Who We Are

Russ Smyth is the Chairman and General Partner for both Morgan Street Holdings and the HAVI Group, which owns and operates HAVI Supply Chain, tms and Stanley. From 2011 through 2014, Russ served as CEO of HAVI before acquiring the organization from its Founder. Prior to joining HAVI, Russ was the CEO of H&R Block from 2008 to 2010 and spent over 20 years at McDonald’s where he held a variety of executive leadership roles including President of McDonald’s Europe and President of Partner Brands, where he oversaw the development of Chipotle and Boston Market. Russ began his career at PWC in Chicago and after earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Illinois University. Russ lives in Chicago with his wife, Dawn, and their 4 children.

Howard Katz is a Partner at Morgan Street Holdings. Since 2008, he has been with the HAVI Group and most recently led the M&A and Corporate Development function across the HAVI businesses. Previously, Howard was the Chief Strategy Officer for HAVI and joined the company as the Chief Operating Officer of tms. Prior to HAVI, Howard held executive positions in venture and private equity backed businesses in the Student Lending, Internet Music and Healthcare Technology industries. Howard earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Northwestern University. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Rachel, and their 3 boys.

Chris Smyth is a Partner at Morgan Street Holdings. Prior to Morgan Street, Chris spent 29 years at Ernst & Young where he was the Americas Private Equity Leader responsible for EY’s services to private equity funds and their portfolio companies. Chris held a variety of Partner level roles across EY, including Central Region Managing Partner of Strategy and Transactions, and worked in both London and San Francisco throughout his tenure there. Chris holds his CPA and earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Susie, and their 6 children.

As Chief Information Officer, Allison is responsible for the information and digital technology functions globally, including strategic planning, product delivery, operations, security, controls and compliance. She is charged with leading the team to be a competitive asset for the company by focusing resources and prioritizing initiatives that deliver the greatest opportunities for revenue growth and improved business performance.

As Chief People Officer, Preet Michelson is responsible for advancing the employee experience, talent development and organizational transformation at both HAVI Corporate and tms. Working closely with senior leaders worldwide, she drives operational excellence and fosters a collaborative workplace. 

With over 25 years of experience across global brands such as CVS Health, United Airlines, Molson Coors, PepsiCo and Beam Suntory, Preet has established herself as a strategic HR leader with expertise in executive coaching, succession planning and organizational design. She brings a proven ability to manage complex organizational restructures, develop high-performing teams and support the full employee lifecycle, from recruitment and retention to talent and performance management. Preet’s approach integrates data-driven insights and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, which has enhanced organizational culture and operational efficiency. 

Known for her strong communication, interpersonal and analytical skills, Preet is a trusted partner, guiding transformational change and shaping teams that meet today’s evolving business needs. She takes pride in the meaningful impact she has made on organizations and in building lasting relationships with colleagues and leaders across the globe. 

Renee Sotos serves as HAVI’s General Counsel, responsible for all corporate legal activities. She works closely with the business unit legal teams as well as supporting the corporate functions and leadership teams.

Prior to joining HAVI, Renee was with Molson Coors Beverage Company, where, for nearly 10 years, she was legal partner to numerous divisions across the commercial organization, ranging from brand marketing to sales and regulatory.

Before going in-house, Renee practiced litigation at the law firm of Winston and Strawn after completing a federal judicial clerkship at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Renee holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from Loyola University Chicago, and a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

As Chief Financial Officer, Eric serves as a key strategic advisor to our General Partner, Operating Companies, and broader leadership team. He plays a critical role in advancing all aspects of our business operations—ensuring we are well-positioned for continued growth and success.

Eric brings more than 20 years of executive leadership in corporate finance, investment management, and strategic growth across a range of industries. Most recently, he served as CFO at TNT Fireworks, the largest branded consumer fireworks company in the U.S.

Prior to joining TNT Fireworks, Eric was the CEO and Partner at McKinney Capital, a family office and private investment firm focused on field services businesses where he led the firm’s investment strategy and portfolio company growth initiatives. Prior to that, Eric spent nearly a decade at EBSCO Industries, Inc.–a $3 billion diversified holding company—where he held a variety of operating, investing and corporate executive roles including CFO, Group President, and Managing Director of EBSCO Capital.

Eric earned his BA in Economics from The University of the South (Sewanee) and his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Daniel Quintana is a Vice President at Morgan Street Holdings. Before joining Morgan Street, Danny spent 8 years at Twin Bridge Capital Partners where he served as a Vice President specializing in underwriting fund investments and co-investments, conducting ongoing manager research and performing portfolio analytics and reporting. Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Chicago with his wife.

Joel Sircus is a Vice President at Morgan Street Holdings. Prior to Morgan Street, Joel was the Head of Core US Strategy for Grubhub. Prior to Grubhub, Joel worked at DNS Capital and Bain & Company in their New York and Stockholm offices. Joel holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University. He lives in Chicago with his wife Stephanie & their son Cooper.

Carolyn Jungers is an Associate at Morgan Street Holdings. Before joining Morgan Street, she worked as a Private Equity Associate at GTCR and as an Investment Banking Analyst at Lazard. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance from Miami University, where she was also a Division I swimmer. She lives in Chicago.

