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Board of Directors

Joseph E. Antonini
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Jason M. Shapiro, CFA, CPA, J.D.
Director

Gary J. Giulietti
Director


Senior Management

Jason M. Shapiro, CFA, CPA, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer

Jed Sabio
Executive Vice President of Business Development


Strategic Advisors

Stephen W. Gropp
Strategic Advisor

Steven S. Antebi
Strategic Advisor









Joseph E. Antonini
Chairman of the Board of Directors

Joseph E. Antonini has over 40 years of experience in leadership, business strategy, driving growth, improving operations, hiring and training executive talent, and corporate governance.  Joe is the former Chairman, President and CEO of Kmart Corporation, and has actively led and served on corporate boards of a wide diversity  industry leaders such as Shell Oil (Energy), Chrysler (Automotive), Kmart (Retail), and NBD Bank (Financial), and several non-profits.

At Kmart, Antonini rose from a management trainee at the then S.S. Kresge Company in 1964, to Chairman of the giant retail chain in 1987. He is credited with leading Kmart into a new era by launching a store renewal program of unparalleled scope in retail history.  This included expansion of the retailer’s specialty store concepts, along with introduction of the Kmart Super Center, both contributors to setting new sales and profit records.

Joe emphasized meeting customer needs and wants by providing quality merchandise at competitive prices, along with state-of-the art technology, to enhance customer service and increase the company’s profitability.  He improved order shipment delivery from 10-14 days to less than 48 hours.  He spearheaded dramatic efforts to redefine Kmart’s market image and restructure the Company to offer more on-trend merchandise and attract a new customer base. As Chairman, he emphasized several themes as the framework for Kmart’s growth strategy: consistent profitability, investment in infrastructure, technology and distribution systems and a store renewal/modernization of unparalleled scope.

Antonini engineered the expansion and growth of Kmart Specialty Division, the largest multi-specialty group in the world, consisting of Sports Authority, Office Max, Payless Drugstores, Builder’s Square, Borders/Walden Book Group, and Warehouse Clubs.  Joe successfully introduced Martha Stewart, purchased The Sports Authority when it was only a 10-store chain, bought OfficeMax, and acquired Borders, Inc., when it was only a 22-store chain.   These were all significantly grown and eventually successfully IPO’ed.

Joe has also served on the Board of Directors of Shell Oil Company, Chrysler Corporation, Polaroid Corporation, Ziebart International, NBD Bank (ultimately acquired and merged into Bank One and then JPMorgan Chase), Michigan Bell, Economic Club of Detroit, and as a Trustee for the National Italian American Foundation and Antonini currently servers on the Board of Directors Andretti Wine Group.   Joe has been awarded key positions that include Chairman of the National Retail Federation and the National Minority Supplier Development Council and is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award. A native of West Virginia, Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Virginia University.  Joe was recognized by the University as its most distinguished alumni.

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Jason M. Shapiro, CFA, CPA, J.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director

Jason Shapiro is a proven leader with over 10 years of extensive financial, private equity, turnaround, and restructuring experience across regional and global firms in diverse industries and in various states of financial health. He achieved honors at all schools with multiple valedictorian, summa cum laude, and scholarship awards. Prior to joining Iron Eagle Group, Mr. Shapiro was Vice President of Macquarie Capital Fund, Macquarie Group’s Private Equity Group. Macquarie Group is an Australian listed firm with $200+ billion of assets under management. Mr. Shapiro’s was responsible for 1) asset management where he actively worked with portfolio companies and key stakeholders to maximize returns and 2) new investments including deal origination, execution, and managing post-acquisition. Prior to Macquarie, Mr. Shapiro was a Associate Director at UBS Investment Bank, where he executed $15+ billion in transactions including dozens of Lead Managed equity offerings, debt financings, and advisory assignments. While at UBS, Mr. Shapiro became the youngest investment banking associate on Wall Street. Mr. Shapiro also served as a legal intern for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.

