F. John Stark, III

Over the course of 40 years, F. John Stark, III has built an accomplished career across several fields and a strong reputation as a lawyer, debt investor, troubled loan portfolio manager, investment banker, expert witness, and business leader. For more than two decades, he has served as a managing principal at Water Tower Capital LLC, a nationally recognized specialty investment banking firm based in Wisconsin and provider of strategic advice and corporate recovery to companies, creditors, and institutional investors—as well as litigation support for matters in state and federal courts and non-judicial proceedings. Since its founding in 2001, he has been active in this role, on the board of directors for several companies, in providing expert testimony on corporate valuation, financing, and reorganization issues across numerous cases—in addition, he has excelled as a court-appointed receiver for Holley Moulding, Inc. since 2014. He has also recently lent his expertise as Chief Restructuring Officer at RAM Tool, Inc. and Grover Corporation, a management team member at SteelWind Industries, vice president at Odyne Systems, LLC, executive director at Yunker Industries, and Chief Financial Officer at Telkonet Inc. Across his several positions, Mr. Stark has been most proud of saving thousands of jobs by keeping companies alive that otherwise would have gone under.

As a young man, Mr. Stark was set on a career in law. He attended Wabash College in Indiana, where he attained a Bachelor of Arts in political science and speech in 1981 and subsequently Vanderbilt University Law School, graduating with a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1984. He began his career as an associate attorney at Briggs and Morgan for two years before assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at Rubber Research Elastometrics, Inc. He then shifted gears and became an investment analyst for Washington Square capital and then exhibited leadership skills as executive vice president and general counsel at PPM America from 1990 to 2000. In the new millennium, he was not only active at Water Town Capital, but became an expert witness on corporate valuation, financing, and reorganization issues at Corporate Financial Advisors, LLC, where he also served as a partner for five years. He then found success at Oppenheimer & Co, Inc. as a managing director and expert witness, and subsequently lent his chief Restructuring Officer services at Coldwater Portfolio Partners, LLC, National Premium Inc., and SupplementWarehouse.com.

Mr. Stark has also served as a director of Abraxas Petroleum, AET Films, American Restaurant Group, Bucyrus International, Carolina Steel, Cherrydale Farms, Crescent Communications, IPM Automotive, LePages, NCH NuWorld Marketing, Orius Telecommunications, Peebles, and PPM America. He co-authored “Marriott Risk, A New Model Covenant to Restrict Transfers of Value from Bondholders to Stockholders” for the Columbia Business Law Review 503, and has been a project contributor with Expert Witness Assignments and Directorships since 2001. As a testament to his achievements, he was listed among the “40 Under 40” in Chicago Crains Magazine in 1998. Outside of his primary endeavors, he’s an active member of the Turnaround Management Association, Pewaukee Yacht Club, and Chenequa Country Club, and enjoys sailboat racing, playing golf, and skiing.

Looking toward the future, Mr. Stark strives to continue saving companies and jobs. He attributes his success to hard work, helping others, and working with people in industries he is unfamiliar with.