Gordon Brothers announced that Norma Kuntz will be appointed Chief Executive Officer of the company, effective Feb. 13, 2023. Ken Frieze, the company’s current CEO, and Michael Frieze, the current Chairman, will continue to serve the company as Chairman and Chairman Emeritus, respectively. This transition maintains the continuity of established leaders, including Chief Investment Officer Frank Morton, and positions the organization for significant growth.
Kuntz joined Gordon Brothers as its President and Chief Operating Officer in June and quickly demonstrated her readiness to lead the firm. Prior to Gordon Brothers, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Global Private Equity at The Carlyle Group. Her nearly 25 years of financial services industry experience includes global roles within private equity, asset management, alternative investments and valuations, positioning her well to lead a multi-disciplinary global firm poised for growth.
“This coming year, Gordon Brothers celebrates its 120-year anniversary and I celebrate 25 years at Gordon Brothers, including 10 years as President and then CEO,” said Ken Frieze. “The firm has achieved unprecedented growth over the past decade, and I could not be prouder of what we have accomplished together. In recruiting Norma as my successor and promoting Frank to CIO, I feel confident the firm will continue to succeed well into the future. I am truly grateful to all of the leaders and employees at Gordon Brothers, our partners and clients, and the firm’s equity holders for their support in helping me lead Gordon Brothers to our 120th year.”
“I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this world class organization together with Frank Morton and the entire global leadership team,” said Kuntz. “I look forward to building on Gordon Brothers’ legacy of excellence and integrity in delivering creative solutions, particularly in the current market environment.”
Chuck Davis, CEO of Stone Point Capital LLC, a private equity firm that partnered with Gordon Brothers in 2018, added: “Stone Point is grateful for the leadership of Ken and Michael, and we could not be more pleased that they will continue to serve the company as directors in the coming years. Their contributions to the company – in the case of Michael, over more than 50 years – have been instrumental to the firm’s transition from being a retail liquidator to a full-service provider of strategic business and capital solutions to healthy and distressed companies alike. We know Norma and Frank well and are excited for the continued growth of Gordon Brothers under their leadership.”