Team Bios
Senior Advisors and Team
Our Senior Advisors provide a rich array of consultative services to Plainfield in specialty areas and focused industry sectors.
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Alan Ginsberg Ron Johnson Michael Lehman |
Raul Martynek Joanne Karlson Lisa Rankin |
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Alan Ginsberg
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Alan R. Ginsberg founded and is president of Larchmont Advisors Inc., a consulting firm. He is a business consultant, an attorney, a private investor, and a student of American History and Literature at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. Mr. Ginsberg is a New York attorney and a member of the New York State Bar Association. He was a high yield bond research analyst and the director of global high yield bond research from 1998 through 2000 at Barclays Capital. Mr. Ginsberg served as high yield bond strategist at Salomon Smith Barney. He was a high yield bond research analyst and the director of high yield and emerging markets debt research at Smith Barney from 1993 through February 1998, a high yield bond research analyst at Bear Stearns from 1990 through 1993, and a high yield research analyst at Drexel Burnham Lambert from 1986 through February 1990. Mr. Ginsberg earned a B.A.from SUNY at Binghamton and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
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Ron Johnson
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Ron Johnson was, from 1998 to 2006, Executive Vice President of Gaming Operations and Marketing for Riviera Holding Corporation (RIV: AMEX) and concurrently President of two of its subsidiaries from 1999 to 2006, Riviera Black Hawk Casino and Riviera Gaming Management. Mr. Johnson joined the Riviera in 1991 as Vice President of Slot Operations and Marketing. From 1989 to 1991, Mr. Johnson was Vice President of Slot Operations and Marketing for the Sands Hotel & Casino. From 1986 to 1989, Mr. Johnson was Assistant Slot Operations and Marketing Manager for Bally's Hotel & Casino. Mr. Johnson spent the previous ten years in the slot manufacturing industry: from 1981 to 1986 as General Manager of J & T, Inc. and from 1979 to 1981 in several positions with International Game Technology, including Vice President and General Manager of its Las Vegas Operations. Mr. Johnson started his career in gaming with Bally Distributing in 1976 as Manager of Financial Analysis. From 1973 to 1976, Mr. Johnson was a financial analyst for TRW Systems. From 1971 to 1973, Mr. Johnson served in the United States Army. Mr. Johnson received a B.S. in finance from California State University - Long Beach in 1970, a B.S. in accounting from the University of Nevada - Reno in 1978, and an M.B.A. from California State University -Long Beach in 1971.
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Michael Lehman
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Michael Lehman is the founding partner of his law practice, Lehman & Lehman, where he focuses on entertainment and bankruptcy law. He has represented Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle (both members of the rock band "The Who"), Luther Vandross, Run DMC, Ben Vereen, Taylor Dayne, RMM Records, and many others. He also is the founder and President of Wydown Management Corp. which manages real estate investments and entertainment clients such as Gregg Allman. Prior to opening his law practice, Mr. Lehman founded and operated a concert promotion business which featured bands like The Who and U2 and promoted over 500 live performances. Mr. Lehman received his B.A. in English from Washington University in St. Louis in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Bridgeport in 1986.
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Raul Martynek
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Presently a Board Member of Broadview Networks in Ryebrook, NY, Mr. Martynek comes to Wydown Management with intensive operating experience, industry knowledge and management capability in the telecommunications and technology arenas. As Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of InfoHighway Communications/Eureka Networks in New York City from 2003 to 2007, Mr. Martynek was elected CEO with a mandate to achieve profitability following the meltdown in the telecom market. Mr. Martynek guided the company to Net Income profitability within 12 months. In 2005, Eureka Networks acquired InfoHighway Communications, resulting in the creation of an organization with over $115M in annual revenue and 210 employees. InfoHighway was acquired by Broadview Networks in May of 2007. As Chief Operating Officer of Eureka Networks/Gillette Global Network from 1998 to 2003, he developed and executed on detailed integration and financial synergy plans for the consolidation of six companies acquired between 2000 and 2002. From 1995 to 1998, as the Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of Gillette Global Network, Mr. Martynek pioneered the resale of dedicated Internet Access to business customers in the New York Metropolitan marketplace. Mr. Martynek attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from SUNY-Binghamton. Mr. Martynek also received a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University in 1992.
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Joanne Karlson |
Prior to joining Wydown, Joanne Karlson was the executive assistant to venture partners at Oak Investment Partners from 2003 to 2007, an $8.4 billion venture capital firm in Westport, CT. Ms. Karlson was the executive assistant to the Chairman of Quantitative Financial Strategies, Inc., a hedge fund managing over $3.5 billion in assets located in Stamford from 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Karlson was the executive assistant to the President of Bank of America Commercial Finance located in Wilton, CT. Ms. Karlson attended Northeastern Illinois State College and Sacred Heart University.
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Lisa Rankin |
Prior to joining Wydown, Lisa Rankin was the Manager of Banking and Treasury Operations for Tenneco, Inc, a global manufacturing company based in Greenwich CT, overseeing cash management, compliance for credit funding facilities, and bank operating agreements. From 1995-1997, Ms. Rankin was the Global Banking Relations Treasury Manager for AT&T in Basking Ridge, NJ, where she managed the banking team, AT&T's global banking network, and led activities supporting the company's $10 billion commercial paper backstop facility. From 1991-1995 she was a Financial Manager for AT&T Consumer and Small Business Unit and Bell Laboratories, providing comprehensive financial support for the $18 billion business unit. During her undergraduate studies, she completed an internship at the FDIC - Office of Consumer Affairs in Washington, D.C. In 1990, Ms. Rankin earned her B.S. in Finance with a minor in Economics from Kings College and her MBA from Lehigh University in 1995.