Management Team

Management Team

Hilco Equity's professionals comprise a proven team of investors and entrepreneurs who have dedicated themselves to building Hilco Equity into a premier private equity firm. The firm seeks management partners who share their common values of integrity, professionalism, team orientation and a strong work ethic.

John W. Tomes
President and Managing Director
jtomes@hilcoequity.com

John co-founded Hilco Equity in February 2002, and is responsible for the strategic direction and investment activities of the firm. Previously, John was a founding Partner of Wynnchurch Capital, a $164 million private equity fund focused on middle market equity investments.

From 1989 to 1998, John worked in the Restructuring and Merchant Banking Groups of GE Capital and spent the last five years of his tenure as a Senior Vice President and Region Manager. While at GE Capital, John played a key role in investing more than $5 billion for acquisitions, buyouts, turnarounds, bankruptcies and growth financings.

Prior to joining GE Capital, John worked for Continental Bank and for two years at a Chicago-based specialty medical products consulting firm. John has held a number of private company board positions throughout his career and is a member of the Turnaround Management Association and The Association for Corporate Growth. He received a BA from Kenyon College and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

Keith S. Freeman
Principal
kfreeman@hilcoequity.com

Keith joined Hilco Equity in August 2002, and is responsible for originating, executing and managing the firm's investments. He came to Hilco Equity from Gryphon Investors Inc., a private equity firm managing $520 million of capital, where he focused on middle market leveraged buyout and build-up transactions as one of two Vice Presidents.

Prior to Gryphon, Keith was a Vice President in GE Capital's Merchant Banking Group where he structured and underwrote debt and equity for transactions totaling approximately $1 billion. He was responsible for the opening of the Merchant Banking Group's San Francisco office in 1999.

Prior to joining GE Capital, Keith worked for Bank of America for approximately four years. He received a BS from Miami University and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

Ryan M. Bohr
Principal
rbohr@hilcoequity.com

Ryan joined Hilco Equity in March 2003, and focuses on originating, executing and managing the firm's investments. He was previously an Associate at Thoma Cressey Equity Partners, a private equity firm managing approximately $1 billion of capital focused on middle market leveraged buyout and growth equity transactions.

Prior to Thoma Cressey, Ryan was an Associate in the Corporate Finance Group at William Blair & Company focusing on private and public equity financings, mergers and acquisitions and strategic advisory assignments for middle market companies.

Ryan began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick working in both the Financial Services Audit Practice and the Transaction Services Advisory Group. He earned the CPA designation and received a BBA in Accounting from The University of Notre Dame.