Our mission is to create long-term value for all of our stakeholders by taking a hands-on, partnership-driven approach with growth-oriented management teams, together leveraging a unique bench of specialized experience to deliver high performance results to owners and operators of critical infrastructure assets
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Aaron is responsible for the development of firm strategy; evaluating and executing investment opportunities; and providing strategic guidance to enterprises, management teams, and entrepreneurs. He also plays an integral role in building and maintaining relationships with investors and capital providers.
Before founding SMC, Aaron served as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Strategic Development for a family- owned, 150-employee enterprise focused on railcar maintenance and short line rail acquisitions and operations.
Before migrating to a corporate role, Aaron was a senior coverage officer and investment banker at Whitehall & Company, a New York City-based boutique focused on investment and merchant banking in the power, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Aaron joined Whitehall in early 2016, focusing exclusively on supporting the build-out of the firm’s renewable power M&A and strategic advisory business. In 2018, he led the successful establishment of Whitehall’s Core-Plus Infrastructure investment and merchant banking vertical.
Aaron also served as a member of the investment team at RET Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on renewable power and sustainable technology. He began his career at KeyBanc Capital Markets in New York City, concentrating on financial sponsor-backed transactions, with an emphasis on leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and M&A. In aggregate, Aaron has $15 billion of transaction experience.
Aaron holds undergraduate degrees in economics and philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a James B. Tafel Scholarship recipient, winner of the McKay Prize in Economics, and a member of the Division I University of Pittsburgh Rugby Football Club.
In his free time, he is a passionate chef and stays active by playing tennis and golf; running; and working out with his personal protection dog, a German Shepherd/Neapolitan Mastiff named Minnie.
Chief Operating Officer
Tomos established and leads SMC’s Portfolio Development division. Tomos designed, developed, and manages a proprietary, data-driven deal sourcing engine that is responsible for generating the firm’s investment opportunities. In addition, he is responsible for assembling and overseeing an SMC- employed overseas research team.
Tomos previously served as an independent consultant working with venture capital funds and early-stage companies to develop the sales and organizational infrastructure necessary to achieve rapid growth. Among other successes, Tomos built the lead generation, inbound and outbound sales infrastructure at an industry leading fintech start up that produced revenues in excess of $60M.
Tomos also co-founded Hopper Mobility, a transportation software and services platform that used advertising and data to lower the cost of ridesharing. Tomos led an innovative partnership with Honda R&D to monetize proprietary ridesharing data. Hopper Mobility also worked with Smart Columbus, the city of Columbus, and The Ohio State University to provide technology-enabled micro-transit solutions to legacy transportation challenges.
Before starting Hopper Mobility, Tomos co-founded, Uptick, a lead generation and sales process consulting agency focused on serving legal and dental practices. He and his team identified a market deeply rooted in outdated sales and marketing practices and created innovative technology enabled solutions. This allowed them to quickly scale the business before exiting to a larger strategic partner.
Tomos was a frequent guest lecturer at Ohio State and has presented at the Ohio State House of Representatives and to the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, often on the topic of how technology and ongoing changes in human mobility will affect urban infrastructure. Outside the office, he is an active participant in the entrepreneurial community, an avid traveler, and a lover of all things food.
Executive Vice President – Corporate & Strategic Development
Josh supports origination, review, structuring and execution of platform and bolt-on acquisitions. He also helps build and maintain relationships with portfolio company management and investors.
Josh brings more than 25 years and $20 billion of experience to his work for the firm, primarily in identifying, evaluating, structuring, negotiating, and integrating complex mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, equity investment, and commercial transactions. Most recently, he led the corporate development, merger integration, and corporate innovation functions for Cardinal Health, a Fortune 20 health care products and services company, where he managed, coached, and collaborated with a team of 20 corporate transaction professionals responsible for the company’s worldwide acquisitions and investment portfolio.
