Bio

Mr. Jhawar has over 24 years of experience in the financial services industry and is currently in his 20th year a Senior Partner and Head of the Consumer & Retail Industry team in the private equity business of Apollo Management, L.P. While at Apollo, private equity investment transactions that Mr. Jhawar has led, structured, managed and exited have generated over $4 billion in profit dollars for Apollo funds. Prior to joining Apollo, Mr. Jhawar was an investment banker for five years with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation and Jefferies & Company, Inc. Mr. Jhawar currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the following companies: The Fresh Market, Inc. - a leading specialty grocery business with 176 stores located predominantly in the Southeastern U.S.; CEC Entertainment, Inc. - the leading entertainment restaurant company that operates over 750 Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Restaurant company-owned and franchised locations; QDOBA Restaurant Corporation - the second largest fast casual Mexican cuisine restaurant operator with over 750 company-owned and franchised locations across the U.S.; and The Stand, LLC – a growing fast casual restaurant operator in the Southern California market. Mr. Jhawar also previously served as a Board Director of each of the following companies: Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (Chairman of the Board from April 2011-February 2015) (SFM: NASDAQ), a leading high-growth specialty grocery retailer of natural / organic foods; Hostess Brands, LLC (from April 2013-June 2017) (TWNK: NASDAQ), which is a leading fresh baked sweet goods company in the U.S., with iconic brands including Twinkies, Ding Dongs, HoHos and Cup Cakes; Smart & Final Inc. (from May 2007-December 2012) (SFS: NYSE), a leading operator of value-oriented warehouse grocery locations; General Nutrition Centers, Inc. (from December 2003-March 2007) (GNC: NYSE), the nation’s largest retailer of nutritional supplements; and Rent-A-Center, Inc. (from October 2001-June 2005) (RCII: NASDAQ), the nation’s largest rent-to-own company. Mr. Jhawar graduated with an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and graduated, summa cum laude, with a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.