GREENVILLE, Wis., Oct. 29, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — School Specialty,
Inc. (OTCQB: SCOO) (“School Specialty” or “the Company”), a leading
distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and
services to the education marketplace, is pleased to announce the
appointment of Ryan M. Bohr as its new Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Bohr replaces Kevin
Baehler, who was named Interim Chief Financial Officer in January 2014.
Mr. Baehler will remain with the Company and has been named Senior Vice
President and Chief Accounting Officer as part of this transition.
Joseph M. Yorio, School Specialty’s President and Chief Executive
Officer, stated, “I’d like to personally welcome Ryan to the SSI family
and have every bit of confidence in his ability to lead our financial
organization. He has extensive experience in both turnarounds and
growth-oriented companies and a strong blend of operational and
financial management skills that will serve us well. I would also like
to thank Kevin for his tireless efforts and dedication in supporting
this critical function. We have a strong team in place and
collectively, we continue to enhance our organizational structure to
drive best practices and meaningful returns for our customers,
employees and stockholders.”
Mr. Bohr is a senior executive with close to 20 years of operations and
finance leadership experience, primarily within private equity owned
businesses. Throughout his career, he has specialized in the areas of
mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing, investment strategies
and execution, and driving operational improvement plans. He joins
School Specialty as Chief Financial Officer, having most recently
served as Chief Executive Officer of Fresh Matters, LLC, an early stage
specialty beverage company. While with Fresh Matters, he helped the
Company structure a capital infusion and bridge financing; successfully
relocated its primary production line; and established a multi-year
contract manufacturing agreement. He was also instrumental in the
creation of a national broker and distribution network, which led to
impressive growth during his tenure. Additionally, he was responsible
for the development and implementation of new accounting and reporting
systems, inventory management controls and various operational
efficiency programs.
Prior to Fresh Matters, Mr. Bohr served as a Partner with Hilco Equity
Partners (“Hilco”), a private equity firm focused on special
situations. While with Hilco, Mr. Bohr played a key role in all aspects
of the Fund’s activities, including fundraising, day-to-day operations
for certain portfolio companies and execution of the firm’s investment
strategy across the consumer and industrial industries. Earlier in his
career, he held positions with Thoma Cressey Equity Partners, a
middle-market private equity firm and William Blair & Co., a well-known
financial services company. He is a Certified Public Accountant and
began his career at KPMG Peat Marwick, a leading public accounting
firm. Mr. Bohr is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, serves as
a Board Member of Natural Food Holdings and as a Board Advisor to Fresh
Matters, LLC, and is a Trustee of College Preparatory High School,
Marmion Academy.
“I am honored to be joining School Specialty as CFO and believe my
skillsets and experience will serve the Company well. Given how far
they’ve come in their turnaround, the strength of their product
portfolio and customer base, and their stellar reputation in the
education market, I firmly believe SSI is well-positioned for
profitable growth,” stated Mr. Bohr. “I look forward to working with
Joe and the extended SSI team and will do all that I can to continue to
add value to the organization in the years to come.”
