The Chilmark Team
Chilmark’s team of highly skilled professionals has worked together for decades to serve our clients’ most challenging problems. We are small by design, and use that to your advantage. With us, you know exactly who you will be working with, and that you will be receiving advice informed by decades of experience and the wisdom that we have gained along the way. Our business model is not, and never has been, to employ an army of inexperienced associates to execute work on our behalf.
DAVID M. SCHULTE
DAVID M. SCHULTE
Mr. Schulte has more than 40 years of restructuring experience as an investor and advisor to distressed companies and their creditors. Mr. Schulte co-founded the Zell/Chilmark Fund, the country’s first control distressed investment fund, and oversaw investments in 14 companies with a cumulative value of over $7 billion
Advisory Experience
Recent advisory experience includes Toys “R” Us, Caesars Entertainment, NFLPA, Chrysler, Idearc, USG, Recycled Paper Greetings, and Adelphia Communications.
Distressed Investing Experience
Former Chairman of the Board of Jacor Communications, Inc. and served as a member of the following boards: Broadway Stores, Inc., Fuel Systems Holdings LLC, Midway Airlines Corp., Nutramax Products, Inc., Phillips & Temro Holdings LLC, Revco D.S., Inc., Santa Fe Energy Resources, Inc., Scott Sports Group/Schwinn Bicycle Company, Sealy Corporation, and The Wellbridge Company, among others.
Operating Experience
Executive Vice President of Northwest Industries, where he had operating responsibility for four divisions with revenues in excess of $700 million and pre-tax income of approximately $70 million. Currently serves on the Board of Directors of California Protons Cancer Therapy Center.
Education/Other
Summa cum laude from Williams College, J.D. from Yale Law School, Editor-in-Chief of The Yale Law Journal, Clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart
MICHAEL J. KENNEDY
MICHAEL J. KENNEDY
Mr. Kennedy has more than 20 years of restructuring/financial advisory and principal investing experience. He joined Chilmark in 1999 and is a partner of the firm. Prior to Chilmark, Mr. Kennedy was a Senior Consultant in Arthur Andersen’s Transaction Advisory Group where he led financial due diligence on numerous acquisitions and assisted with operations, synergy, and valuation analysis.
Advisory Experience
Recent select restructuring advisory experience includes In-Shape, Acosta, Toys “R” Us, Caesars Entertainment, Innovative Mattress Solutions, Steel City Media, USG, JHT Holdings, CMP Susquehanna Radio, Idearc, Ion Media, and Nortel.
Distressed Investing Experience
Participated in the sourcing, acquisition, oversight, and divestiture of Chilmark’s portfolio companies including The Wellbridge Company and Fuel Systems LLC.
Operating Experience
Served as Interim CFO of The Wellbridge Company and provided other supplemental management services including refinancing, M&A analysis, and business plan review.
Education/Other
Honors from the University of Illinois
AARON S. TAYLOR
AARON S. TAYLOR
Mr. Taylor has more than 19 years of financial services experience acting as both an investor and a financial advisor, and joined Chilmark in 2009. Prior to Chilmark, Mr. Taylor was a Senior Investment Analyst at Allen & Company. In this capacity he helped to manage the firm’s small cap equity portfolio, identified investment opportunities and conducted due diligence and valuation analysis of potential portfolio companies. Before joining Allen & Company, Mr. Taylor was a Vice President in the Structured Finance division of Lehman Brothers where he worked with numerous international financial institutions to develop proprietary transactions, raise low-cost financing and manage risk within fixed income portfolios.
Advisory Experience
Recent select financial advisory experience includes In-Shape, Gulfport, Acosta, Toys “R” Us, Caesars Entertainment, Innovative Mattress Solutions, Steel City Media, OSG, SuperMedia, Nortel, Idearc, and ST Paper.
Investing Experience
Generated ideas, performed diligence and valuation, and monitored the performance of portfolio companies in Allen & Company’s small cap equity portfolio.
Education/Other
Ph.D. in Geochemistry from Yale University and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Chemistry. He received his Chartered Financial Analyst charter in 2011.
JOHN C. HAECKEL
JOHN C. HAECKEL
Mr. Haeckel has decades of restructuring and principal investing experience. He joined Chilmark upon its formation in 1984 and became a partner in 1987.
Advisory Experience
Recent select advisory experience includes NFLPA, Adelphia Communications, Act Manufacturing, Tower Records, Genesis Health Ventures, XO Communications, WestPoint Stevens, Interstate Bakeries, Wellman, OSG, Chrysler LLC, and Seattle Times.
Distressed Investing Experience
After leading the acquisitions, served as Chairman of the Continental AFA Dispensing Company board of directors and a board member of International Knife & Saw, Inc., Phillips & Temro Holdings LLC, Simonds Industries, Inc., and Nutramax Products, Inc. Led the acquisition and post-acquisition strategy for Broadway Stores, Inc., Santa Fe Energy Resources, Inc., and Sheffield Steel Corp.
Operating Experience
Chief Financial Officer of Broadway Stores, Inc. (a Zell/Chilmark investment), where he was heavily involved in the financial/operational turnaround and sale to Federated Department Stores. Subsequently, he joined CB Richard Ellis (non-Chilmark experience), the world’s largest real estate services firm, as Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, where he raised nearly $1 billion of financing to complete 11 acquisitions and was responsible for finance and information technology globally.
Education/Other
Rice University with a B.A. and an M.B.A.
JAMIE ELLIS
Mr. Ellis joined Chilmark in 2012 and became a partner in 2021. He has been closely involved in many of the firm’s restructuring advisory assignments, and has also assisted in the preparation of expert testimony in some of the largest bankruptcy cases of the last decade. Prior to joining Chilmark, Mr. Ellis worked in EY’s Financial Services Office, where he provided assurance services to hedge funds and other institutions in the financial services industry.
Advisory Experience
Mr. Ellis’ recent advisory experience includes Gulfport Energy Corporation, In-Shape, Acosta, Steel City Media, Overseas Shipholding Group, and Nortel. He has also helped prepare testimony in bankruptcy cases including Sears Holdings, Caesars Entertainment, Lehman Brothers, and Rural/Metro.
Education/Other
Bachelors of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame
Masters of Accounting Science from the University of Illinois
CERTIFICATIONS
CFA Charterholder
Certified Public Accountant
BARBARA ENGSTROM
BARBARA ENGSTROM
Barb joined Chilmark in 2019 bringing 30 years of project management experience in corporate communications, investor relations, marketing, and event planning. Prior to joining Chilmark, Barb served as AVP Communications for Equity Residential, and she previously served as Director Communications for Equity Group Investments and Equity Office Properties Trust.
Education: College of DuPage
CHRISSY POGUE
CHRISSY POGUE
Chrissy joined Chilmark Partners in 2002 and is responsible for office operations and administrative support.
Education: Northeastern Illinois University
JEANINE FORINI
JEANINE FORINI
Chrissy joined Chilmark Partners in 2002 and is responsible for office operations and administrative support.
Education: Northeastern Illinois University