Management
Robert T. Ladd, Managing Partner
Mr. Ladd serves as Managing Partner of Stellus Capital Management, and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stellus Capital Investment Corporation. Mr. Ladd has more than 40 years of investing, finance, and restructuring experience. Prior to joining Stellus Capital Management, he led the D. E. Shaw group’s Direct Capital group from February 2004 to January 2012. Prior to joining the D. E. Shaw group, Mr. Ladd served as the president of Duke Energy North America, LLC, and president and CEO of Duke Capital Partners, LLC from September 2000 to February 2004. From February 1993 to September 2000, Mr. Ladd was a partner of Arthur Andersen LLP, where he led the firm’s restructuring practice world-wide. Before joining Arthur Andersen, from June 1980 to February 1993, Mr. Ladd served in various capacities for First City Bancorporation of Texas, Inc., a bank holding company, and its subsidiaries. Mr. Ladd received a B.A. in managerial studies and economics from Rice University, and an M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Sord Scholar and recipient of the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement.
W. Todd Huskinson, Partner
Mr. Huskinson serves as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Treasurer and Secretary for Stellus Capital Investment Corporation. Mr. Huskinson is also a founding partner of Stellus Capital Management and serves as its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. He has over 35 years of experience in finance, accounting and operations. From August 2005 to January 2012, Mr. Huskinson was a director in the D. E. Shaw group’s Direct Capital Group, a global investment and technology development firm. Prior to joining the D. E. Shaw group, Mr. Huskinson was a Managing Director at BearingPoint (formerly KPMG Consulting), a management consulting firm, where he led the Houston office’s middle-market management consulting practice from July 2002 to July 2005. Prior to BearingPoint, Mr. Huskinson was a partner of Arthur Andersen, LLP, an accounting firm, where he served clients in the audit, corporate finance and consulting practices from December 1987 to June 2002. Mr. Huskinson received a B.B.A in accounting from Texas A&M University and is a certified public accountant.
Board of Directors
Robert T. Ladd, Managing Partner
Mr. Ladd serves as Managing Partner of Stellus Capital Management, and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stellus Capital Investment Corporation. Mr. Ladd has more than 40 years of investing, finance, and restructuring experience. Prior to joining Stellus Capital Management, he led the D. E. Shaw group’s Direct Capital group from February 2004 to January 2012. Prior to joining the D. E. Shaw group, Mr. Ladd served as the president of Duke Energy North America, LLC, and president and CEO of Duke Capital Partners, LLC from September 2000 to February 2004. From February 1993 to September 2000, Mr. Ladd was a partner of Arthur Andersen LLP, where he led the firm’s restructuring practice world-wide. Before joining Arthur Andersen, from June 1980 to February 1993, Mr. Ladd served in various capacities for First City Bancorporation of Texas, Inc., a bank holding company, and its subsidiaries. Mr. Ladd received a B.A. in managerial studies and economics from Rice University, and an M.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a Sord Scholar and recipient of the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement.
Dean A. D’Angelo, Partner
Mr. D’Angelo is a founding partner of Stellus Capital Management and co-head of the Private Credit strategy and serves on its investment committee. He has over 25 years of investing, finance, and restructuring experience. From August 2005 to January 2012, Mr. D’Angelo was a director in the Direct Capital Group at the D. E. Shaw group, a global investment and technology development firm. Prior to joining the D. E. Shaw group, Mr. D’Angelo was a principal of Allied Capital Corporation, a publicly-traded business development company, where he focused on making debt and equity investments in middle-market companies from May 2003 to August 2005. From September 2000 to April 2003, Mr. D’Angelo served as a principal of Duke Capital Partners, LLC, a merchant banking subsidiary of Duke Energy Corporation, where he focused on providing mezzanine, equity, and senior debt financing to businesses in the energy sector. From January 1998 to September 2000, Mr. D’Angelo was a product specialist for Banc of America Securities, LLC where he provided banking services to clients principally in the energy sector. Mr. D’Angelo began his career in the bankruptcy and consulting practice of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. in Washington, D.C. Mr. D’Angelo received his B.B.A. in accounting from The College of William and Mary, his M.A. in international economics and relations from The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at The Johns Hopkins University, and his M.B.A., with a concentration in finance, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Independent Directors
J. Tim Arnoult
Mr. Arnoult has over 33 years of banking and financial services experience. From 1979 to 2006, Mr. Arnoult served in various positions at Bank of America, including its predecessors, including president of Global Treasury Services from 2005 – 2006, president of Global Technology and Operations from 2000 to 2005, president of Central U.S. Consumer and Commercial Banking from 1996 to 2000 and president of Global Private Banking from 1991 to 1996. Mr. Arnoult is also experienced in mergers and acquisitions, having been directly involved in significant transactions such as the mergers of NationsBank and Bank America in 1998 and Bank of America and FleetBoston in 2004. Mr. Arnoult previously served on the board of directors of Cardtronics Inc. (NasdaqGM: CATM) and has served on a variety of boards throughout his career, including the board of Visa USA. Mr. Arnoult holds a B.A. in Psychology and a M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bruce R. Bilger
Mr. Bilger has over 40 years of providing advice on mergers and acquisitions, financings, and restructurings, particularly in the energy industry. Mr. Bilger is a senior advisor at Lazard Frerès & Co. LLC, a leading investment bank, where he began in January, 2008 as managing director, chairman and head of Global Energy, and co-head of the Southwest Investment Banking region. Prior to joining Lazard Frerès & Co. LLC, Mr. Bilger was a partner at the law firm of Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he was head of its 400-plus-attorney Energy Practice Group and co-head of its 175-plus-attorney corporate and transactional practice. Mr. Bilger is or has been a board or committee member with numerous charitable and civic organizations, including the Greater Houston Partnership, the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Reasoning Mind, Positive Coaching Alliance, Texas Children’s Hospital, Asia Society Texas Center, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, St. John’s School, Dartmouth College and the University of Virginia. Mr. Bilger graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College and has an M.B.A. and law degree from the University of Virginia.
William C. Repko
Mr. Repko has nearly 45 years of investing, finance and restructuring experience. Mr. Repko has served as a senior advisor, senior managing director and was a co-founder of Evercore Partners Inc.’s Restructuring and Debt Capital Markets Group since joining the firm in September 2005. Prior to joining Evercore Partners Inc., Mr. Repko served as chairman and head of the Restructuring Group at J.P. Morgan Chase, a leading investment banking firm, where he focused on providing comprehensive solutions to clients’ liquidity and reorganization challenges. Mr. Repko entered the workout banking world in 1980 at Manufacturers Hanover Trust, a commercial bank, which after a series of mergers became part of J.P. Morgan Chase. Mr. Repko has been named to the Turnaround Management Association (TMA)-sponsored Turnaround, Restructuring and Distressed Investing Industry Hall of Fame. Mr. Repko received his B.S. in Finance from Lehigh University.