>> My name is Randy [inaudible].
I'm a 1973 graduate of Smeal in Marketing and my current assignment; I'm an operating partner
with a small boutique private equity firm.
Maybe to explain a little bit about what that is, prior to this I spent 38 years
in building materials from a sales marketing and general management role, and retired as CEO
of the largest, one of the largest, window companies in the United States,
and from that I'm now involved with private investors who are looking to acquire businesses
in building materials and my role is to be as an operating partner is to be the bridge
between how businesses work, what the channels of distribution are,
and help the investors access whether this is a company that they would like to buy.
Well, my typical day is not very typical, so I spend a lot of time looking at businesses
that are being offered for sale, and that can entail doing research on the Web.
It can entail visiting companies and meeting with owners,
trying to understand why their business is for sale, and what the potential opportunities
to grow and improve the business would be, so it really is a very varied day that I have.
My hours on a typical day are kind of crazy so it kind of depends
on when the conference calls need to take place.
There is a fair amount of travel involved, but presently I can work at home.
My prior careers you always went to the office were now the office is at home,
and I travel where the opportunities are.