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.