Founder and Senior Managing Director

Mr. Parro has over 27 years of private equity investment and operating experience with middle market companies. Since founding MERK Capital Corporation, Mr. Parro has been involved in all aspects of the firm’s activities.

Prior to the formation of MERK Capital, Mr. Parro was employed by Globe Union Industrial Corporation. Mr. Parro was instrumental in growing Globe Union from a private label $150 million single product line company to a $750 million branded broad based product line company with operations that included North America, Europe, Mexico, Taiwan and China. Mr. Parro led the company’s initial acquisition in the U.S. by acquiring Gerber Plumbing Fixtures; a family owned distressed plumbing products company. Mr. Parro has been instrumental in executing a turnaround strategy whereby during the first 24 months Globe Union acquired and subsequently closed numerous domestic and international manufacturing operations; transferred products internationally to China, Mexico and Turkey; initiated a marketing strategy to reenergize the company’s product and invigorate the employee base of the Company.

Prior to Globe Union Mr. Parro led the mergers and acquisitions effort for Field Container Company. Field Container was a $500 million privately held company packaging company with various integrated operations that supported the main packaging operations. While at Field Container Mr. Parro was instrumental in acquiring numerous companies that help grow the company from $350 million to $500 million over a 4 year period.

While at the financial services division at GE Capital for approximately 8 years Mr. Parro managed numerous strategies that led to the growth of various companies through acquisition. Mr. Parro was also the lead on various corporate transactions, including initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and business reorganizations that resulted in companies successfully growing at a rate of four to seven times the initial revenue base over a three to five year period.

Mr. Parro is an active member of the board member of the CEO Roundtable and Chicago Chapter of Opus Connect. The CEO Roundtable is an organization of C Level Executives based in Chicago. Mr. Parro is a former board member of Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). ACG is a middle market organization with offices worldwide where he has held various positions on the Board of Directors and other international and domestic committees within the Association for Corporate Growth Chicago Chapter. As a member of the advisory board for the CEO roundtable Mr. Parro has contributed to the growth an expansion of the organization. Opus Connect is an organization with chapter New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago whose membership includes independent sponsors, institutional private equity and family offices. Mr. Parro has been actively involved in the formation of Opus Connect Chicago Chapter that has resulted in the organization successfully establishment of the Chicago Chapter. Mr. Parro has been an Advisory Board Member of Gerber Plumbing Fixtures LLC and RBS LLC.

In addition, Mr. Parro holds an MBA from DePaul University, MS from Illinois State University and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Parro has been married for 23 years and has three teenage children. Mr. Parro enjoys golf, biking and hiking as part of his outside activities.

Senior Advisor

Ms. Moreno has over 25 years of investment banking experience for public and private companies at various lifecycle stages, from emerging growth through global leaders.

Ms. Moreno transaction experience encompasses public and private equity and debt, sell side and buy side mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and refinancing, and strategic advisory. Ms. Moreno has lead over 35 transactions and has raised over $2.5 billion in both the private and public markets. Ms. Moreno has focused in the Business Services sector and applied technologies, including outsourced business services (IT services, contact centers and business process outsourcing), education, healthcare, human capital management, marketing, secure and specialized populations (including corrections), and retail.

Prior to joining Dresner Partners, Ms. Moreno led Services investment banking at First Analysis focusing on growth companies. Previously, Ms. Moreno led Packaging investment banking at CIBC World Markets and covered general industries (including financial institutions) at Union Bank of Switzerland.

Ms. Moreno is active in selected civic and community organizations. She is an alderman and past chair of the audit committee for the City of Lake Forest, past president of the Chicago Finance Exchange, a member of the CFA Institute, past chair of the Economic Development Council at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and past chair of the Global Investment Research Challenge, past president and board director of the CFA Society of Chicago. Ms. Moreno is a CFA charter holder.

Ms. Moreno has a graduate degree from California State University at Fullerton as well as an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Senior Advisor

Mr. Hennenfent has over 27 years of experience in the investment community with a specific emphasis towards the food sector. Mr. Hennenfent brings a significant breath of knowledge and experience in the food sector from both a financial, operational and investment perspective. Mr. Hennenfent has long term relationships with such food giants that in would include large fortune 500 food to small middle market companies.

Mr. Hennenfent has provided strategy, business development, financial, and investment advisory and execution services to companies throughout the Food Value Chain. Mr. Hennenfent is currently President of Hennenfent Advisory LLC where he provides operational, strategic and financial advisory services to all sectors of the food and agricultural sectors. Prior to Hennenfent Advisory Mr. Hennenfent held a senior role at Starr Holdings where he led the initiative into Starr expanding its investment strategy into the agriculture and food sector. Mr. Hennenfent experience includes Managing Director at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange in the Poultry and Meat Division. Mr. Hennenfent led the group’s effort into various investment opportunities in these sectors of the market. Mr. Hennenfent experience also includes Managing Director/North American Food & Agribusiness at Credit Agricole CIB, where Mr. Hennenfent started up and expanded Credit Agricole food investments targeting the Fortune 500 food companies. While running Credit Agricole’s North American F&A Team, Mr. Hennenfent provided mergers & acquisition, capital market, investment banking, and international finance solutions to some of the world’s largest companies. As a Regional Director for the Food & Agribusiness Team of John Hancock’s Bond and Corporate Finance Group Mr. Hennenfent was instrumental in growing Hancock’s investment in the food sector targeting food companies with revenues between $200 million and $1.0 billion; With John Hancock, Mr. Hennenfent established a de novo loan provide long term senior and junior capital structure solutions to food & agribusiness Companies in the US and Canada. As Vice President of Harris Bank’s Food & Agribusiness Group Mr. Hennenfent was instrumental in growing Harris’s presence in the Midwest food sector. While at American National Bank Mr. Hennenfent was a senior banker responsible for the middle market lending within the Chicago land markets.

Mr. Hennenfent has a Master’s of Business Administration from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Industries from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Senior Advisor

Mr. Robinson has over 21 years’ experience in operational and consulting experience with both large corporations and middle market companies that includes a board range of industries.

Mr. Robinson is currently a senior managing director heading up the firms Middle East, Europe and Africa in Newmark Knight Frank’s Global Corporate Consulting Services where he has initiated and lead in numerous assignments for both large publicly traded companies as well as middle market businesses. While at Newmark Mr. Robinson has generated approximately $100 million of cost savings globally in areas that included warehousing, manufacturing, supply chain management, sales and marketing and accounting.

Prior to Newmark, Mr. Robinson was a partner at The Revere Group. The Revere Group is a IT and operational consulting firm where Mr. Robinson lead the consulting practice where he completed over 75 assignments generating over $300 million of cost savings in numerous areas of the companies operation.

Prior to The Revere Group Mr. Robinson has held positions with companies such as Novelis, Unyson Logistics, and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Mr. Robinson holds a B.A. from the University of Arkansas.