John Whitman

Mr. Whitman is currently a Managing Partner of SMC. In addition, he sits on the Board of Directors of z-Kat, Wil(l)son Haas Beverages, Travellers Emergency Network, RxHope, Inc., and Synxis Corp. From 1990 until he joined SMC, Mr. Whitman was an advisor to the Ford Motor Company, AT&T Venture Corp., the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fund, British and Commonwealth Holdings PLC, Coopers & Lybrand, the United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.), and Prudential Securities Inc.

From 1987 through 1990, Mr. Whitman was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Prudential-Bache Interfunding Inc. (“PBIF”), an US$800 million Merchant Banking Fund entirely financed by the Prudential Insurance Company of America. During this period, PBIF financed and closed fourteen major leveraged transactions with a total cost basis of US$1.34 billion in equity and bridge loans. To date PBIF has realized US$1.65 billion on these investments.

From 1980 to 1987, while he was a Vice President of CVC, he completed 11 leveraged transactions with an aggregate cost basis of US$31 million and realized US$141.3 million on them. From 1972 to 1980, Mr. Whitman held various positions at Citicorp, most notably as Vice President in charge of the Corporate Finance Department of Citicorp International Bank Ltd. in London, and as an officer of Citicorp's corporate distressed loan department.

Mr. Whitman graduated from Yale University in 1966 and received his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1971.