Guardian Capital Partners Announces New Partner Thomas J. Caruso to Lead Guardian Operations and Advisory Company, LLC

WAYNE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Guardian Capital Partners is pleased to announce the formation of Guardian Operations and Advisory Company, LLC and the hiring of Thomas J. Caruso as Partner, Portfolio Operations, who will lead this business unit. Mr. Caruso brings to Guardian an extensive career in operations, management and private equity, including the past eight years in middle market buyouts. In addition, Mr. Caruso also brings direct portfolio company operating experience, a history of successfully partnering with portfolio company management teams, and a complementary functional expertise and sector experience to the Guardian team.

Prior to joining Guardian, Mr. Caruso was a Senior Operating Partner with Graham Partners Operating Company. As a Senior Operating Partner, Mr. Caruso led certain diligence activities, add-on integrations, portfolio company strategic planning sessions and value creation execution for a number of portfolio companies. In addition to his firm level experience as a Senior Operating Partner, Mr. Caruso has significant portfolio company experience both on an interim or long-term basis. A most notable long-term assignment was for a Cerberus Capital Management owned portfolio company, Talecris Biotherapeutics, a global biotechnology company. Prior to that, Mr. Caruso worked on numerous transactions at Cerberus and previously with General Electric where he began his career and received academy training in management, operations and finance.

Coinciding with Mr. Caruso’s arrival, Guardian will establish the Guardian Operations and Advisory Company, which Mr. Caruso will lead while managing a targeted network of both in house and external operating resources. These resources will complement Guardian’s existing internal investment team and external resource network in key areas to drive further value creation across Guardian’s growing portfolio of lower middle market investments. Mr. Caruso will also work directly with Guardian portfolio company management teams to identify, resource and execute against value creation plans with the aim of positioning both the companies and management teams for long term growth. Concurrently, Mr. Caruso will leverage his operating experience and functional expertise to collaborate with the Guardian team on new investment opportunities.

Scott Evans, Co-Founder and Managing Partner said, “Tom and I worked together at Cerberus. I have tremendous admiration for his depth and breadth in operations and executive leadership, and how he has successfully applied these skills in private equity. He approaches portfolio company special projects, opportunities or issues head on and consistently delivers results. I am excited to be partnering again with Tom, and having his leadership to help generate attractive returns for our limited partners.”

According to Peter Haabestad, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, “We are thrilled to have Tom join the broader Guardian team to evaluate and diligence new investment opportunities, and to help drive even better portfolio company value creation objectives and other strategic initiatives. The creation of Guardian Operations and Advisory Company will benefit Guardian’s portfolio companies and their respective leadership teams and ultimately Guardian’s Limited Partners and other key stakeholders.”

Mr. Caruso earned his MBA from The Johnson School, Cornell University and BA degree from the University of North Carolina.

About Guardian Capital Partners

Guardian Capital Partners (www.guardiancp.com) is a private equity firm based in suburban Philadelphia that invests in lower middle market consumer products, niche manufacturing, and specialty service companies. Guardian partners with management teams to provide equity capital to fuel the growth of family-owned businesses. The private equity experience and complementary skill sets of the Guardian team provide a unique combination of operating and finance capabilities resulting in certainty of execution and meaningful long-term value creation for its portfolio companies.