Board of Directors

Thomas F. L'Esperance has been a member of the Board of Directors of ALH since the consummation of the Transactions on January 27, 2005. Effective February 1, 2011, Mr. L'Esperance was elected Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and appointed to the Compensation Committee. Mr. L'Esperance will continue as an executive officer reporting to the Board of Directors. Mr. L'Esperance was our Chief Executive Officer from May 1998 through January 2011, and additionally Mr. L'Esperance was our President from March 1996 through October 2007. Mr. L'Esperance served as President for Caloric Corporation and Amana Home Appliances. Prior to that time, Mr. L'Esperance held several executive management positions with Raytheon. Mr. L'Esperance was a board of director of Remington Arms from November 2004 through June 2007. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. L'Esperance possesses a broad knowledge of the commercial and consumer laundry industries and strategic planning and leadership of complex organizations that strengthen the Board of Directors collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

Michael D. Schoeb has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President and has been a member of our Board of Directors of ALH since February 2011. Previously, Mr. Schoeb was our President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2007 to January 2011. Before joining us Mr. Schoeb served as President and Chief Operating Officer at Wausau Homes, Inc. Prior to that Mr. Schoeb served for six years with Hilti Corporation as Sr. Vice President of Marketing & Brand, North America, President of Hilti do Brasil and Vice President of Sales, Northeast USA. Mr. Schoeb also served for eleven years with Johnson Controls, Inc. in various sales, marketing and general management roles. Mr. Schoeb possesses particular knowledge and experience in international operations, sales and marketing and leadership of complex organizations that strengthen the Board of Directors collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

Steve Faraone, was elected to, and designated Chairman of, the Board of ALH and elected to the Board of ALC as of July 30, 2010. Mr. Faraone is a Vice President at Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“OTPP”). Mr. Faraone joined OTPP in 2002. Prior to joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Faraone spent two years with BMO Nesbitt Burns Equity Partners, the private equity arm of the Bank of Montreal. Mr. Faraone currently serves on the boards of directors of GCAN Insurance Company and Canada Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company. A CFA charterholder, Mr. Faraone received a Bachelor of Commerce (Honors Finance) from the University of British Columbia, has completed the Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Faraone possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance and capital structure and board practices of other major corporations that strengthen the collective qualifications, skills and experience of the Boards of Directors of ALH and ALC.

Jeffrey Markusson was elected to the Board of Directors of ALH as of August 24, 2011. Mr. Markusson is a Portfolio Manager at Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“OTPP”). Mr. Markusson joined OTPP in 2006. Prior to joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Markusson was involved in the mergers and acquisitions group of CIBC World Markets. Since joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Markusson has been involved in a number of transactions in the industrials space. Mr. Markusson currently serves on the Board of Directors of the EXAL Group. Mr. Markusson holds a BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and an MBA from the University of Toronto, where he graduated as a Gold Medalist. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Markusson possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance and capital structure and board practices of other major corporations that strengthen the collective qualifications, skills, and experience of the Board of Directors of ALH.

Bogdan Cenanovic, was elected to the Board of Directors of ALH as of September 8, 2010. Mr. Cenanovic is a Director at Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“OTPP”). Mr. Cenanovic joined OTPP in 2009. Prior to joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Cenanovic was a Principal at TorQuest Partners and prior to that, a Vice-President at EdgeStone Capital Partners, where Mr. Cenanovic was responsible for sourcing and executing investments, as well as monitoring and providing strategic guidance to portfolio companies. Mr. Cenanovic was formerly an investment banker at two leading U.S.-based firms. Mr. Cenanovic is a graduate of the HBA and MBA programs at the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Cenanovic possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance and capital structure and board practices of other major corporations that strengthen the collective qualifications, skills, and experience of the Board of Directors of ALH.

Charles J. Philippin has been a member of the Board of Directors of ALH since May 1, 2005, and is currently the chair of the audit committee of the Board of Directors. Mr. Philippin is currently the CEO of Sbarbs LLC, a food service management company. From 2002 to 2008, Mr. Philippin was a principal of Garmark Advisors. From 2000 through 2002, Mr. Philippin was CEO of Online Retail Partners. From 1994 through 2000, Mr. Philippin was a member of the management committee of Investcorp International Inc. Prior to 1994, Mr. Philippin was a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers and was National Director of Mergers & Acquisitions. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc. Mr. Philipin served as a director on the boards of CSK Auto Corporation from January 2004 through July 2008, Competitive Technologies from June 1999 through February 2007 and Samsonite Corporation from October 2003 through October 2007. Mr. Philippin is also a Certified Public Accountant and received a Bachelor's Degree from the Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Philippin possesses particular knowledge and experience in accounting, finance, and capital structure and board practices of other major corporations that strengthen the Board of Directors’ collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

J. Hugh MacDiarmid has been a member of the Board of Directors of ALH since July 26, 2007. Mr. MacDiarmid is currently the President and CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Mr. MacDiarmid was the Managing Director of Holden Railway Equipment Corp. from 2005 to 2008. From 2003 through 2005, Mr. MacDiarmid was President and CEO of Laidlaw Transit Inc. From 2001 through 2003, Mr. MacDiarmid was President of Killin Management Corporation. From 1995 through 2001, Mr. MacDiarmid was an Executive Vice-President of Canadian Pacific Railway. Prior to 1995, Mr. MacDiarmid held various executive management positions and was a principal of McKinsey & Company. Mr. MacDiarmid is a graduate (HBA) of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and received an MBA from Stanford University. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. MacDiarmid possesses particular knowledge and experience in international operations and strategic planning and leadership of complex organizations that strengthen the Board of Directors’ collective qualifications, skills, and experience.

Russell Hammond was elected to the Board of Directors of ALH as of December 20, 2011. Mr. Hammond is a Director at Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (“OTPP”). Mr. Hammond joined OTPP in 2006. Prior to joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Hammond was a director in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse and was previously a director at Merrill Lynch having worked in its investment banking and private equity groups in Toronto and London, England. Since joining Teachers’ Private Capital, Mr. Hammond has been involved in a number of transactions in the industrials space. Mr. Hammond currently serves on the Board of Directors of Aquilex and the EXAL Group. Mr. Hammond holds a BS degree from Cornell University where he graduated as a Presidential Scholar. As a result of these and other professional experiences, Mr. Hammond possesses particular knowledge and experience in finance, investment banking, and board practices of other major corporations that strengthen the collective qualifications, skills, and experience of the Board of Directors of ALH.

*Member of Audit Committee and Compensation Committee
**Member of Audit Committee
***Member of Compensation Committee

Latest News