HERITAGE
Scott and Charles created Ardent to apply more than twenty-five years of private investment and operational experience to the development and growth of lower middle market businesses. In 1994, they met in a study group during their first year at Harvard Business School. As their first project, they hand built an integrated circuit board. Remaining friends and business confidants over the past 25 years, they separately embarked on successful careers in industry and private equity. Charles focused on finance. Scott focused on operations. Their careers converged when Scott transitioned from industry to private equity operations. They bring together complementary areas of expertise, utilizing their experience and passion to help grow and professionalize small businesses. Charles and Scott collaborate closely on each investment, assuring a high level of senior attention in order to maximize results.
BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
Prior to founding Ardent, Scott was a Senior Operating Partner with Graham Partners. In his role at Graham, Scott analyzed new investment opportunities, implemented a series of company-specific and portfolio-wide value creation initiatives, and served on a number of portfolio company boards, twice serving as an interim CEO. He also successfully implemented a standard value creation methodology which was utilized with Graham’s portfolio companies during his tenure
PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Before joining Graham, Scott was a Director on TPG Capital’s operations team where he was involved in all aspects of the investment cycle inclusive of due diligence, operational transformations, merger integrations, and the coaching of portfolio management teams. Previous to TPG, Scott was an Executive at Pratt & Whitney (a United Technologies Company) where he held a variety of roles including General Manager of multiple aftermarket companies in Singapore and the Director of Worldwide Quality for the multi-billion dollar commercial engine business. Scott has extensive training in and experience with implementing the Toyota Production System, the Danaher Business System and United Technologies’ ACE program.
EDUCATION
Scott earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and BA with honors from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar.
Outside of work, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife and four children and attending New England Patriots games. Additionally, Scott is the Past President and current Member of the Board of Directors of Camp Ramah in New England.
BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
Prior to founding Ardent, Charles was a partner with HIG Capital, LLC and Boyne Capital Partners. His experience at HIG Capital spans the firm’s early history through its emergence as a preeminent middle market private equity fund. He has over twenty years of experience in structuring and leading recapitalizations of privately held businesses, corporate divestitures and restructurings.
PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
Charles began his career advising pioneers of small cap private investing on acquisitions, divestitures and financings while at Kidder Peabody & Co. in New York and as an energy services analyst with Howard Weil in New Orleans. Early work experience includes stints in the offshore oil fields of the Gulf of Mexico and as a Luce Scholar in Taipei, Taiwan.
His industry expertise includes business services, consumer goods and services, multi-unit retail, publishing, industrial supplies, wholesale distribution, energy services, agri-business, component manufacturing and building products.
EDUCATION
Charles earned his MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Management with honors from Tulane University. He speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
His outside interests include fishing, travel, history, and exploring remote areas of the Everglades and Bahamas. He grew up in south Louisiana and has lived in Miami for over 25 years.