Board of Directors
Robert Kubbernus, Chairman
Mr. Kubbernus has been a leader in special situations and turnarounds for the past 20 years. He restores and adds value to ailing and prospering companies by providing direction, finances, an outside perspective to pinpoint trouble areas, and the power to fix them. Mr. Kubbernus leads the Balaton Group team in execution, opportunity identification, and strategy. With a proven track record in Europe, the United States, and Canada, he has developed the business, political, and capital-market relationships needed to build global organizations. Through his investor network he has delivered more than US $800 million in both debt and equity to special-situation companies. Mr. Kubbernus has turned around companies involved in the business of information technology and telecommunications, oil and gas, pharmaceutical products, e-commerce, portfolio management, real estate development, construction, and resort development.
William G. Hutchison, Vice Chairman
Mr. Hutchison was the former global chairman of Telecom & Technology for Ernst & Young. He has more than 30 years of knowledge and experience and brings with him tremendous depth in restructure practices. At E&Y, Mr. Hutchison was responsible for expanding IT consulting and integration operations which resulted in advancing E&Y’s ranking from 30th place to 2nd. He has built and rebuilt companies around the world. Some of Mr. Hutchison’s career highlights include; tripling Arthur Andersen’s Asia/Pacific media, telecom and technology practices to US $160 million within 3 years; returning Consolidated Computer Inc. to profitability with a five fold increase in revenue and restructuring all elements of its business operations; and expanding Quorum Growth International Inc.’s Singapore operations which became the gateway for Canadian technology products for the entire Asia/Pacific region.
Patrick K. Brant, President, CEO & Board Member
Mr. Brant is president and CEO of SkyPort. A global leader in communications, he has more than 20 years’ high technology experience in management, sales, operations and finance. He leads SkyPort with a clear focus on excellence, commitment, and growth. His latest success was Loral Skynet, a satellite operating firm that provides managed network services to Fortune 1000 enterprises. As the president and CEO he led Loral Skynet out of Chapter 11, improved EBITDA 8 fold, increased Skynet’s valuation to over $800 million and orchestrated the purchase of Telesat for $3 billion.
Adrien Pouliot, Board Member
As an executive officer for 20 years, Mr. Pouliot has successfully led public and private companies through turnarounds, expansions and acquisitions. As an advisor to Balaton Group on investments and restructuring strategies, he brings a wealth of experience in building corporate value and creating long term value for clients and investors.
In 1984, Mr. Pouliot joined CFCF Inc., a broadcasting and cable television firm. Soon after, he took the helm of CFCF-TV, the largest English-language television station in Quebec. From 1989 to 1993, he also served as president and chief operating officer of CFCF-TV’s parent company, CFCF Inc. In 1993, after a successful restructuring and under his leadership as chief executive officer, the company grew to become Canada’s fourth largest cable operator with over 1,200 employees and 425,000 subscribers in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. In 1996, the company was sold for a total value of over $687 million. He then bought a telecommunications services firm in 1999 and resold it to Bell Canada five years later, multiplying the equity value of the company by 10 for its shareholders.