Molly Ernst is an Executive Assistant at Morgan Street Holdings with an extensive background in administrative assistance and corporate event planning. Prior to Morgan Street, Molly spent 5 years with healthcare private equity firm Cressey & Company and 2 years with McKinsey & Company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and was on the nationally ranked equestrian team there. Molly lives in Chicago and has a golden retriever named Tucker.

Ian Wall is an Associate at Morgan Street Holdings. Before joining Morgan Street, he worked as an Associate at Sterling Partners and as an Investment Banking Analyst at Goldman Sachs and BMO Capital Markets. Ian holds a master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He lives in Chicago.

Howard Bernick was formerly the Chief Executive Officer and President at Alberto Culver Company (NYSE listed), a health and beauty aid manufacturing and distribution company, and is now the President at Bernick Advisory Limited. He also serves as a director of the Palm Beach Civic Association, Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation and on the board of trustees at the Town of Palm Beach United Way and the Field Museum in Chicago. Mr. Bernick has previously been a director on several large public and private company boards, including the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and Mead Johnson Nutrition Company. Mr. Bernick is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, Chief Executives Organization, Economic Club of Chicago and Commercial Club of Chicago. Mr. Bernick was born in Canada and graduated from the University of Toronto.

Paul Carbone is the Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of Pritzker Private Capital (PPC). In 2012, Paul joined PPC’s predecessor company and later PPC as Managing Partner and led the firm’s growth and development for over ten years. Prior to PPC, Paul was the Director and Managing Partner of Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Equity Group (a buyout, growth and venture investor) after serving as Co‐Director of Investment Banking responsible for Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory practice. Previously, he was the Senior Vice President in the Investment Banking Group at Kidder, Peabody & Co. In addition to being a member of Morgan Street Holdings’ Board of Advisors, Paul currently serves on the board of trustees or directors of The University of Chicago, University of Chicago Medical Center, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Larry H. Miller Company, and Misericordia Home. He received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from The College of the University of Chicago.

Celeste Clark is currently a Principal at Abraham Clark Consulting, LLC, a health and regulatory policy consulting firm. She is the former senior vice president of Global Public Policy and External Relations, and Chief Sustainability Officer of Kellogg Company and was a member of the Global Executive Leadership Team. She was responsible for the development and implementation of global health, nutrition, and sustainability initiatives ensuring consistency in approach and implementation. She served as president of the Kellogg Corporate Citizenship Fund, Kellogg’s philanthropic entity, and also led global corporate affairs, communications, government relations and several administrative functions. Celeste currently serves as an Independent Director for Wells Fargo, The Hain Celestial Group, Darling Ingredients and Prestige Consumer Healthcare, Inc. She is also a Trustee of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Celeste earned a Ph.D. in Food Science from Michigan State University and is an adjunct professor in their Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Jay Henderson serves as a Board member of Illinois Tool Works Inc., Northern Trust Corporation, and The J.M. Smucker Company. From 2007-2016, Jay served as a Vice Chairman at PricewaterhouseCoopers, gaining extensive experience working with boards and audit committees of Fortune 500 companies and driving strategy. Jay has held numerous leadership roles on major non-profit organizations’ boards, including the Board of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (former Chairman), Rush System for Health, Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (former Co-Chairman). Jay received his B.S. in Business, Major in Accountancy, Magna Cum Laude from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is married to Cindy Henderson, and they have three adult children.

Roxanne Martino is the Co-Founder of OCEANM19 LLC and serves as a Director and Chairperson of the Compensation Committee of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE: VTR). Roxanne is also the Chairperson of the boards of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, its Medical Center, and its Executive and Governance Committees. Previously, she was the Chief Executive Officer and Investment Committee Chairperson of Aurora Investment Management LLC, and Co-Chairperson of The University of Chicago Council on Booth. She is a past Chairperson and current member of the Mendoza College of Business Council of The University of Notre Dame, Secretary-Treasurer and current member of The Chicago Network and is current member and past Board and Executive Committee member of The Economic Club of Chicago. Roxanne served three terms as a Director of The Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. For over 30 years, she has been a Director of Thresholds and a member of its Executive Committee. Roxanne spent the first seven years of her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and subsequently spent over six years at Grosvenor Capital Management, as a general partner. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame and her M.B.A. from The University of Chicago.

Mark Tebbe currently serves as a University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Polsky Center. Outside of the classroom, he serves as the Chairman of World Business Chicago’s Innovation and Venture Strategy Council Chairman as well as on the board for Enova. Previously, Mark founded Lante Corporation, co-founded the Answers Corporation, served as an Operating Executive at Lake Capital, and acted as a consultant to American Express, Dell, and Microsoft, among others, as well as nonprofit organizations such as the National Park Service, United Nations, and World Economic Forum. Mark has also served on the boards of many civic organizations, including 1871, Big Shoulders Fund, Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, ChicagoNEXT, Economic Club of Chicago, Field Museum of Chicago, mHub, and World Business Chicago. Mark and his wife support numerous children-oriented, educational, and environmental causes. He received his B.S. in Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.