Our Team
Warren Coopersmith
Mr. Coopersmith, Managing Partner of Leading Ridge Capital Partners, is a dynamic, proactive executive with a demonstrated history of leading corporate turnarounds, selecting and mentoring executive teams, propelling corporate growth, and creating sustainable value for highly-competitive organizations. In his current role, Mr. Coopersmith works with small to mid-size organizations seeking to benefit from a strategic combination of capital infusion and management development. He has over 40 years experience in operational and strategic planning, executive team selection and mentoring, customer relationship development, corporate development, business valuation, and private equity investing, specifically within the manufacturing and distribution space.
Prior to co-founding Leading Ridge, Mr. Coopersmith served as CEO and majority owner of Marjack Company, Inc. and Critterland Capital Partners, a private investment vehicle that served as a predecessor to Leading Ridge. During this period of time, Mr. Coopersmith was involved in ten M&A transactions spanning a wide variety of industries including confectionery, light manufacturing, import/export, theaters, and distribution. Most notably, he acquired, grew, and sold two manufacturing and distribution organizations (Marjack Company Inc. and Great Western LLC), providing large economic returns to both shareholders and corporate executives.
Mr. Coopersmith has served on numerous advisory boards and panels for the National Confectioners Association, in addition to mentoring and serving on boards of several local businesses. Mr. Coopersmith is an active member in the community, including significant involvement with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The American Red Cross, and The Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Robert Mayn
Mr. Mayn, a Partner and investor within Leading Ridge Capital Partners, is a seasoned, results-oriented executive with a proven track record in creating corporate growth, developing leadership teams, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, and improving company performance. Mr. Mayn’s areas of expertise include financial performance and reporting, investor relationship development, strategic planning, corporate development, technology planning, and team development. Mr. Mayn has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1982, and has over 25 years experience in various senior and executive level corporate finance, administration, and accounting roles.
Prior to co-founding Leading Ridge, Mr. Mayn served as Chief Operating and Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and Minority Shareholder of Marjack Company, Inc. and currently serves in the same capacity for Critterland Capital Partners. In this role, Mr. Mayn’s responsibilities included oversight of all company operations, including purchasing, warehousing, logistics, financing, reporting, creditor and bank relations, strategic planning, acquisitions, budgeting, information systems, tax planning and compliance, risk management, human resources, and support and development of management team. He has been with the company since 1998, and worked with Mr. Coopersmith to grow the company in a seven-year period from $22 million to $170 million. Mr. Mayn was critically important in both the growth planning and the ultimate divestitures of Marjack and Great Western.
Prior to joining Marjack Mr. Mayn served as an executive officer at a large regional spirits, wine and beer distributor. His past industry experience includes service with a computer systems integrator, a retail service business and in public accounting (in his own firm and with a large national firm). He has directed or had material participation in over 35 significant business transactions (the purchase or sale of business units or material real estate transactions).
Zach Coopersmith
Mr. Coopersmith is a Partner and investor within Leading Ridge Capital Partners. Prior to co-founding Leading Ridge, he worked in the Distressed Credit group for Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital after spending time in both their high yield research and proprietary equity investing divisions. Mr. Coopersmith graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School with a B.S. in Economics concentrating in Finance and Entrepreneurship, receiving numerous awards and honor society memberships for leadership, entrepreneurship, and academic achievement.
Mr. Coopersmith is Chair of the New Leadership Council for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York, and was named one of New York's Top 20 Philanthropists Under 40 by the New York Observer. He is a member of the Wharton Private Equity Partners as well as the Association for Corporate Growth.
Pam Paladino
Ms. Paladino is the Vice President of Human Resources for Leading Ridge, providing HR expertise to our team and portfolio companies. She previously worked with Leading Ridge principals as the Vice President of HR and Operations for Marjack, where she was instrumental in leading all areas of our human resources functions and improving operational performance. Her leadership was instrumental and helped grow the company, improve operating income, develop training programs, reduce costs and instill a culture of success across the organization. Most recently she was a senior HR professional for Performance Foodservice, where she was responsible for the HR functions at 65 operating companies with more than 7,000 associates. Pam worked on integrating associates, policies and programs after multiple acquisitions, led leadership training programs and coordinated company responses to escalated employee issues. She has a passion for aligning our teams with company goals and creating an environment for success.