Josh also led the Strategic Partnership Council at Cardinal Health, which evaluated and managed the company’s direct and private equity fund investments. Before taking on corporate development responsibilities in 2009, he served as the company’s Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel for strategic transactions, leading the legal team responsible for M&A, equity investments, and other bespoke commercial transactions across the enterprise.
Prior to his tenure at Cardinal, Josh was a corporate attorney at Morrison Foerster and previously at Ropes & Gray, where he represented health care and technology companies in M&A, joint venture, strategic alliance, real estate, and technology transactions, along with public and private securities offerings, corporate governance, and compliance matters. Josh also served as Vice President and General Counsel for American Medical Response (AMR), the nation’s largest medical transportation provider with operations in 37 states and more than 20,000 associates, assembled primarily through more than 100 acquisitions.
Josh earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Before attending law school, he launched and operated an independent ice cream and cookie business in central Virginia with four retail locations as well as a successful wholesale business. Notwithstanding the ice cream and cookies, Josh now has a passion for reversing chronic disease and optimizing health through diet and lifestyle. A self-described keto-vangelist, his hobbies include the outdoors, road biking and spending time with his two schnauzer mix rescues.
Executive Vice President – Infrastructure & Project Finance
Louis is responsible for originating, reviewing, and executing investment opportunities at SMC. He also focuses on supporting portfolio company management, especially with respect to evaluating add-on acquisitions, and plays an integral role in building and maintaining relationships with investors and capital providers. He has more than 25 years experience specializing in infrastructure.
Prior to joining SMC, Lou was a Managing Director at Global Infrastructure Partners (“GIP”), a $73 billion dollar asset manager. At GIP, Lou focused primarily on making credit and structured capital investments in the power, energy, and heavy transportation infrastructure sectors. Prior to joining GIP in 2018, Mr. Iaconetti was a senior originator in Barings’ Global Infrastructure Debt group. Prior to joining Barings in 2013, Mr. Iaconetti was a Senior Vice President at HSH Nordbank, where he was responsible for conventional and solar power project finance. Prior to joining HSH Nordbank, Mr. Iaconetti was a Managing Director at Ambac, where he was responsible for utility and power project finance. Prior to joining Ambac, Mr. Iaconetti was a Director in the Energy Group at Credit Suisse for 12 years.
Mr. Iaconetti holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from Baruch College and an M.B.A. in Finance from Pace University.
Executive Vice President – Acquisitions
Dan is responsible for originating, reviewing, and executing investment opportunities at SMC. He also focuses on supporting portfolio company management, especially with respect to evaluating add-on acquisitions, and plays an integral role in building and maintaining relationships with investors and capital providers.
Dan has more than 20 years of mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and investment banking experience. He joined SMC after serving as a Managing Director for Bankers Capital International (BCI), a New York City-based investment banking firm focused on private middle market M&A and equity and debt capital raises, primarily for privately held companies.
Prior to BCI, Dan served as CEO of PT Securities and as Managing Director at PT Capital, working on middle market private equity and investment banking transactions. He previously worked for investment and merchant bank Dominick & Dickerman as a Managing Director of investment banking, focusing on M&A and capital raising engagements in the industrials, business services, financial services, and information technology sectors.
Dan also served as an investment banker for J.P. Morgan in the specialty finance sector, where he worked with top- tier private equity and strategic firms on buy-side mergers and acquisitions and public and private capital raising transactions. He began his investment banking career at Houlihan Lokey, focusing primarily on the IT services and specialty finance sector.
Dan earned a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia with a concentration in finance and holds the Series 7, 24, 63, and 79 FINRA licenses. He has served as an instructor at the Investment Banking Institute (IBI) for more than 10 years, teaching business valuation, M&A, and leveraged buyout modeling.
Outside of work, he is passionate about art and film, is a member of the Council of Korean Americans and enjoys playing tennis.
Executive Vice President – Strategic Relationships
Bill is responsible for the firm’s internal and external organizational development and plays an integral role in supporting and developing portfolio company management executives. He brings more than 35 years of executive leadership and business operations experience to his work for SMC.
