News & Media

Sami El-Saden most recently served as President & CEO of Ignite USA, the North American market leader in environmentally safe reusable beverage containers. He transformed it from an industrial design firm into one of the fastest growing consumer product companies in the U.S. with over $300 million in sales. He sold the business to Newell Brands, one ...

Richard Gersten, the Founder of True Beauty Capital and formerly a Managing Director of North Castle from 1999 to 2007,  rejoined the North Castle team in 2020 as a strategic partner focusing on investments in the beauty and personal care sectors.  Rich has over 26 years of experience in the private equity industry and has spent the last 6 years ...

Dennis Lee is the co-founder and former president and CEO of Octane Fitness, the only company in the world exclusively focused on the zero-impact cardiovascular fitness equipment category. He oversaw strategic direction and day-to-day operations. In September 2001, he launched Octane Fitness in his unfinished basement; today, Octane is the market leader ...

Rob Reynolds has a broad and deep financial and general management perspective after serving in C-level positions beginning in 1986. These companies have ranged from start-ups to $40 million annual revenues to $800 million revenues. Most recently, Rob served as CEO of ProSupps from 2016 to 2018 and now serves as Executive Chairman. His first position in ...

Jay Galluzzo is an Industry Advisor with over 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, executive and investor. Jay has returned to his original role as an Operating Advisor, after serving as a Managing Director at North Castle for over three years. Jay has been actively involved in sourcing, managing and advising various investments, primarily in the ...

Hemanshu Patel is an Advisor with over 16 years of private equity investment experience. Hemanshu recently joined the senior management team of The Escape Game, as CFO, and is continuing in an advisory role to Maya Kaimal Foods and Turnbridge. Hemanshu joined North Castle in 2016 as a Vice President and was actively involved in the sourcing, execution ...

Monty Sharma has been an integral part of the North Castle team since 1999. He has significant experience in consumer packaged goods, including more than 25 years of sales, marketing, finance, and operations experience and over 15 years of direct industry experience as the CEO of four North Castle portfolio companies. In addition to his current role as ...

Gale Bensussen has been a member of the North Castle team since 1997, bringing more than 40 years of vitamin, minerals, and supplement industry experience and knowledge to our portfolio. He currently serves as the CEO of Doctor’s Best, a former North Castle portfolio company, and was a founding partner and President of Leiner Health Products. Under ...

Kim Jeffery, formerly the Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Waters North America, brings 45 years of consumer products experience in the areas of sales, marketing, M&A, manufacturing, logistics, sustainability, and finance to our firm and our portfolio companies. After beginning his career at Kraft Foods and joining PepsiCo, Kim joined The Perrier Group ...