Bio

Cathy Jaros is a Managing Director of The Peakstone Group, where she is responsible for transaction origination and execution, with primary emphasis across all phases of the food value chain and consumer facing industries. Cathy has extensive experience in merger and acquisition and strategic corporate development. Her clients include food and package goods, healthy ingredients, technology, and manufacturing companies. She led engagements for Fortune 500 and smaller companies, both public and private. She has extensive international cross-border experience. Ms. Jaros works with family owned companies to explore transition and value maximization to shareholder groups. Prior to joining The Peakstone Group, Cathy was Managing Partner at First Chicago Advisors and was Managing Director for Amherst Partners’ Chicago office where she headed the firm’s food and consumer industry practice groups. She also Chaired the global food and beverage industry group for IMAP, a fifty-member network of international investment bankers. Cathy had over 25 years of corporate general management, where she served as Vice President of corporate marketing and development for Tribune Company. She spent nineteen years in the food business where she held senior strategy and acquisition positions at Kraft, Tappan Capital Partners, the consumer products investment arm of First Chicago Venture Capital, now Madison Dearborn Partners. Cathy served in a variety of senior and officer level positions in marketing, general management, venture, and corporate development at The Quaker Oats Company, now part of Pepsi. She is the former Chief Executive Officer and President of several early stage consumer-focused technology companies. Cathy earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University with dual concentrations in marketing and finance. She graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a BS degree.