 years of experience advising middle market companies with respect to business turnarounds and restructurings. His clients have included manufacturers of rubber, metal and plastic products, hard and soft goods retailers, construction firms, and business/financial services companies. David is also Managing Director and founder of Red Hawk Associates, a financial advisory firm focused on distressed situations. He began his career with what is now Deloitte Consulting, and then was an investment banker at KeyBanc Capital Markets (previously McDonald & Co.). David holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS from Georgetown University.
Gerald Leonard, Advisory Partner
Mr. Leonard is a 25 year veteran of the food industry. Beginning with Proctor & Gamble’s Food Division, he spent many years with manufacturers, including The Wm Underwood Co and Green Giant/Pillsbury. He then moved to the Food Brokerage side of the food business and rolled up and took public Merkert American in 1998. During his time in the Food Brokerage business his company managed sales and marketing for virtually every major CPG manufacturer in the industry, including Mars, Nestle, HJ Heinz, Ocean Spray, Kraft/Nabisco and Hershey. He has long established relationships with many major retailers in food, speciality distributors, convenience and mass merchandise. He earned a BS from Siena College and completed the Cornell Food Executive Course, Cornell Univeristy.
John Nugent, Advisory Partner
Mr. Nugent has extensive experience as a CEO and marketer in a wide range of food and consumer categories. He was the CEO and President of Eagle Family Foods, a $225 million branded food manufacturer backed by GE Capital and Warburg Pincus. Prior to joining Eagle Family Foods, Mr. Nugent was President of Johnson & Johnson’s Consumer Products division, which marketed products under a variety of brands, including Band-Aid and Johnson’s Baby. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Nugent was the COO and VP of Marketing for a $600 million division of Unilever Foods. Earlier in his career, Mr. Nugent worked at Borden, Calgon and Procter & Gamble, and was a Captain in the United States Army. Mr. Nugent was awarded two Bronze Stars, the Air Medal and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He received his BA from Georgetown and his MBA from the University of Chicago.
David Ropp, Advisory Partner
Mr. Ropp has over 30 years of experience running manufacturing businesses. He was with Dover Corporation from 1998 to 2009, most recently as the President & CEO of Dover Industrial Products, responsible for 14 companies representing over $2 billion in sales and 25% of Dover’s overall revenue. Mr. Ropp’s other positions within Dover included President & CEO of Dover Resources and OPW Fueling Components. Prior to that, he was the President of Crosby Valve (now part of FMC), which he grew to $125 million in sales. He spent 18 years at Ingersoll Rand as a general manager and plant manager. Mr. Ropp was a US Marine Corps Officer in Vietnam and was awarded Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Commendation Medal. He is a founding member of Executive Forum and on the President’s Council of Manufacturer’s Alliance (MAPI). He received his BSME from the General Motors Institute and MBA from Xavier University.
Robert Tyre, Advisory Partner
Mr. Tyre has extensive experience working in corporate development and strategy consulting. Mr. Tyre was the Vice President of Corporate Development for Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV), a $6 billion diversified manufacturer of industrial products and manufacturing equipment. Dover is a Fortune 300 company with operations worldwide and customers in more than 100 countries. Under Mr. Tyre’s leadership, Dover completed over 100 acquisitions comprising several billion dollars in transaction value. Prior to Dover, Mr. Tyre was a partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, providing strategic and financial advisory service to global corporations. Earlier in his career, Mr. Tyre worked at US Industries and NCR Corporation. Mr. Tyre received his BA from Williams College, his MBA from New York University and his JD from Fordham University.
Paul Wolff, Advisory Partner
Mr. Wolff has extensive experience as a CEO and senior executive in a variety of health and wellness related and consumer industries. Mr. Wolff was Chairman and CEO of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc, a manufacturer of branded food and information products. Prior to Atkins Nutritionals, Mr. Wolff held various senior positions with Times Mirror Corporation, a leading publishing and media company publishing many of the leading magazines and newspapers in major metropolitan markets. Earlier in his career, Mr. Wolff worked at American Express and in a variety of early stage companies in the natural food industry.