MANAGING PARTNER

Rob is the President and CEO of Alterna Financial, a private investment firm which is the sole or majority owner of several leading financial services businesses in the private equity, specialty finance and family office industries with oversight of approximately $1.5 Billion in assets. After his career in the NFL, Rob served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida State Board of Administration - Investment Advisory Council. The SBA managed 30 investment funds comprising over $184 billion in assets for the Florida Retirement System. Rob served as the Chairman of the IAC in 2009. Rob is a graduate of Syracuse University, and is a currently a member of the Advisory Board for the Falk School of Sports Management.

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PARTNER

Casey is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and structuring new investment opportunities within AEP. Casey served as the Director of Capital Strategies at Capitala Investment Advisors and joined the firm in 2013, opening its Fort Lauderdale office. Casey was responsible for cultivating relationships with current and prospective investors across a variety of Capitala-sponsored investment products and strategies. In addition, Casey focused on origination and sourcing for Capitala nationally. Previously, Casey worked for Hamilton Lane Advisors, where he co-led the investment activities of the Florida Growth Fund, and was a member of Hamilton Lane’s Fund Investment Team. Prior to Hamilton Lane, Casey worked with Wilshire Associates, a general investment consulting firm for institutional clients worldwide. Casey is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Finance.

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PRINCIPAL

Danny is a Principal at Alterna Equity Partners and joined the firm in 2021. Danny is responsible for identifying, evaluating and executing new investment opportunities, performing due diligence and supporting AEP’s portfolio companies. Previously, Danny was a Vice President at Capitala Group where he spent seven years executing lower middle market private equity and direct lending transactions across multiple industries. Prior to joining Capitala, Danny spent two years as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey where he focused on sell-side and buy-side transactions, divestitures and provided strategic advisory services. Danny graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a degree in Economics.

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PRINCIPAL

Ron serves as a Principal at Alterna Equity Partners and joined the firm in 2023. He leads the firms Alternative Investments platform and works to create bespoke investment solutions. Ron has over 20 years of experience as an institutional investor and is an expert in portfolio construction, asset allocation and alternative asset manager research. Prior to joining AEP, Ron was Director of Investments at JM Family Enterprises where he was responsible for managing significant pools of capital for corporate, insurance and retirement assets. Prior to his work at JM Family Enterprises, he held positions at Wells Fargo and Wachovia, where he developed and managed model portfolios, conducted investment research and manager due diligence for the wealth advisory divisions. Ron received a bachelor’s degree in banking and finance from the University of North Florida.

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SENIOR ADVISOR

Mr. Willens is a seasoned chief executive officer, board member and advisor with over 30 years of experience in healthcare, consumer services and product companies, private equity and residential and commercial real estate. He supports AEP from an advisory capacity on portfolio management and oversight, as well as industry and new investment diligence.

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ASSOCIATE

Ryan is an Associate at Alterna Equity Partners and supports the team on all aspects of evaluating and executing new investment opportunities as well as portfolio management. Previously, Ryan served as an Investment Banking Associate at Cross Keys Capital in Fort Lauderdale, working with lower middle market businesses. Prior to Cross Keys, Ryan worked as an Analyst at PNC, where he was responsible for underwriting credit transactions for middle market and large corporate clients. Ryan graduated from Elon University with a degree in Finance.

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ASSOCIATE

Valentina is an Associate at Alterna Equity Partners and supports the team on all aspects of investment and portfolio management. Previously, Valentina served as an Analyst at BDT & MSD Partners, providing investment banking and investment advisory services to large corporate clients. Valentina graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial Engineering: Data Science.

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Operations Manager and Chief Compliance Officer

Ms. Panuthos serves as the Operations Manager and Chief Compliance Officer at AEP and has held positions with the broader Alterna Financial platform dating back to 2011. She previously served as a Client Advocate and Director of Operations for Socius Family Office and joined Alterna Equity Partners in 2021. Nora began her career with Huizenga Holdings in 2002. Having worked in multi-family and single-family offices with ultra-high net worth and high net worth individuals, she has also worked in commercial real estate, with investors and private equity investments. Ms. Panuthos is a graduate of Marist College.

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