About Us

Eshan joined Peninsula Capital after spending more than five years in commercial banking. His prior lending experience spans a broad range of industries and transaction types.

Immediately prior to joining Peninsula, Eshan was an associate at J.P. Morgan, where he helped to structure and underwrite asset-based credit facilities for middle-market companies and also performed portfolio monitoring activities. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Eshan held positions at ABN AMRO and Flagstar Bank.

Eshan earned a BA degree from Michigan State University and a Masters in Computation Finance with Honors from DePaul University. He is presently pursuing his MBA at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

On a personal level, Eshan’s interests include being active, cooking and travel. He also has a working knowledge of Hindi.

Scott has been engaged in mezzanine and structured equity investing for over thirty years, and has participated in over 200 closed investments. Prior to co-founding Peninsula Capital Partners, he co-founded Northstar Capital, Ltd., and before that participated in the successful development of Churchill Capital, Inc. Mr. Reilly’s entrepreneurial and managerial efforts in connection with founding and growing Peninsula Capital Partners have earned him broad recognition, including being named Ernst & Young’s Financial Services Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Michigan in 2000, and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Corporate Growth of Michigan in 2016.

During Mr. Reilly’s extensive career he has invested over $2 billion of mezzanine and structured equity capital in a broad array of industries and a wide variety of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, independent sponsor transactions, recapitalizations, buy-and-build strategies, growth financings, and equity repurchases. Mr. Reilly is best known as the architect of Peninsula Capital’s pioneering and unique investment program which focuses on providing mezzanine capital to non- and independently-sponsored transactions, which has become the hallmark of the firm and the foundation of its success. Mr. Reilly began his career in the corporate finance group of Security Pacific Merchant Bank, completing the bank’s credit and capital markets training program.

Mr. Reilly received a BBA in Economics Summa Cum Laude and Beta Gamma Sigma recognition from the University of North Dakota, and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is a member of the CFA Institute. Mr. Reilly’s interests include fitness, reading, writing, fine arts and his family.

William has nearly forty years of senior-level experience in investment banking and commercial lending. He was a co-founder of W.Y. Campbell & Company, which during his tenure was one of the Midwest’s most successful and respected boutique advisory firms, providing corporate finance services to a broad client base of both Fortune 500 and middle-market companies.

Prior to founding W. Y. Campbell & Company, Mr. Campbell served for five years as Senior Vice President and Co-Managing Director of First of Michigan Corporation’s investment banking activities. Previous to that, he was an officer at Standard Federal Bank involved in the implementation and development of commercial lending operations. Before that he was an officer of Michigan National Corporation where he performed various credit administration and commercial lending functions.

Mr. Campbell received a BA from Albion College and received his MBA from Bowling Green State University. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys hunting, fly-fishing, hockey and golf.

William has over thirty years of transaction execution experience in investment banking and was a co-founder of W. Y. Campbell & Company, which during his tenure was a highly-regarded boutique advisory firm providing corporate services to a broad range of clients. During his investment banking career, Mr. McKinley completed more than one hundred middle-market advisory engagements for such diverse purposes as sell-side/buy-side representation, capital structure planning, and debt/equity private placement. He was also retained to advise several foreign corporations and families on investing in the United States.

Prior to co-founding W. Y. Campbell & Company, Mr. McKinley was an executive with First of Michigan Corporation’s investment banking group where he advised a wide variety of middle-market and Fortune 500 clients on mergers, acquisitions, corporate finance transactions and debt restructurings.

Mr. McKinley received a BS from Babson College and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is an accomplished competitive sailor and has competed in dozens of Great Lakes sailing competitions as well as many international competitions including the Newport-to-Bermuda and TransPac Honolulu races. In 2004, he captained his sloop, Denali, to a first-in-class and overall first place in the prestigious Bacardi Port Huron to Mackinac Regatta.

Steve has over thirty years of corporate finance experience, including over ten years of commercial banking background in asset-based lending and problem loan workout with such corporations as Société Générale and Citibank.