Jason earned his MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School. Jason earned his J.D from the Seton Hall University School of Law where he was in the Full Scholarship and Presidential Honors Program and completed all his law courses in under two years. Jason graduated as the Valedictorian and Summa Cum Laude from Zicklin School of Business’s Baruch College where he earned his M.S. in Accountancy. Jason was the Valedictorian of Rutgers College where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and completed his studies in three years with a B.S. in Computer Science. Jason also taught at Rutgers as a Calculus Instructor. In addition, he was in several honors programs and received numerous departmental and collegiate awards.

Mr. Shapiro also has earned the following certifications: CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), CIRA (Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor). CDBV (Certification in Distressed Business Valuation), CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner), CFF (Certified in Financial Forensics), PMP (Project Management Professional), PMI-RMP (Risk Management Professional), CLSSBB (Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt). He has also passed the NY and NJ Bar exams and expects to soon be licensed in both states.

Jason enjoys fitness and has completed the NYC Marathon and NYC Triathlon, hiked to Everest Base Camp, is a licensed Instrument Pilot, a PADI Certified Advanced Scuba Diver, a global traveler having explored all 7 continents and over 75 countries, and loves to read.


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Gary J. Giulietti
Director

Gary J. Giulietti is a proven leader with over 35 years of experience, successful at establishing the vision and strategies necessary to build and grow construction and related companies into industry leaders. Mr. Giulietti is currently President of the Northeast operations and a member of the Executive Committee of Lockton Companies, LLC – the world’s largest independently owned commercial insurance brokerage firm with more than 3,800 associates and a premium volume exceeding $14 billion. Mr. Giulietti led the initiative to expand Lockton’s market share worldwide, and further Lockton’s construction practice, which has grown to be one of the largest construction brokerage practices in the world, representing thousands of construction and design clients, including 20 of the Top 100 Design Firms and several $1-$5 billion firms. Mr. Giulietti assisted in the formulation of a construction industry focused Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity Practice, which now represents over 200 private equity firms and assists with their due diligence needs. Mr. Giulietti’s practice advises over 150 major construction contractors.

Previous to Lockton, Mr. Giulietti was Vice Chairman, Worldwide Construction for Willis where he oversaw and managed a worldwide construction insurance practice consisting of domestic offices and 140 international offices. Mr. Giulietti led the effort to grow Willis into the largest construction/surety broker in the world with $7.5 billion in premiums. He also assisted in large and mid-cap construction companies in providing their insurance needs as they took their businesses public.

Mr. Giulietti is an Advisory Board Member of Children’s Hospital Boston, a multi-billion non-profit organization, that is the worldwide leader in pediatric care and research. It is affiliated with both the Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In 2009, for the 20th year in a row, U.S. News & World Report rated Children's Hospital Boston one of the nation's top hospitals specializing in pediatric care. He is also a Board Member of 5 large, privately-held companies, ranging in size from $250 million to $4.5 billion in annual revenues, who prefer confidentiality. These include 3 major construction companies. Mr. Giulietti is also Chairman of Stratton Mountain School, a ski and snowboard racing college preparatory school whose alumni include over 33 Olympians, 53 Olympic Team Placements, and countless NCAA Team members. Mr. Giulietti is a Board Member of Columbus Citizens Foundation, a non-profit organization in New York City committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement. Since 1929, the Foundation has organized New York City's annual Columbus Day Parade which is the world’s largest celebration of Italian-American heritage and culture and is broadcast on 6 continents. Mr. Giulietti is also an Advisory Board Member of St. Michael’s College, an elite university that has been recognized in numerous publications.


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Senior Management


Jed Sabio
Executive Vice President of Business Development

Mr. Sabio is a financial professional with over 24 years of progressively responsible analytic and managerial positions. For the past 21 years Mr. Sabio has worked for National Grid and its predecessor companies (KeySpan Energy Corporation and The Brooklyn Union Gas Company), the last two years as a full-time consultant.

His most recent positions at National Grid include Director of Mergers and Acquisitions and Director of Finance.

In his capacity as Director of M&A he led project valuation, coordination of extensive due diligence on all proposed investments, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, start-up ventures and other related investments of the corporation and its subsidiaries.

He has negotiated deal structure and remuneration, and he has provided financial counsel through deal completion.

In a four year period, through the acquisition of engineering, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and general contractors, he developed National Grid’s energy services subsidiary from an in-house $40 million operating unit to over a billion dollar highly profitable company.

