Bio

Kenneth Berliner has over 30 years of Investment Banking experience advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, divestures, defense and special committee assignments, restructurings and leveraged investments, equity and debt financings and strategic advisory assignments. He has completed over $200 billion of transactions in his career across a broad range of industries and is best known for his representation of retail and apparel, e-commerce, consumer product and healthcare companies. Prior to joining Centerview, Mr. Berliner was President of Peter J. Solomon Company, where he spent 23 years and was also head of its mergers and acquisitions group. Prior to PJSC he was in the mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyout groups at Salomon Brothers, Inc. and Bank of America. Mr. Berliner has executed a number of noteworthy transactions including: the blocked $6.3 billion merger of Staples, Inc. and Office Depot, Inc., the $1.1 billion acquisition of Office Max, Inc. by Office Depot, the $2.9 billion acquisition of Warnaco Group, Inc. and $3.1 billion acquisition of Tommy Hilfilger B.V. by PVH, Inc., the $2.1 billion sale of Guitar Center to Bain Capital, the $6.3 billion sale of Michaels Stores to Bain Capital and the Blackstone Group, Walgreens Co.’s $1.1 billion acquisition of Duane Reade, Inc., the $2.1 billion acquisition of PSS World Medical, Inc. and $14.5 billion acquisition of HBO and Company by McKesson Corporation, the $1.3 billion sale of Kinray, Inc. to Cardinal Health, Inc., the $2.4 billion acquisition of GSI Commence, Inc. by eBay, Inc. and the $3.4 billion acquisition of Selected Assets of Mirant Company by Tokyo Electric Power and Marubeni Corp. among others. Over the years selected clients of Mr. Berliner have included: Accenture Ltd., Advanstar Holdings Corp., Allied Domencq plc, Ariat International, Alter Trading, Inc., Au Bon Pain Co., Inc., Borders Group, Cardinal Health, Inc., Centennial Cellular Corp., Crown Pacific, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Inc., DIMON Incorporated, Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co., eBay, Inc., Galerias Preciados, S.A., Guitar Center, Inc., Gymboree Corp., Handleman Company, Hellman & Friedman LLC, Henry Schein, Inc., Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., J.C. Penney, Inc., Keller Industries, Kinray, Inc., Leggett Stores, Inc., LNK Partners, McKesson Corporation, McKinsey & Co., Michaels Stores, Inc., Mirant Corporation, Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., Nichols Institute, Novatel Inc., Office Depot, Inc., Perry Drug Stores, Inc., Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, Pope & Talbot, Inc., Powerfood, Inc., Priority Healthcare Corp., RadioShack Corp., Reed International plc, Rohn Industries, Inc., Sanderson Farms, Inc., Schlumberger Limited, The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Walter Industries, Wet Seal Corp., Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and Zenith Electronics Corporation. Mr. Berliner received an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Duke University graduating magna cum laude with distinction. He is a former director of Advanstar Holdings, Inc., Aspen Park Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Humco Holding Group, Inc. an Whatgoesaround.org. Mr. Berliner resides in New York City with his family and golden retreiver.