Prior to joining SMC, Bill acquired and subsequently spent 15 years as the majority Owner and President of Resource One, a leading physical security firm in Columbus, Ohio. During his tenure he transformed the company from a commodity computer hardware and services company to a solutions-oriented security firm when he correctly predicted the rapid growth in demand for physical security. Resource One disrupted the analog-driven security solutions market in Ohio, introducing IP-based video and access control products, providing security solutions to casinos, prisons, the Ohio Statehouse, Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, universities, and estates of high-net-worth individuals. In order to execute on the transformation, Bill led a complete reorganization of the executive management team as well as the sales and engineering functions.
Bill also served as Regional President and Vice President of strategic solutions for Sarcom, a national systems integrator with 27 branch offices. In this capacity, he was responsible for 14 branch offices with over S450 million in annual revenue and 1,300 employees in the sales, service, and administrative divisions. During Bill’s tenure, the company grew from $35 million in annual revenue to more than $960 million.
Bill also held sales and sales management positions at IBM, Sterling Software, and The Future Now.
Bill graduated with honors with bachelor’s degrees in computer science and operations research from Kent State University and earned his MBA from The Ohio State University. An avid golfer and outdoorsman, he serves as chairman of the board at The Country Club of Muirfield Village and sits on the board of Speer Mechanical, a large, privately held mechanical contractor.
Senior Vice President – Acquisitions
Ruslan is responsible for evaluating and executing investment opportunities at SMC. He also focuses on supporting portfolio company management, especially with respect to evaluating and executing add-on acquisitions, and plays an integral role in building and maintaining relationships with investors and capital providers.
Ruslan has more than 10 years of private equity, M&A, and investment banking experience. Most recently, Ruslan was a Vice President at LaSalle Capital, a lower middle-market private equity firm investing in the business services and food and beverage industries. Ruslan was responsible for transaction evaluation and execution, structuring and negotiating transactions, due diligence, portfolio management, and business development. During his tenure with LaSalle, he successfully executed more than 15 transactions spanning platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, sale processes, sale-leasebacks, and debt restructuring. He also held multiple Board of Directors’ roles and was responsible for developing and implementing value creation initiatives to drive shareholder value. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the firm’s fundraising efforts and maintained key relationships with limited partners and potential investors.
Prior to joining LaSalle Capital, Ruslan worked as an investment banker at Lincoln International in Chicago and London. During his tenure with Lincoln, he completed more than 10 sell-side M&A transactions comprising over $1.5B in enterprise value.
Ruslan holds a BS in Finance with Highest Honors and Distinction from Indiana University, where he was a member of the Hutton Honors College and a Founders Scholar.
In his free time, Ruslan enjoys being active through weightlifting, running, and playing basketball and tennis. He also enjoys great food, live music, and spending time with friends and family.
Senior Vice President – Finance & Operations
Jacob joined SMC in July 2021 as VP – Finance & Operations. Jacob is focused on the Firm’s internal accounting and operating needs, as well as external financial reporting. He also supports in due diligence and serves as liaison to portfolio companies.
Jacob has a diverse background, having experience in public accounting, corporate finance, and operations management. He has worked with hundreds of clients and companies in various industries, from start-up to $125M+ in revenue. His career has centered around facilitating companies with fast-growth business strategies, via both organic growth and bolt-on acquisitions.
While in public accounting, Jacob has advised clients on tax strategies, corporate structuring, operations and long-term strategic planning. Focusing on manufacturing and construction industry clients, he served in a leadership role on attestation engagements. On the corporate side, he has served in the CFO/Controller seat for companies in industries including rail transportation, manufacturing, wastewater and construction.
Prior to joining SMC, Jacob served as Vice President – Controller for a diversified rail services enterprise, successfully helping the company launch a short-line railroad operation, expand the existing business footprint into multiple states, and execute a strategic acquisition of an industry competitor, resulting in a 500% increase in headcount and EBITDA in less than 18 months.
