Independent Sponsors & Capital Providers Dealmakers Meeting

Faraz joined Centerfield in 2001. He is responsible for investor relations, overseeing due diligence, executing transactions, and portfolio management. Faraz also manages the general activities of the firm. Faraz is a member of the Partnership’s Investment Committee.

Faraz has 20+ years of experience in private equity. Prior to Centerfield, Faraz held sales and product development roles at Praxair and Rodel, where he was the lead researcher and developer of next generation consumables for the microelectronics industry and was awarded a patent. Faraz has been recognized as one of the “Forty under Forty” young leaders in Indianapolis, “Who’s Who in Finance” by the Indiana Business Journal and was the winner of Junior Achievement’s “Indy’s Best and Brightest” award.

David DiPaolo has over two decades of alternative investment management and advisory experience with the majority of that time spent evaluating, structuring, negotiating and managing direct private debt investments in the U.S. lower middle-market.  At Star Mountain, Mr. DiPaolo serves on the Investment Committee and is involved in the firm’s direct investment and portfolio management activities.

Prior to joining Star Mountain, Mr. DiPaolo spent 15 years at Brooks, Houghton & Company, culminating his tenure as a Senior Managing Director.  Mr. DiPaolo was a General Partner and Investment Committee member of a series of investment funds (BHC Interim Funding I, II & III) which provided senior and senior subordinated debt to established, U.S. middle-market companies.  His primary functions were to lead new investment underwriting and portfolio management, as well as to interface with limited partners and lead fundraising activities.  While at Brooks, Houghton, Mr. DiPaolo co-founded and served on the Investment Committee of a series of investment funds (BHC Winton Fund I, II & III, L.P.) which focused on providing capital to syndicates operating in the Lloyd’s of London market.

Previously, Mr. DiPaolo was a Vice President at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, an investment banking firm specializing in middle-market transactions. His transaction experience includes acquisitions and divestitures, leveraged buyouts and public and private securities offerings across a broad spectrum of industries.

Mr. DiPaolo received a BS in Business Management from the University of Maryland and an MBA with honors in Finance from Columbia Business School.

Mark Sinatra is a 7-time Inc. 5000 CEO who is currently CEO of Aspen HR.  Aspen HR is a white-glove PEO that provides independent sponsors and their portfolio companies with cost effective employee benefits, streamlined payroll and expert HR guidance. Prior to Aspen HR, Mark was CEO of Staff One HR where he led the company through a period of substantial growth highlighted by the company's sale to its largest privately-held competitor, Oasis Outsourcing, in 2017. Mark oversaw the Western half of the country for Oasis Outsourcing until its sale to Paychex for $1.3bn in December 2018. 

Mark is an MBA graduate of the Wharton School of Business, and holds a BA in Economics from Fordham University. He is an active member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and a partner with Social Venture Partners. Mark enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis and basketball.

Mr. Park founded Aperion in August 2006 and is currently a member of the boards of directors of Tri Con Works, Ontario Drive & Gear, Cairn Real Estate and Trusted Influence.  Previously, Mr. Park was a Vice President and member of the investment team at Caxton-Iseman Capital.  Mr. Park was a Director in the Financial Sponsors Group at UBS Securities LLC where he was involved in the structuring and execution of bank, high yield, bridge and mezzanine financing for financial sponsor clients. Prior to UBS, Mr. Park was an associate in the Real Estate Finance Group at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Mr. Park is a graduate of Harvard College, where he received an B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and New York University School of Law.

John J. Darguzas, Principal, joined Merit in 2018.  From 2011 to 2018, John was a Vice President at Antares Capital Sponsor Finance Group in Chicago.  At Antares John worked on the Underwriting Team evaluating senior debt investment opportunities across a broad range of industries, on the Originations Team reviewing new investment opportunities and on the Credit Advisory Team working on troubled loans all while maintaining an active role in helping establish Antares as a standalone company after it was spun out of GE Capital.  While attending Kellogg part time from 2012 to 2014, John founded MyMenu, an app based platform that helps people with food allergies find restaurants that meet their dining requirements.  From 2005 to 2011, John was a Director in KPMG’s Transaction Service Group, overseeing financial buy-side due diligence of middle market acquisitions for private equity clients.

John Received an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in 2012 with concentrations in Marketing and Entrepreneurship.  In 2005, he received a B.S. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with concentrations in Accounting and Finance.  John is a registered CPA.

John currently serves on the Board of Directors of Engendren Corporation, Glenn Rieder, MicroPrecision, LLC, PFI Instore, LLC Revision Military, LTD, Urban Surfaces, and U.S. Minerals, Inc.

He lives in Elmhurst, IL with his wife and three sons.

Silvia Lupu is a seasoned executive and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) with over 7 years of experience in the investment and financial industry. With a strong academic background in International Economic Relationships, Silvia possesses a deep understanding of global markets and a keen eye for strategic decision-making. Throughout her career, Silvia has honed her expertise by working in five countries across three continents, gaining invaluable insights into diverse financial ecosystems. Her international exposure has equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the nuances and challenges of conducting business on a global scale.

Silvia's leadership journey spans both mid and senior management positions, where she has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive results, inspire teams, and navigate complex financial landscapes. Her dynamic approach, combined with a strong focus on innovation and sustainable practices, has positioned her as a visionary leader in the industry.

With a passion for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing, Silvia has been at the forefront of integrating responsible investment practices into the financial sector. Her commitment to sustainability and ethical decision-making has earned her recognition as a thought leader in the industry, advocating for the importance of aligning financial goals with positive social and environmental impact.

Claudine oversees an integrated team of transaction, valuation, restructuring, project finance, and dispute resolution professionals serving clients throughout the lifecycles of their businesses. With specific expertise in managing opportunities and roadblocks that can impact a business moving forward, Claudine and her team help clients achieve optimal outcomes in protecting and growing stakeholder value.

Claudine serves as an adviser to public and private companies, both domestically and internationally. Her clients comprise the full gamut of financial sponsors including private equity investors, independent sponsors, family offices, alternative investment funds, lenders, and strategic investors. Her areas of knowledge include strategic advisory, quality of earnings analyses, identifying revenue sources and profitability drivers, examining operating cost structure and sustainability factors, investigating business models including cash flow and financial projections, reviewing quality and realization of assets and liabilities, identifying working capital requirements and negotiating positions, post-close working capital verification, and adjustment mechanisms.  

Claudine was named to Mergers and Acquisitions 2019 list of the most influential women in mid-market M&A, and Crain’s NY 2018 most notable women in consulting.

Ms. Adler is a founder and Managing Partner at Mizzen Capital. Prior to launching Mizzen Capital, Ms. Adler held senior management roles with SBIC investment funds including Medley SBIC LP, Sunrise Equity Partners LP and Hudson Venture Partners LP. Prior to that, she worked at Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association in the fixed income group and at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in the investment banking division.

M&A magazine has named Ms. Adler as one of the top women in middle market for the last seven years – 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016. She was also named ACG’s Women of Leadership awardee for 2018. Ms. Adler is a board member of UJA’s private equity division, banking & finance division and women of wall street division. Previously, Ms. Adler was a Board Member of the SBIA Board of Governors (2014 to 2019) and chair of its BDC committee (2015 to 2017).

Ms. Adler earned an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BS with distinction from Cornell University.