David Benyaminy is a Principal of Columbus Nova where he focuses on investments in the Special Opportunities Fund. Prior to joining Columbus Nova in February 2007, Mr. Benyaminy was an Executive Director of Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C, where he was responsible for sourcing private equity investment opportunities, structuring acquisitions, performing business and industry due diligence, negotiating acquisition and financing documents and monitoring portfolio companies. Prior to joining Trimaran Capital Partners, Mr. Benyaminy was a Director in the Leveraged Finance Group of CIBC World Markets Corp. Before joining CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Benyaminy was at Chase Manhattan Corp. Mr. Benyaminy has served on the Board of Directors of El Pollo Loco, Inc., Urban Brands, Inc. and Brite Media Group LLC. Mr. Benyaminy received his B.A. and M.B.A. from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University.

Steven Flyer is a Senior Partner of Columbus Nova where he is a Portfolio Manager of Columbus Nova Special Opportunities Fund. Mr. Flyer is also a member of Columbus Nova’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining Columbus Nova in February 2007, Mr. Flyer was a Managing Director of Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C., where he was responsible for sourcing, structuring, negotiating and managing private equity investments, as well as being responsible for the overall administration and operations of Trimaran Capital Partners. In addition, Mr. Flyer was responsible for structuring numerous investment vehicles for Trimaran Advisors, the credit arm of Trimaran Capital Partners.

Prior to joining Trimaran Capital Partners, Mr. Flyer was an Executive Director in the Leveraged Finance Group of CIBC World Markets Corp. responsible for the CIBC Argosy Merchant Funds. Before joining CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Flyer practiced law at Dewey Ballantine LLP focusing on mergers and acquisitions, securities and private financings. Mr. Flyer has served on the boards of directors of Transportation Technologies Industries, Inc., Fortunoff and El Pollo Loco, Inc.

Mr. Flyer received his B.A. from Columbia University/Columbia College and his J.D. from Cornell Law School where he is a member of the Dean’s Special Leadership Committee.

Dan Gaspar is a Vice President of Columbus Nova where he focuses on investments in the Special Opportunities Fund.   Prior to joining Columbus Nova in January 2007, Mr. Gaspar was an Associate of Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C., where he was responsible for sourcing, structuring, negotiating and monitoring private equity investments across a variety of industries.  Prior to joining Trimaran, Mr. Gaspar was an Associate of Circle Peak Capital, where he focused on private equity investments in the consumer sector.  Prior to Circle Peak Capital, Mr. Gaspar was an Analyst in the Global Media and Communications Investment Banking Group at Morgan Stanley, where he advised companies on M&A and general corporate finance transactions.

Mr. Gaspar received his B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, graduating Beta Gamma Sigma.  

Ji Ham is a Vice President of Columbus Nova Partners where he focuses on investments in the Special Opportunities Fund. Prior to Columbus Nova Partners, Mr. Ham was a founding member of Hudson Capital Advisors, LLC, a financial advisory boutique focused on debt and equity private placement, mergers and acquisitions, and sourcing principal opportunities. Prior to joining Hudson Capital Advisors, LLC, Mr. Ham was an Associate in the Leveraged Finance Group at CIBC World Markets Corp. At CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Ham worked on a variety of capital markets transactions and financial advisory assignments, including: senior debt underwritings, high yield bond offerings, private placements of debt and equity, public equity offerings, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, Mr. Ham also focused on several merchant banking/private equity investment transactions for Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C.

Mr. Ham received his B.A. in Business Economics with magna cum laude honor from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Gregory Prata is a Vice President of Columbus Nova where he focuses on investments in the Credit Opportunities Fund and Special Opportunities Fund. Prior to joining Columbus Nova in February 2007, Mr. Prata was a Director of Trimaran Capital Partners, L.L.C., where he focused on private equity transactions in the consumer, retail and utilities sectors. Prior to joining Trimaran Capital Partners, Mr. Prata worked in the Leveraged Finance Group of CIBC World Markets Corp. where he focused on high yield, institutional term loan and private placement underwritings. Before joining CIBC World Markets Corp., Mr. Prata worked in the Transaction Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Mr. Prata received his B.S. from Georgetown University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Marceau Schlumberger is a Vice President of Columbus Nova. From 2004 to 2006, Mr. Schlumberger was a founding member and Principal of Hudson Capital Advisors, LLC, a middle-market private equity firm. From 1999 to 2003, he served as an Associate at Triumph Capital, a private equity group with approximately $950 million in private equity capital under management, where he focused on the business services, healthcare services and information technology sectors. While at Triumph, he completed seven investments, assisted in the profitable sale of two portfolio companies, and served as a board observer for several Triumph portfolio companies. From 1996 to 1997, he served as an investment banking Analyst at Smith Barney. From 1994 to 1995, he served as an Analyst in the M&A advisory firm Zilkha & Co. Mr. Schlumberger currently serves as a board member of Cyalume Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Schlumberger received a MBA degree from the Wharton School and a Bachelor's degree from Yale University.

Shant Sood is a Vice President at Columbus Nova and is responsible for sourcing and maintaining investments in various sectors. Prior to Columbus Nova, Mr. Sood served as Vice President of T3 Group, a restructuring and advisory firm that provided services to technology and financial services clients. Prior to T3, Mr. Sood managed a portfolio of over 100 distressed technology companies, representing over $750 million of par value, as a Senior Associate at Comdisco Ventures. Prior to Comdisco, Mr. Sood worked with the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at J. P. Morgan.

Mr. Sood has completed research in Economics at Oxford University, and received a BA, magna cum laude, in Economics and Mathematics from Cornell University.