Mr. Cerminaro is a Partner of Sound Harbor and the Head of Origination. He has over 25 years of experience in the investment banking and alternative asset management industry. His experience is focused on originating below investment grade corporate credit and private equity investments.
Prior to co-founding Sound Harbor in 2009, Mr. Cerminaro was a Managing Director and an original senior partner of BlackRock Private Equity Partners, where he served from 2000 to 2008, successfully managing $5.0 billion in private equity commitments. He has committed significant private equity capital to primary funds and secondary transactions, as well as over $1.2 billion of capital to 49 direct co-investments in partnership with premier private equity firms in the U.S. and in Europe. Mr. Cerminaro has served as a member of the advisory board for a diverse group of global private equity firms. He also served as a member of BlackRock Private Equity Partners' Management Committee since inception, Chairman of the Internal Investment Committee, Chairman of the Investment Operating Committee and Chairman of the Portfolio Valuation Committee.
Previously, Mr. Cerminaro served as an Executive Director of UBS Warburg, LLC, and was a co-founding member of their Financial Sponsor Group. He was employed at Banc of America Securities (f.k.a. NationsBanc Markets, Inc.), where he was a Managing Director and co-founding member of their Financial Entrepreneurs Group.
Mr. Cerminaro earned a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration from The State University of New York at Brockport and an MBA in Finance from Texas A&M University.