While at these two institutions, Mr. Beckett originated and underwrote over $175 million in new facilities and restructured an additional $400 million. He also secured the repayment of $200 million in non-performing and adversely classified loans, recovering millions of dollars of principal that had previously been classified as uncollectible. At Citibank, Mr. Beckett was given responsibility for managing five companies over which the bank had taken control due to loan defaults. Acting in a senior management role, he restructured the operations of each company and within twelve months each business was generating positive cash flow. He then successfully sold all five companies on a piecemeal basis, realizing $5 million in profits for the bank.

Mr. Beckett holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. He is a member of the CFA Institute. Mr. Beckett is an accomplished long-distance swimmer who has twice swam the English Channel as part of relay teams.

Ty has more than twenty years of private capital, mergers & acquisitions, consulting and auditing experience. During his financial advisory career, he coordinated and led hundreds of financial advisory engagements in a broad array of corporate finance situations.

Before joining Peninsula Capital Partners, Mr. Clutterbuck was a Managing Director at W.Y. Campbell & Company, a boutique investment bank where he focused on advising companies on acquisitions and divestitures and related valuation issues. His clients included middle-market and Fortune 1000 companies, both privately owned and publicly traded, as well as leading private equity firms. Prior to that, he was a Senior Investment Banker in the M&A Group of Raymond James & Associates, Inc., focusing on advising middle-market industrial companies. Mr. Clutterbuck’s began his career with Price Waterhouse, LLP, initially in the audit group, and then transaction services group where he provided due diligence, structuring and valuation consulting services to both corporate clients and private equity groups.

Mr. Clutterbuck earned a BA in Accounting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his MBA with High Distinction and Beta Gamma Sigma recognition from the University of Michigan. Mr. Clutterbuck is a certified public accountant and he is a member of the CFA Institute.

Chris has more than 20 years of financial advisory, commercial banking and private capital experience, spanning a broad range of industries and transaction types with a primary focus on middle market companies.

Immediately prior to joining Peninsula Capital Partners, Chris was a Vice President at BMO Harris Bank in Chicago. At BMO Chris executed both asset-based and cash flow loans in support of middle-market and large corporate borrowers in connection with leveraged transactions and relationship lending. Before BMO, Chris was an Analyst with a Chicago-based boutique investment bank Cochran Caronia Waller where he focused on M&A advisory and valuation services. Chris started his career with Bank One in Detroit and completed the Bank’s credit training program.

Chris received his BA with Honor from Michigan State University and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a member of the CFA Institute. In his free time Mr. Gessner enjoys spending time with his family, golf and a variety of outdoor fitness activities.

James has over thirty years of corporate finance experience in private equity, mergers and acquisitions and operations management. His career comprises private and public sector investing from both a strategic and financial investor perspective.

Immediately prior to coming to Peninsula Capital Partners, Mr. Illikman held positions with Talon Equity Partners LLC, a middle-market buyout firm, where he was responsible for investment origination and portfolio maintenance. Before that, he held positions with Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, United Technologies and the predecessor entity to Delphi Corporation. At these firms, Mr. Illikman was responsible for identifying, conducting due diligence, negotiating and closing acquisitions consistent with the business development objectives of the companies. Mr. Illikman has also served in various management roles for acquired operating companies.

Mr. Illikman earned both his BBA Magna Cum Laude and his Masters in Business Administration degrees from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the CFA Institute. Mr. Illikman’s interests include mountain biking and snowmobiling and other outdoor activities

Karl has over thirty years of diversified experience, spanning private equity, strategic consulting, investment banking and operations management, and as an engineer, brings an unique set of capabilities to his role at Peninsula Capital.

Mr. LaPeer joined Peninsula in 1996 as its first investment manager and has since originated and led dozens of successful platform and add-on investments for Peninsula’s various funds. Karl began his career as a robotics engineer with GMFanuc Robotics where he served as a project engineer in both the United States and Germany. As several years, he returned to school to pursue an MBA, after which he held positions in strategic consulting and investment banking prior to joining Peninsula Capital. His diverse background as an engineer, manager, consultant, investment banker, and professional investor provides Karl unique insights and perspectives, allowing him see through complex businesses and situations to identify, structure and manage investments for the firm.

Karl received a BS in Mechanical Engineering with High Honors from Michigan Technological University, and an MBA with High Distinction and Beta Gamma Sigma recognition from the University of Michigan. He held a Michigan Professional Engineering license for thirty years until allowing it to lapse. He is a member of the CFA Institute, speaks conversational German, and is an ordained pastor and volunteer director of his church’s School of Ministry.

