Tygris was founded by Aquiline Capital Partners LLC ("Aquiline"), a New York based private equity firm specializing in financial services, with New Mountain Capital, L.L.C. and TPG Capital joining as lead investors.
The company also claims to have established significant relationships with financial institutions including Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Barclays, Wachovia and Wells Fargo Foothill. With the backers and management team here on this, this seems like it is easily within the realm of contacts.
The Company initially will concentrate on developing leading franchise positions in three commercial finance businesses: middle market corporate finance, middle market equipment leasing and asset finance, and small ticket leasing.
Below is the management team, and unless I am missing something it looks like an impressive list of executives:
- Frederick E. "Rick" Wolfert, former Vice Chairman of Commercial Finance of the CIT Group and President of Heller Financial Inc., is the Company's CEO.
- Steven F. Kluger, EVP, Capital Markets and Corporate Strategy; former President/CEO of GE Capital Markets.
- Stuart A. Armstrong, President of Corporate Finance; former President/CEO of Black Diamond Commercial Finance, former Senior Managing Director and Head of Corporate Lending's vertical industry financing groups at GE Commercial Finance.
- Laird M. Boulden, President of Asset Finance (Chicago); former President/CEO of RBS Asset Finance, and President/co-founder of the Commercial Equipment Finance Group for Heller Financial Inc.
- Tim J. Eichenlaub, EVP, Chief Risk Officer; former Senior Managing Director and Group Head for CIT's Sponsor Finance business.
- T. Doug Hollowell, EVP, General Counsel and Head of Depository Strategy; former Executive Director at Morgan Stanley Corporate Treasury, and General Counsel at Merrill Lynch Capital.
