Our People
Unparalleled Expertise, Innovative Outlooks
Meet the Team
We are a team of accomplished business leaders, industry experts and experienced financial managers who use their skills to guide and support our companies. We are dedicated to building trust, stewarding investments and improving the value of our portfolio companies.
Leadership Team
Martin Stein
Founder and Managing Director
Martin leads our acquisition sourcing activities and has served on the boards of 15 platform portfolio companies, with over 18 years in the private equity industry.
Jeff Johnson
Managing Director
Jeff has 28 years of experience in investment banking and private equity investing and over his career has served on the boards as a director of seven Blackford Capital portfolio companies.
Carmen Evola
Managing Director
Carmen has 25 years of leadership experience within diverse, multinational companies and direct oversight of our Portfolio Company Operations Team.
Rick Lopez
Managing Director
Rick has over 25 years of experience in finance and private equity and has been involved in capital raising across the balance sheet and managing M&A processes.
Ken Wagner
Chief Financial Officer
Ken Wagner has extensive experience in asset restructuring, financial management and operations, with a history of creating significant equity value for companies.
Rishabh Mukherjee, CFA
Vice President of Deals (T/IPP)
Rishabh is a private equity professional with more than 6 years of experience in executing complex mandates focused on financial modeling, project finance and equity research.
Emily Heist
Manager of Investor Relations
Emily joined Blackford in 2015 and currently leads Investor Relations. She has a background in administration and office management.
Rachel Stein
Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Rachel supports the financial performance of Blackford’s portfolio companies through her work with our investment teams, portfolio company leadership, and operating partners.
Operating Partners
Rob Leonard
Operating Partner
Rob has 14 years of experience at Blackford, with over 41 years in business and leadership roles. He specializes in M&A, post deal integration, new business ventures, start ups and turnarounds.
Steve Parker
Operating Partner
Steve has 40 years of expertise in organizational management, sales and marketing, manufacturing systems, M&A, new business creation, leadership and strategy.
Chris Wilson
Operating Partner
Chris has a track record of driving rapid, profitable growth and a broad skill set spanning marketing, e-commerce, technology, data science, merchandising, finance and operations.
Paul Doyle
Operating Partner
Paul has held senior leadership positions for over 30 years, with extensive experience in strategy and leadership identification and development.
Investment Team
John Gutmann
Senior Analyst
John has worked with Blackford for over two years on the Deal Execution Team, focusing on financial modeling and analysis, due diligence, and raising capital to complete acquisitions.
Administration
Garry Charles
Controller
Garry has 35 years of experience in finance and accounting both in the USA and the UK, where he attained his qualifications. He has worked as the controller at Blackford since 2019.
Lisa Long
Human Resources Operations Manager
Lisa joined Blackford in 2018 and has over 10 years of administrative experience in legal offices, venture capital and private equity industries.
Lauren Trawick
Administrative Assistant
Lauren joined the Blackford Capital in 2024, bringing experience from previous roles in marketing, public relations, and client service in both healthcare and M&A industries.
Join Our Team
Maximize your potential under the guidance of some of the country’s most successful leaders. Check out our available positions and inquire about portfolio company openings today.