Andy has more than twenty-five years of private equity, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions and financial advisory experience across a diverse set of industries and transaction types.

Prior to joining Peninsula Capital Partners, Mr. Wiegand was a Managing Director at Superior Capital Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm focused on value-oriented, control investments where he originated, evaluated, executed and managed investments made by the firm. Before Superior, Andy worked at Questor Management Company, a private equity firm focused on upper middle market control investments. He began his career at Merrill Lynch & Co.’s investment banking division.

Andy earned his BS in Economics from Miami University in Oxford, OH, where he graduated with highest distinction and departmental honors. Andy serves in leadership positions for several community and non-profit organizations and his interests include family activities, college football and yard work.

Liz brings nearly twenty years of middle market commercial banking experience to Peninsula Capital Partners, spanning a wide variety of industries and transactions.

Immediately prior to joining Peninsula, Ms. DiGregorio was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Huntington National Bank, where she maintained a portfolio of over $250 million in credit commitments, with responsibility for underwriting new transactions and management of existing relationships. Prior to her time at Huntington, Liz was a Vice President and Relationship Manager at Comerica Bank, where her responsibilities included client management and sourcing of new relationships. Liz’s lending experience includes a wide range of credit products, including syndicated multi-bank facilities, asset-based loans and cash flow loans.

Liz received her BSBA Cum Laude from Central Michigan University and her MBA with Honors from Wayne State University. In her free time, Liz enjoys travel, her Peloton and volunteer activities in the Metro Detroit community.

Andrew has more than fifteen years of middle market commercial lending and private equity experience, spanning a broad range of industries and transactions.

Prior to joining Peninsula Capital Partners in 2018, Mr. Michalak was an Assistant Vice President in Comerica Bank’s middle market lending group. In that role, he originated and evaluated senior debt opportunities to fund growth, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate needs. His responsibilities also included portfolio management of approximately $150 million in senior loan facilities.

Andrew received both his BBA and Master of Science in Finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, graduating with High Distinction at the graduate level. His interests include golf, exercise and travel.

Prior to joining Peninsula, Colin spent six years at Shore Capital Partners, a private equity firm focused on lower-middle market investments across a variety of industries. During his time there, Colin worked on dozens of transactions in such industries as healthcare, food & beverage, business services and various industrial sectors. He helped to identify and diligence prospective acquisition targets, support portfolio company initiatives, and assist with special projects. He began as an intern with the firm in 2017 and joined full-time in 2018.

Colin earned a BS degree from the University of Notre Dame. His interests include spending time with his family (and his dog), traveling to Northern Michigan, and Detroit sports.

Sheridan joined Peninsula Capital after a beginning his finance career at Huntington National Bank, where spent two years as a credit analyst in the middle-market lending group. During his time at Huntington, he completed the Bank’s credit training program and participated in the credit review process for new and existing clients. While attending college, Sheridan was employed during consecutive summer breaks as an intern at Flagstar Bank, and during his senior year, worked remotely reviewing consumer loan applications.

Sheridan attended Emory University where he received a B.S. in Economics, and subsequently attended graduate school at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business where he received a Master of Management Studies (MMS) degree.

In his free time, Sheridan enjoys music, automobiles, hockey — playing and watching — and is an avid traveler. Due to his multiracial background — his mother is Vietnamese and immigrated to the U.S. — he is also very interested in Asian history and culture.

Rishabh joined Peninsula Capital after beginning his finance career at PNC Bank as a corporate and institutional banking analyst in the middle-market lending group. During his time at PNC, he completed the credit underwriting portion of the Bank’s professional development program. His duties included supporting senior credit staff, preparing financial review packages for loan approvals and renewals, and participating in credit review meetings for new and existing relationships. While attending college, Rishabh participated in the Summer Financial Analyst program at Robert Bosch GmbH, where he supported management’s capital allocation and investment decisions by calculating key financial metrics for potential projects the company was considering.

Rishabh attended Michigan State University where he received a B.A. in Finance and a minor in Information Technology. He is conversational fluent in Hindi.

In his free time, Rishabh enjoys watching sports and movies as well as traveling to new countries. He also is passionate about learning U.S. history.

