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Tel: (415) 433-4494





Tel: (415) 433-4494





Tel: (415) 433-4494


Our Team


Sedge Dienst, Partner

Sedge Dienst co-founded KCA in 1993 with PJ Nora. In KCA's first acquisition, Mr. Dienst became CEO of Price Outdoor Media of Missouri to lead a transformation of the company's sales model, pricing and strategy. This led to a rapid growth in revenues and profit, and an exit to a strategic buyer in the next year. Mr. Dienst has also held chief executive roles in the plastics processing (Trico Plastics and US Thermoplastics) and Carex Health Brands portfolio companies of KCA, during transitional phases as needed to bring these companies' own management teams together behind their respective strategies. Mr. Dienst sits on the boards of all KCA portfolio companies, focusing on strategy development and acquisitions.

Previously, Mr. Dienst was president and CEO of Western Sky Industries, where he overhauled the marketing and operations of this aircraft and automotive parts manufacturer. Results included the development of new products with Boeing's new airplane group's 777 design-build teams, improved global market penetration including Airbus' A330/340 widebodies and significant new quality system approvals. In addition, he negotiated a new union contract that resulted in improved productivity and quality.

Earlier, Mr. Dienst was a strategy consultant at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, serving clients in consumer packaged goods and a variety of other industries. He also held several product management positions with Carnation Company and Nestlé.

Mr. Dienst holds an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree with honors in Managerial Economics from the University of California at Davis.



PJ Nora, Partner

PJ Nora co-founded KCA in 1993 with Sedge Dienst. Mr. Nora worked with former colleagues in the media industry to identify and acquire a troubled unit of a public parent, resulting in KCA's first platform acquisition. Later, Mr. Nora worked to create the Engineered Plastics platform, first acquiring Trico Plastics from its founders, and then structuring a buyout of both the equity and inter-partner debt in US Thermoplastics. Working with the management of KCA's portfolio company Apex Medical, Mr. Nora led the team that acquired Carex, a Newell Rubbermaid divestiture. He also took an active role in the closing down of Carex's Mexican affiliate, as the manufacturing moved to China. In the building of Van's International Foods, Mr. Nora worked closely with management to finance and execute its operational strategy, building a new factory running state-of-the-art customized ovens and freezers, dramatically reducing costs. Mr. Nora sits on the boards of all KCA portfolio companies, focusing on strategy development and acquisitions.

Mr. Nora was a founding member of one of Wall Street's preeminent restructuring groups. As a director with Smith Barney Shearson, and previously with Drexel Burnham Lambert, he has structured and negotiated transactions including exchange offers, pre-packaged bankruptcies and specialized M & A.

Highlights of Mr. Nora's transactions include the $1.3 billion pre-packaged bankruptcy of SCI Television, including a $100 million new equity infusion and the purchase of an additional $165 million television station; the merger via a troubled debt buyout of Lear Petroleum by BP America; the refinancing and restructuring of Gillett Holdings and Vail Associates including a $40 million tax-exempt financing and a $40 million new equity investment; the restructuring of Harvest Foods and the pre-packaged bankruptcy for West Point - Pepperell.

Previously, Mr. Nora was a senior consultant with Arthur Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) developing strategic information systems.

Mr. Nora holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford University.



Jean-Pierre "JP" Lachance, Principal

JP Lachance joined KCA in 2006 and is currently a Principal. Mr. Lachance sits on the board of Griplock Systems and serves as a hands-on operating resource to the management team in order to drive strategic, operating and financial initiatives.

Mr. Lachance is also the Managing Partner of Sierra Equity Partners, which is focused used on acquiring, operating and growing an established business located in Northern California. For more information on Sierra Equity Partners, please visit www.sierraequitypartners.com.

Prior to joining KCA, Mr. Lachance worked as an investment officer for CapitalSource Finance LLC, a specialty finance company focused on providing debt capital and equity co-investments to facilitate management buyouts, leveraged buyouts, consolidations, growth financings and recapitalizations. Prior to joining CapitalSource, Mr. Lachance was an associate with Windward Capital, a middle-market private equity firm based in New York. At Windward, Mr. Lachance was responsible for evaluating, structuring, executing and monitoring leveraged buyout, recapitalization and growth equity investments. While at Windward, Mr. Lachance worked with portfolio company management to develop growth strategies, implement operating improvements, add management depth, prepare annual budgets, refine marketing plans, raise financing and complete add-on acquisitions. Mr. Lachance began his career in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse First Boston.

Mr. Lachance holds an M.B.A., with distinction, from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, summa cum laude, from Villanova University.
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