As National Grid exited the energy services sector, Mr. Sabio was charged with de-consolidating and divesting of the nearly 30 companies that comprised the business unit. Mr. Sabio holds a MBA in finance from St. John’s University and a BA in Psychology from Queens College. 

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Strategic Advisors


Stephen W. Gropp
Strategic Advisor

Steve Gropp has over 20 years of experience in advising and obtaining federal contracts and has an deep knowledge of and established relationships within the commercial and government marketplace.  This includes significant experience with the budget and appropriations processes.
 
Mr. Gropp is currently the Director of Sales and Product Engineering for Computer Systems Center Incorporated (CSCI).  In this role, he oversees matters related to DoD Agencies, the Intelligence Community as well as other facets of the government contract procurement process.  In addition, he has extensive experience with oversees the company's Capitol Hill initiatives.
 
Prior to joining CSCI, Mr. Gropp served as Senior Vice President of Raptor Networks Technology where he was the Federal Government Sales/Contracts Lead , engaged in multiple agency initiatives and successfully garnered the company's first DoD Agency contract.  He also contributed to the company's hardware and software engineering groups on advanced network platform technology development, design, architecture and interoperability integration strategies.
 
Prior to Raptor Networks, Mr. Gropp was a Director of Hosting and Managed Services - Sales & Engineering for sw Communications.  In this position, Mr. Gropp was responsible for large enterprise data center engagements in both the commercial and government marketplace.  With direct responsibility to establish, maintain and expand large client relationships at senior levels of customer organizations, he captured some of the largest contracts within the group.  During his tenure, Qwest became one of the largest providers of hosting and managed services to the federal government.  Mr. Gropp achieved year over year quota attainment of 150% while the division grew four fold and delivered significant profitability.
 
Prior to these experiences, Mr. Gropp has held other positions of leadership where he was responsible for driving revenue growth and managing significant resources to attain profitability in a broad array of industries marketing to commercial and government clients.
 
Mr. Gropp received his B.S. from Georgetown University


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Steven S. Antebi
Strategic Advisor

Steven S. Antebi is President and Chairman of the Board of Maple Capital Management since 1993.  Maple Capital Management focuses its attention on equity investments in North America.  Maple purchases a variety of debt instruments and is an asset-based lender.  Antebi is also President and CEO of Galileo Partners LLC and president of Blue and Gold Enterprises Inc.  Both entities invest in PIPE transactions, registered direct investments, private placements, and open market equity transactions.  Both invest in a variety of debt instruments and conduct asset based lending.

Mr. Antebi has had a long tenure at Bear Stearns & Company for over 19 years in senior positions: including institutional sales, trading of the firm’s capital, investment banking, and syndicate.  He began in 1972 as a limited partner and left the firm in 1991 as a shareholder and managing director.

Mr. Antebi has nearly 40 years of research expertise and experience in Business Development and Management in Healthcare, Natural Resources, Technology, Interactive Media, and Alternative Energy. He also has expertise based on broad commercial experience, including data interpretation, regulatory process corporate governance, and capital formation.   Mr. Antebi has proficiency in providing guidance, insights, and analyses in corporate finance, structure, co-investment opportunities, acquisition/divestiture, public offerings and investor relations.

Mr. Antebi is a member of the Board of Governors of Cedars Sinai Hospital, one of the largest hospital/research centers in the world. He has worked extensively in collaboration with different academic and governmental organizations doing extensive research on the U.S. economy.  He is a founding member and major shareholder of RRC,  a global leader in digital media and royalty accounting that represents all five major record labels. He is member of the Board of Directors of Geovax, a NIH funded Company is seeking a therapeutic solution and cure for A.I.D.S.

Chairman of the Board of Epinex Diagnostics since 2009. Epinex applies expert diagnostic technology in the quantitative analysis of glycated albumen. The Company ha developed the only rapid test for glycated albumin, which is a superior marker for diabetic control.

Mr. Antebi has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he majored in History and graduated with honors.  He has a Teaching Fellowship at U.C.L.A., a Masters equivalent in Medieval Papal History from U.C.L.A., graduated from the MBA program at the Anderson School of Business at U.C.L.A., and a J.D. from the Loyola University School of Law.


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