A central Ohio native, Jacob earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Toledo and is a licensed CPA and CGMA in the state of Ohio. When outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, playing piano and reading.
Senior Analyst
Robert supports senior investment team professionals on origination and execution of investment opportunities, as well as SMC executive management with respect to firm-level strategic initiatives.
Before joining SMC, Robert served as an analyst at Whitehall & Company, a New York City-based boutique focused on investment and merchant banking in the power, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
In addition to working on core infrastructure M&A and capital raising transactions concentrated in the power generation and transmission sectors, Robert was primarily focused on supporting senior bankers in the establishment of Whitehall’s Core-Plus Infrastructure.
Prior to Whitehall, Robert completed internships with (i) Manhattan Venture Partners, a boutique merchant bank focused on secondary investments in venture-backed early-stage technology companies, and (ii) Wells Fargo Middle-Market Banking.
Robert graduated magna cum laude from Fordham University with a concentration in Finance. In his free time, Robert enjoys playing recreational basketball and golf.
Analyst
Before joining SMC, Charles served as an analyst at Whitehall & Company, a New York City-based boutique focused on investment and merchant banking in the power, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
At Whitehall, Charles worked on a variety of transactions in the power and infrastructure space including both thermal and renewable power generation, core infrastructure, U.S. Private Placements across both investment banking and capital markets.
Prior to Whitehall, Charles completed internships with (i) Hublot, a luxury watch brand under the LVMH umbrella of brands, and (ii) Christie’s Auction House in their watch department.
Charles graduated from Fordham University with a concentration in marketing. In his free time, Charles enjoys recreational boating and clay shooting.
Senior Operating Executive
Scott joined SMC in 2021 as an Operating Executive. Scott is focused on acquisition and industry due diligence, evaluating and developing commercial relationships, and providing hands-on operational and strategic support to portfolio companies and management teams.
Scott brings extensive experience in the North American Rail market as well as knowledge and experience in multiple business segments such as oil and gas, chemicals, logistics, and sales. Scott has over 20 years experience in managing and executing various operational strategies. In 2018, Scott joined, sponsor-backed, Appalachian Railcar Services (“ARS”) as Chief Operating Officer and was soon promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Scott built the playbook, integrated multiple businesses, and generated more than a 3x improvement in EBITDA which resulted in a successful sale in less than 3 years with the organization.
Prior to joining ARS, Scott spent almost two decades in various executive positions, primarily in operational roles. In total, Scott has overseen and led 70+ multi-site operational locations with teams of ~2,000 employees, P&L statements of $500M+, and assets exceeding ~$11 billion across North America.
Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in Education from Wayland Baptist University and an MBA from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. Scott is also a Veteran of the United States Air Force, enjoys helping others, building things, and is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking and camping with his wife, Julie and Lab, Maggie.
Senior Operating Executive
Lauro joined SMC in 2021 as an Operating Executive. He is focused on acquisition and industry due diligence, evaluating management talent, and providing hands-on operational and strategic support to portfolio companies and management teams.
Lauro founded in 2016 and currently leads Bravar Strategic Management Co. (BSM). BSM provides advisory, management, and business development services to companies in the construction sector. Working with a small, agile team of senior associates, Lauro helps foreign construction companies establish themselves in North America and expand their activities by acquiring or creating alliances/joint ventures with local companies, participating in bids, and starting up new business units.
Prior to founding BSM, Lauro was CEO of OHL USA, a global construction and infrastructure services provider with more than 1,000 employees, where he oversaw a ~$1 billion P&L. As a recognized expert in diligencing, structuring, and integrating construction and infrastructure services M&A transactions, he was selected to lead negotiations for OHL’s expansion into the U.S. through the simultaneous acquisition of two local companies.
