VSS Announces the Retirement of Founder John Suhler

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), a private investment firm focused on the information, education, media, marketing and business services industries, announces that Founding Partner and President John Suhler retired at the end of 2012. Mr. Suhler, who is 69 years old and co-founded Veronis Suhler Stevenson in 1981, has been named Chairman Emeritus and will continue, along with other VSS Partners, to represent VSS at communications industry events.

“I have worked with John for over thirty years and have tremendous respect for all he has accomplished at VSS. We wish John the best in all of his future endeavors.”

Mr. Suhler co-founded VSS under the premise that seasoned, media, communications and information industry-focused professionals could leverage their specialized skills to provide higher quality merger and acquisition advisory services, corporate finance representation and general financial advice. His legacy includes more than 700 transactions representing over $35 billion in value. During Mr. Suhler’s tenure at VSS, the firm established four private equity funds, two structured capital funds and one debt capital fund. During his time at VSS, the firm raised over $3.1 billion in committed capital and invested in over 70 companies, with another 320 add-on acquisitions. Mr. Suhler has been actively involved in raising the capital of all of VSS’s funds.

Forecasting the future of communications spending with the VSS Communications Industry Forecast, Mr. Suhler created and served as the Editor-in-Chief since it was first published in 1987. Mr. Suhler has used the VSS Forecast and his vast communications industry knowledge to help broaden the scope of VSS investments and follow the trends of where consumer and institutional consumption time and money is being spent.

Prior to co-founding VSS in 1981, Mr. Suhler was President of CBS Publishing Group. Previously, Mr. Suhler was President of CBS Publications and VP-Publisher of the Psychology Today group at Ziff Davis Publishing and CRM, Inc. In addition to his work with VSS, he has been a member of the board of directors of the Association of American Publishers and the Magazine Publishers of America, and an affiliate member of the American Newspaper Publishers Association, and has been an active member of the Software and Information Industry Association, and the Association of Business Information and Media Companies (ABM).

According to Managing Partner Jeffrey T. Stevenson, "Under John's leadership and tireless focus, VSS has become a respected, global private investment firm and he has helped pave the way for our continued achievements.” Mr. Stevenson went on, "I have worked with John for over thirty years and have tremendous respect for all he has accomplished at VSS. We wish John the best in all of his future endeavors."

In a statement, Mr. Suhler said, “My journey with VSS from a start-up boutique investment bank with two partners and an assistant to becoming an important, specialized investment fund management company has been a great ride. As a career media and information executive, working with the Partners and Associates at VSS and the great portfolio company CEOs and management teams to support and develop their companies has been enriching and a pleasure.”

“For the past five years, I've been preparing to retire at the end of 2012 with the help of my VSS partners and my family. My wife, Charlotte, and I formed the Suhler Family Investment Office vehicle in 2009, allowing us to make small equity investments in a handful of small and early stage media companies,” said Mr. Suhler. He continued, “A couple of years ago, I joined the New York Angels investment group and have enjoyed my association with many of the nearly 100 investing members and the early stage investment opportunities developed there.” Staying within the industries with which he has been associated since childhood, the businesses in which the Suhler Family Office is currently investing include both Consumer-facing and B-to-B digital media companies.

Mr. Suhler is leaving a firm that maintains the same ideals on which it was founded. VSS has nineteen industry focused private investment professionals with an average of more than 20 years of industry experience; the Partners and Managing Directors with an average tenure of fifteen years with the firm. VSS remains focused on targeted growth industry sectors and continues to build upon and have access to a network of relationships that provide insight and industry thought leadership, as well as deal flow.

Mr. Suhler received his BS from the University of Kansas, where he attended the William Allen White School of Journalism and was Chairman of The University Daily Kansan Board. He is currently a Trustee of the William Allen White Foundation and the recipient of the University of Kansas Journalism School Legacy Achievement Award.

About VSS

Veronis Suhler Stevenson is a private equity and debt capital fund management company dedicated to investing in the information, education, media, marketing and business services industries in North America and Europe. VSS provides capital for buyouts, recapitalizations, growth financings and strategic acquisitions to companies and management teams with a goal to build companies both organically and through a focused add-on acquisition program. Since the closing of the first VSS Buyout Fund in 1987, VSS has managed four Buyout Funds and two Structured Capital Funds with aggregate committed capital in excess of $3.1 billion. The six funds have to date invested approximately $2.7 billion in 70 portfolio companies which have in turn completed over 320 add-on acquisitions. The company’s website is www.vss.com.