Robert S. Whitelaw

Mr. Whitelaw founded Graue Mill Partners, LLC ("GMP") in December 2000 and has played an active role in its development and oversight of the firm's investments.  Previously, Mr. Whitelaw spent over twenty-five years as an investment banker to corporations of various sizes both domestically and abroad, advising in all areas of capital raising, corporate finance and mergers/acquisitions.  Just prior to forming GMP, Mr. Whitelaw was Managing Director and Head of the Chicago corporate finance office for PaineWebber Group, where he re-established the firm's investment banking presence in the Midwest to leverage the middle-market, equity research driven focus of the firm. 

Previous to this, Mr. Whitelaw served in various, increasingly senior roles at Merrill Lynch & Co., both in New York and Chicago, most recently as Managing Director and Head of the Midwest Financial Institutions and Global Insurance Groups.  As a strategic advisor, he was responsible for a variety of industry shaping transactions and defensive assignments for clients including BancOne, First Illinois Corporation, National City Corporation, Firstbank Illinois, US Bancorp and The Northern Trust Company.

He currently sits on the board and is a member of the finance committee of Amazing Food Creations!, a culinary leader in the manufacture of restaurant quality frozen meals utilizing patent protected paper-pouch, steam-cooking technology.  Mr. Whitelaw both originated and served as lead director for GMP's landmark investment in Vetbrands International, Inc., a Brazilian based manufacturer of animal pharmacueticals.  GMP's investment in Vetbrands provided exceptional returns to the firm and its investors with its sale to Ceva Sante Animale in 2007.

More recently, Mr. Whitelaw has lead GMP's efforts to extend the firm's origination and investment development activities through the Search Fund Entrepreneur community, as the firm has successfully positioned itself as an active partner and unique resource of both human and financial capital to this exciting, still relatively new asset class.

Mr. Whitelaw graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.  He is chair of the Wellness House Foundation Board of Directors and is an officer and board director of the Hinsdale Golf Club.