Together with an executive team that later joined him at BSM, Lauro expanded the two affiliates’ businesses by negotiating joint venture agreements, diversifying their activities, and enlarging their market share. Lauro’s knowledge of design-build-finance and infrastructure public-private partnership projects, along with his ability to effectively negotiate with financial institutions and bonding companies, resulted in enormous success for OHL USA and its affiliates. During Lauro’s term as CEO, he grew revenue of OHL’s affiliates by more than 400% while substantially increasing profit margins.
Lauro obtained a master’s degree in civil engineering in Trieste, Italy, and went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in less than four years. After joining the world of private industry, he opted to enhance his career by enrolling in the MBA program at IESE Business School, which was ranked by The Economist as the No. 1 MBA program in the world.
Outside the office, Lauro pursues a host of outdoor recreation activities. He is a lucky skier who survived an avalanche while heliskiing in Canada; an experienced sailor, and an avid cook who cultivates his own herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Operating Executive
Julio Alberto joined SMC in 2021 as an Operating Executive. He is focused on acquisition and industry due diligence, evaluating and improving corporate and project level technical execution capabilities, and providing hands-on operational and strategic support to portfolio companies and management teams.
In 2017, Julio Alberto joined Bravar Strategic Management Company (BSM). BSM provides advisory, management, and business development services to companies in the construction sector. At BSM, Julio Alberto is focused on helping companies in the construction sector plan and implement fundamental strategic initiatives to support and achieve sustainable growth trajectories. He brings more than 30 years of construction experience in Europe and the U.S. to both BSM and SMC.
Before joining BSM, Julio Alberto served as OHL USA’s Executive Vice President for the Southeast region, where he oversaw all ongoing projects for OHL USA and its affiliates. He performed the technical due diligence necessary for OHL to execute the acquisitions of its two primary footholds in the U.S. After successfully closing those transactions, he was asked to supervise all the construction projects in the Southeast region and participated in several additional technical due diligences of target companies in the U.S.
Apart from the supervision of projects under execution, Julio Alberto has participated in all of OHL’s major project pursuits in the U.S., including public-private partnership projects like the I-595 Roadway Improvement Project in Florida, the West by Northwest Corridor in Georgia, I-77 Hot Lanes Project in North Carolina, and the I4 Ultimate Corridor in Florida.
Prior to moving to the U.S., Julio Alberto was the director of OHL Central Europe, an OHL subsidiary, where he performed the technical due diligence leading to the acquisition of OHL’s first affiliate in the Czech Republic. After closing, he was retained to supervise all construction projects undertaken by OHL in Central Europe.
Earlier in his career, Julio Alberto served medium to large construction companies in a range of different roles, gaining extensive experience in infrastructure projects in the United States and internationally. Julio Alberto holds a MSC in civil engineering with a transport specialization from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a general contractor license in the state of Florida.
Operating Executive
Gonzalo joined SMC in 2021 as an Operating Executive. He is focused on acquisition and industry due diligence, evaluating and developing commercial relationships, and providing hands-on operational and strategic support to portfolio companies and management teams.
Gonzalo brings extensive experience in the North America infrastructure design and construction industry as well as a broad-based business development network to projects of all types for public agencies in charge of transportation infrastructure. For more than 30 years, he has helped a wide range of national and international firms identify strategic civil and vertical project opportunities, set up teams to win and execute opportunities, and promote strategic partnering for large projects and investment programs.
In 2017, Gonzalo joined Bravar Strategic Management Company (BSM). BSM provides advisory, management, and business development services to companies in the construction sector. His work focuses on arranging joint venture partnerships and assisting companies in successfully bidding and growing into new market areas.
Prior to joining, BSM, Gonzalo spent more than a decade as a business development and commercial executive at OHL USA, a global construction and infrastructure services provider with more than 1,000 employees and revenues of ~$1 billion. At OHL, Gonzalo was responsible for preparing qualifications and teaming agreements as well as promoting partnerships with local construction and design firms for transportation and social infrastructure projects. He played an active and instrumental role in multiple successful awards of projects in the U.S. and Canada.
Gonzalo holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He enjoys outdoor activities such as waterskiing, especially in slalom competitions, and equestrian jumping.