Jon joined Peninsula Capital in 1995 as the firm’s first employee, and leads the firm’s fund administration efforts, including having primary responsibility for investor relations and communications and investor capital calls and distributions. He also performs key roles in fund accounting and tax statement preparation.

Mr Krempel’s career prior to Peninsula includes experience in lending, corporate finance and marketing. Immediately prior to Peninsula Capital, he was an officer with Comerica Bank where he completed the Bank’s credit training program and focused on middle market and private lending, finishing his time there as an analyst with Comerica’s investment banking affiliate, W. Y. Campbell & Company. Before that, he held a variety of marketing positions with both EDS and IBM.

Jon received both his BA and MBA from Michigan State University, and is a member of the CFA Institute. Mr. Krempel is an avid college sports fan and enjoys golfing and fly-fishing.

Dennis’ career spans over twenty-five years, including positions in corporate development and planning, consulting, business valuations, economic analysis and auditing. Dennis joined Peninsula Capital Partners in 2008 and heads the firm’s portfolio management, financial reporting and regulatory compliance activities. He serves as Peninsula’s Chief Compliance Officer and represents Peninsula’s Funds on a number of portfolio company boards.

Prior to joining Peninsula Capital Partners, Mr. Murphy managed the activities of a corporate investment firm focused on transactions in the marketing and hospitality industries, and was engaged in all aspects of the investment process and portfolio management. Before that, Mr. Murphy was a financial and valuation consultant providing forensic accounting and litigation support to privately held companies. Prior to that, he spent several years in the corporate development group of Ford Motor Company where he was responsible for merger, acquisition, divestiture, joint venture and carve-out transactions. He also served as a board member or advisor to several portfolio companies of Ford. Dennis started his career on the audit staff of Deloitte & Touche.

Dennis earned a BA degree with High Honor from Michigan State University and an MBA with High Honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the CFA Institute. His personal interests include travel, especially to the Leelanau Peninsula of Michigan, golf and most sports.

Carl joined Peninsula Capital in 2017 to augment the Portfolio Management team. In this role, Carl both leads and assists on various portfolio management activities, including liaising and coordinating with portfolio company management teams and Peninsula investment managers to ensure the firm receives all required reporting information on a timely and accurate basis. He also prepares numerous reports and analyses regarding fund-level and investment-level performance.

Mr. Russo’s experience prior to Peninsula includes more than 20 years of broad corporate and manufacturing accounting experience, with positions of increasing authority. He has spent a good portion of his career in the automotive supplier industry, including roles with Aeroquip-Inoac, TI Automotive and Metaldyne. He also has several years of experience in the kitchen and bath fixtures and professional employer organization (PEO) industries. Immediately prior to joining Peninsula Capital, Carl was the V.P. of Finance at Smith Brothers Tool, an aerospace tooling company where he was responsible for all aspects of the company’s financial management, benefits administration and human resources.

Carl earned his BA in corporate finance from Wayne State University and his Masters in Professional Accountancy from Walsh College. He is a Certified Management Accountant and a member of the Institute of Management Accountants. Carl values time with his family and enjoys running and cooking.

Chris joined Peninsula Capital Partners in 2021 as a Portfolio Accountant. In this role, she works with the Funds’ portfolio companies to ensure timely receipt of complete and accurate financial information for each company, as well as identifying and obtaining any other information deemed necessary to adequately manage the investment. Chris also assists in the preparation of fund-level financial statements and supports the administrative and investment management teams.

Chris’ career spans over 30 years with experience in a variety of industries. She has held accounting and finance positions in distribution, specialty manufacturing, non-profit, healthcare and banking businesses. Her experience also includes five years of experience at an accounting firm providing accounting and tax services to small business clients.

Chris earned a BS in accounting from Madonna University. Outside of Peninsula, she enjoys spending time with her dog, camping and riding her motorcycle.

Dawn Colby has served as Receptionist and Administrative Assistant with Peninsula Capital Partners since 2011. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to our professionals often involving direct client contact. Prior to her employment with Peninsula, she served in various administrative capacities with W.Y. Campbell & Company, a Detroit-based investment bank, and Morley Candy Makers, a Michigan-based confectionary company. Outside of work Dawn enjoys traveling to visit family, cooking and home projects.