Tailwind Capital

Tailwind Capital LP is an independent private equity firm focused on control investments in middle-market healthcare, media/communications, and business services companies. The firm, which is based in New York City, was founded in 2003 by Douglas M. Karp and Lawrence B. Sorrel.

The firm is managing approximately $2 billion.

History

The firm was founded in 2003 by Douglas M. Karp and Lawrence B. Sorrel when Tailwind assumed management of Thomas Weisel Capital Partners, a $900 mn private equity fund previously managed by Thomas Weisel Partners, the San Francisco-based investment bank. By the end of 2005, Tailwind had completed the restructuring of this troubled portfolio, investing a further $213 mn in six new portfolio companies, and ending its affiliation with Thomas Weisel.

Tailwind raised an additional $775 mn through the sale of limited partner interests in 2008.

Principals

Tailwind Capital is owned and controlled by its senior management team:
:*Douglas M. Karp, Managing Partner
:Mr. Karp serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer and has been with Tailwind since its founding in 2003. He brings substantial experience to the team from his years at Warburg Pincus, where he was a partner and a member of the operating committee, and Salomon Brothers, where he was also a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions group. Mr. Karp also spent six years with the Boston Consulting Group, launching BCG’s New York office. He is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Law School.

:*Lawrence B. Sorrel, Managing Partner
:Mr. Sorrel is Tailwind’s Co-Chief Executive Officer and has been with the firm from the outset in 2003. He worked previously at Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe as a general partner and as a member of the management and investment committees. Mr. Sorrel was a Managing Director and a member of the investment committee at Morgan Stanley and its private equity affiliate, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners. He is a graduate of Brown University, Harvard Law School, and the Harvard Business School.

:*James S. Hoch, Managing Partner
:Mr. Hoch came to Tailwind in 2003, following nearly two decades at Morgan Stanley and its private equity affiliate, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, where he was a Managing Director, led the firm’s European activities, and was a member of the investment committee. He is a graduate of Williams College and of the Harvard Business School.

:*Frank V. Sica, Managing Partner
:Mr. Sica arrived at Tailwind in 2005 after two decades in the private equity business at Soros Funds Management and Morgan Stanley. At Soros, he was President of Soros Private Funds Management, where he oversaw private equity and real estate activities and chaired the investment committee. Mr. Sica was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and its private equity affiliate, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, where he also served as Co-CEO. Earlier in his career, he was a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley’s M&A department. Mr. Sica is a graduate of Wesleyan University, of the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, and was an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Investments

Tailwind Capital is currently managing the following investments:

:* Archway - Marketing Operations Management
:Archway is a leading provider of marketing operations management solutions. The Company focuses on the operational components of marketing operations management, such as fulfillment services, print management, business intelligence and decision support tools. Archway serves leading brands and Fortune 1000 clients across a broad range of industries, including food & beverage, retail, automotive, life sciences, financial services, consumer products and technology.

:* Freedom Innovations - Advanced Technology Prosthetics
:Freedom Innovations designs and manufactures advanced technology lower-limb prosthetic devices geared towards amputees with active lifestyles. The Company manufactures its products using 100% carbon-fiber composite materials, maximizing strength and energy return while minimizing weight.

:* Nautilus Neurosciences - Neurology-focused Pharmaceuticals
:Nautilus Neurosciences is a neurology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company. The Company’s lead product, CAMBIA™ (diclofenac potassium for oral solution) is an FDA-approved [...] for the acute treatment of migraine headaches.

:* Optimal Solutions - IT Consulting and Staffing Services
:Optimal Solutions is one of the largest pure-play SAP-focused consulting and staffing firms in the United States. The Company focuses on the evaluation, implementation and support of SAP applications.

:* Pillar Processing - Processing Services
:Pillar Processing LLC is a leading provider of processing services to residential mortgage lenders and servicers including creditor-based bankruptcy, litigation, foreclosure processing, and real estate owned closings.

:* SDI Health LLC - Healthcare Data and Analytics Provider
:SDI is a leading provider of innovative healthcare data products and analytic services to pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, and medical device companies, government, and financial institutions. SDI focuses on three critical areas: analyzing the patient experience through longitudinal de-identified patient-level data and specialty analytics; measuring healthcare system performance and efficacy; and integrating and warehousing information assets to create actionable solutions

:* TowerCo - Wireless Communications
:TowerCo meets the infrastructure needs of wireless service providers by developing, owning and leasing communication towers. TowerCo owns over 3,100 towers and has built its portfolio through the acquisition of a large portfolio of towers from Sprint Nextel as well as through cooperative “build-to-suit” programs with wireless carriers. TowerCo is currently the fifth largest wireless tower company in the United States.

:* Trover Solutions - Insurance Subrogation and Claims Recovery
:Trover Solutions is a leading provider of outsourced insurance subrogation and claims recovery services to the insurance industry, primarily private healthcare payors. Its primary product is subrogation recovery, which entails the identification, investigation and recovery of benefits incurred by its clients on behalf of their insurers.

:* VersaPharm - Generic Niche Pharmaceuticals
:VersaPharm Inc. is a generic pharmaceuticals company serving niche markets. The Company has commercialized and developed generic products aimed at treating tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, bleeding disorders, and diseases of the central nervous system.

:* Village Roadshow Entertainment Group - Movie and Music Production
:Village Roadshow Entertainment Group is a diversified media company formed by the merger between Village Roadshow Pictures and Concord Music Group. Village Roadshow Pictures is a leading filmed entertainment production and finance company, co-producing and co-financing six to eight movies per year with its principal co-production partner Warner Bros. as well as other major studios and production companies. Concord Music Group is one of the leading music companies targeting the adult consumer, specifically focusing on the jazz, blues, R&B, and classical formats. Through a prior investment in Concord, Tailwind owns a 12.1% stake in Village Roadshow Entertainment Group.

External links

:*Tailwind Capital LP (company website)
:*Archway (company website)
:*Freedom Innovations (company website)
:*Nautilus Neurosciences (company website)
:*Optimal Solutions (company website)
:*SDI Health LLC (company website)
:*TowerCo (company website)
:*Trover Solutions (company website)
:*VersaPharm (company website)
:*Concord Music Group (company website)
:*Village Roadshow Pictures (company website)