Steve Kraus

Steve Kraus is the Executive Officer of CSFB Holt LLC (Credit Suisse First Boston) in New York City. He also serves as the Managing Director of Meridian OHC LLC in New York.

Kraus spent 20 years in equity sales and investment banking, originally with First Boston and then with Credit Suisse First Boston. From 1996 to 2001, he served as the Head of New York Institutional Equity Sales at Credit Suisse First Boston. He then directed Credit Suisse’s acquisition of HOLT Value Associates in 2001 and then served as Co-Head of Credit Suisse HOLT from 2001 to 2007. During that time, he helped grow the business from US $30 million to US $250 million in revenue while launching new services into fixed income, derivatives, and investment banking.

In 2007 and 2008, Kraus led Credit Suisse’s Client Innovation Group that worked to develop disruptive growth strategies within the bank. During this period, he worked extensively with Clay Christensen and Innosight, the innovation process and training firm he founded in 2000. He was then also appointed as the Chairman of the Board at Meridian OHC LLC.

He holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Virginia.

About Meridian OHC LLC

Meridian OHC LLC is an externally managed specialty finance company that operates as an “Orphan Holding Company” (an “OHC”).  Meridian’s investment strategy is to acquire large equity stakes in high-quality but slower growth companies that tend to be undervalued by mainstream market investors.

The companies in which Meridian will invest are generally established leaders in small niche markets.  These companies, while not rapid growers, are generally profitable and able to generate strong sustainable positive cash flows that we believe can be used to deliver high sustainable returns to their owners. By operating as an “Orphan Holding Company,” they believe Meridian’s investors can gain exposure to a portfolio of high-quality, income generating, private and public small capitalization companies while simultaneously providing their portfolio companies with a supportive lead shareholder that understands and appreciates the company’s circumstances and current opportunities.

About CSFB Holt LLC

CSFB Holt LLC operates a consulting firm that offers research and valuation services to asset managers and corporations. The firm uses CFROI (cash-flow-return-on-investment) valuation model to measure the economic corporate performance of companies and to develop discounted cash flow values for a company’s stock. Its products include HOLT/Value Search, HOLT LIVM, and HOLT/Valuad that are used in analyzing the economic performance of companies. The firm also provides a database of over 18000 public companies. The company was formerly known as HOLT Value Associates, L.P. and changed its name to CSFB Holt LLC in January 2002 as a result of the acquisition by Credit Suisse. CSFB Holt LLC was founded in 1985 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. It has additional offices in London, United Kingdom; North Sydney, Australia; and Tokyo, Japan. As of January 31, 2002, CSFB Holt LLC operates as a subsidiary of Credit Suisse (USA), Inc.