Bio

Rob originally joined Sterling Partners in 2006 as an Associate. He rejoined the firm as an Operating Partner in 2018 from Laureate Education, a Sterling portfolio company. As an Operating Partner, Rob works on several portfolio investments. Rob also works on all aspects of prospective deals including identification of market segments, sourcing, due diligence, and post-acquisition integration. Prior to Sterling, Rob held several executive positions at Laureate Education including CEO of Laureate Partners, overseeing the company’s online education service partnerships with several global universities. Rob also served as CEO of Laureate France, where he built one of the largest providers of higher education in France serving over several thousand students in Engineering, IT, Business, and Management, both online and on ground, in France and French speaking markets. He was also responsible for Laureate’s successful expansion across Europe, entering several new countries during his tenure. In addition to his extensive operating and international experience, Rob worked in private equity and investment banking for Allied Capital Corporation, Bank of America, and Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated in M&A transactions, senior and mezzanine debt financings and capital raising primarily in consumer services and products segments. Rob earned a BA in Economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School in Finance and Accounting.