Sonenshine Partners

Jerry Levin

Mr. Levin is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JW Levin Partners LLC, a management and investment firm organized in February 2005. Mr. Levin is an experienced CEO, turnaround expert and mergers & acquisitions specialist. He has been growing the sales and profits of branded consumer products companies for the past 30 years via internal product development programs, restructurings, acquisitions, and cultural improvements.

From 1974-1989, Mr. Levin worked for the Pillsbury Company (“Pillsbury”). In his initial capacity as head of corporate development, Mr. Levin completed hundreds of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Some of the transactions Mr. Levin led included Haagen-Dazs, Green Giant, Totino’s Pizza, Steak & Ale, Chart House, and American Beauty Macaroni. Mr. Levin also became the Chief Executive Officer of several operating units within Pillsbury, including Haagen-Dazs and the second largest restaurant group in the U.S. (comprised of Burger King, Steak &Ale, Bennigan’s, Chart House, and Godfather’s Pizza).

From 1989 until 1991, Mr. Levin was the Chief Executive Officer of The Coleman Company, Inc. (“Coleman”), a company controlled by MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. (“MacAndrews & Forbes”). During his tenure as Coleman’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Levin divested non-strategic businesses and devoted resources to growing the core camping business.

From 1991 until 1997, Mr. Levin was the Chief Executive Officer of Revlon, Inc., another company controlled by MacAndrews & Forbes. When Mr. Levin joined Revlon, it was suffering from significant losses and debt load, and had a number three, and declining, market share in the United States mass market for color cosmetics. By the end of Mr. Levin’s tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Revlon, Revlon was restructured with its debt load significantly reduced and the number one market share in the United States mass market for color cosmetics. Mr. Levin became Chief Executive Officer of Coleman again from early 1997 to the sale of Coleman to Sunbeam Corporation (‘Sunbeam”) in March 1998.