Team

Kay Blackwell is a Managing Director at Argand. Prior to joining Argand, she was a Managing Director with The Rohatyn Group focused on business development and investor relations. Previously, Ms. Blackwell was a Managing Director at MVision Private Equity Advisors where she managed global fundraising efforts for private equity funds, and was responsible for origination, distribution and General Partner relationships in North America. Prior to joining MVision, Ms. Blackwell spent over nine years with Citi Private Bank in New York and London where she was responsible for private equity, real estate and private debt product management globally. In this role she was responsible for structuring and managing funds, investment oversight, and investor relations. Prior to Citi, Ms. Blackwell helped develop and support a platform for emerging hedge fund managers in London. Ms. Blackwell holds a MSc degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University, New York, and a BA Hons degree in English Literature from Essex University, United Kingdom. She served on the Board of Directors of Hot Bread Kitchen, a not-for-profit social enterprise based in New York City, from 2013 to 2018.

Contact Kay:
kblackwell@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6477

Charlie Burns is a Managing Director at Argand and has been with the team since its inception. Previously he was an Associate at Castle Harlan, where he worked on numerous investments including Securus, IDQ, and Caribbean Restaurants. Prior to joining Castle Harlan, Charlie was an analyst at Audax Group, where he focused on private equity transactions in middle market businesses across a variety of industries including specialty chemicals, automotive aftermarket, and dental practice management. Charlie’s experience also includes roles in the consumer, media and telecom industries. Charlie graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a B.A. in Economics and holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

Charlie is a Director of Sigma Electric and Midwest Can.

Contact Charlie:
cburns@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6473 / +1 617 834 0430

Joseph Del Toro is Partner, Chief Financial Officer & Director of Portfolio Operations of Argand. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer at Novitex Enterprise Solutions, where he oversaw all aspects of the accounting and finance for a $600+ million revenue, 8,500+ employee provider of business services. Prior to joining Novitex, Joe was the Chief Financial Officer at Undertone where he oversaw the accounting, finance, planning and analysis, acquisitions, human resources and legal functions for a $200 million revenue and 325 employee international digital advertising network. Prior to joining Undertone, Joe was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The Topps Company, a General Manager at Time Inc., a Director of Finance & Acquisitions at Time Warner Inc., an Associate at Lazard Capital Partners, and an Associate at H.I.G. Capital. He began his career as a Financial Analyst within the Mergers & Acquisitions group at Morgan Stanley. Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics-Mathematics with a Concentration in Mathematics from Columbia University and holds an M.B.A. with first-year Honors from Harvard Business School.

Joe is a Director of Sigma Electric and Brintons Carpets.

Contact Joe:
jdeltoro@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6476

Heather Faust is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Argand as well as a member of the Management Committee and Investment Committee. Previously she was a Managing Director at Castle Harlan. Prior to joining Castle Harlan, Heather was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she worked in the United States and abroad across a variety of industries. Heather advised and directly assisted her clients in defining and implementing key strategic and operational business transformations. Heather’s experience also includes roles in the consumer industry as well as international development work in the Middle East. Heather graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Operations Research and Financial Engineering and holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.

Heather is a Director of Cherry (FRA:C3RY), Concrete Pumping Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBCP), OASE (Chairperson), Midwest Can Company (Chairperson), and Sigma Electric. She previously served as a Director of Tensar Corporation, Industrea Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: INDU), Baker & Taylor, IDQ Holdings, Inc. and Ames True Temper.

Contact Heather:
hfaust@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6475

Patrick Gilrane is Chairman of the Senior Executive Advisors. Mr. Gilrane is a seasoned entrepreneur, CEO and operator. He founded the Wentworth Group in 2002, a private investment firm that targets investments in lower middle market consumer, industrial manufacturing and distribution companies. From 1994 through 2002, Mr. Gilrane was an Executive Director of business development at Blyth Inc. [NYSE:BTH]. He is currently a board member of Antenum LLC and Northeast Battery and was previously a director of Limo Liner, Lancs Industries, Schultze Asset Management, Eclipse Candles Ltd. and Wax Lyrical Ltd. Mr. Gilrane is Chairman Emeritus Psi Upsilon International Foundation, Chairperson of the Affinity Group Career-Mentor Program at Hamilton College, and Board Member of the YPO Fairchester Gold Chapter. He earned his B.A. at Hamilton College and M.B.A. at Columbia Business School.

Contact Patrick:
pgilrane@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6479

Ford Harrington is a Vice President of Argand. Previously he led corporate development at Navisite, an IT services portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners, and prior to that he was a Vice President at Highline Management, a lower middle market private equity fund where he focused on Business Services and Healthcare Services investments.  Prior to Highline, Ford was at Walden Capital, a family office focused primarily on Consumer investments. Ford began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at CIBC World Markets in New York, where he focused on M&A and capital market transactions in the Industrial Services sector. Ford graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in History and holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Contact Ford:
fharrington@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6471

Hanan Hassan is an Associate of Argand. Previously, she worked in the Deal Advisory practice at KPMG in New York, where she focused on analytics and strategy support for private equity clients. Ms. Hassan graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU), where she received a B.B.A in Accounting and a minor in English. She also received a M.S. in Accounting from SMU.

Contact Hanan:
hhassan@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 0985

Samantha Katz is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of Argand.  Previously, Samantha was a corporate partner at Winston & Strawn LLP where she focused her practice on the representation of private equity funds in their acquisitions and dispositions of portfolio companies, as well as management of portfolio companies over the holding period. In addition, Samantha has significant experience working with co-investors and managing their respective investments in the applicable private equity fund or special purpose vehicle/aggregator.  Samantha earned her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, cum laude, where she was a member of Fordham Law Review and the Dean’s List and was the recipient of the Archibald Murray Public Service Award. Prior to receiving her J.D., Samantha earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from New York University, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society and the Dean’s List, and was the recipient of the New York University Founders’ Honor Award.

Contact Samantha:
skatz@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6474

Lauren Kennedy is an Office Manager at Argand Partners. She has over ten years of Executive Assistant experience combined with project management and operational support. Ms. Kennedy previously worked for the New York Genome Center, a not for profit biotechnology start-up as an Operations Associate and at Mount Sinai West (formerly St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital), as an Administrative Assistant and Program Coordinator for the Chief of Oncology.

Contact Lauren:
lkennedy@argandequity.com
+1 212 588 6481