Aequitas Capital Management Announces the Addition of William J. Ruh, Executive Vice President and Managing Principal

PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwired - Jan 8, 2014) - Aequitas Capital today announced that William Ruh has joined the firm to serve two executive roles. As Executive Vice President of Aequitas Capital, Mr. Ruh will provide executive oversight to the firm's investments in the financial services sector. As Managing Principal, he will co-manage assets derived from Aequitas private credit strategies in an effort to drive growth of the firm's private equity business. 

Prior to joining Aequitas, Mr. Ruh was a Managing Principal and co-founder of Castle Creek^® Capital, LLC, an alternative asset management company dedicated to community bank investing, and Castle Creek Financial LLC, a registered Broker/Dealer. Previous professional engagements include: Vice President at Mabon Securities, providing investment banking services to the financial services industry; Commercial Lending Officer at The First National Bank of Chicago; Director of the Racing Division for Hood Sails; and a Merchant Marine officer. In addition, Mr. Ruh serves as a board member of Mocapay, Inc., an early-stage mobile POS payment and mobile marketing technology company, and nCino, a cloud-based company using a SaaS distribution model to distribute its fully-integrated bank operating platform. 

"Bill is an extraordinary addition to the Aequitas executive team," said Aequitas CEO Bob Jesenik. "His impressive career and proven success in alternative investment management with a focus on financial services aligns perfectly with our business strategies, particularly in private equity. I have every confidence that Bill's leadership will make a significant impact for our firm and our investors."

"Aequitas Capital has a great story and I'm very pleased to be a part of it," offered Mr. Ruh. "The firm and its portfolio companies operate with the kind of entrepreneurial energy and creativity that today's marketplace demands. I look forward to working with my new colleagues and am excited to be in a position to contribute to what I believe is a very promising future."

Mr. Ruh currently serves as Chairman-Elect, Treasurer and Trustee of the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation. Previously, he served as a Trustee and Chairman of the Finance Committee on the Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation, as well several other Rancho Santa Fe and North San Diego County nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Ruh has also served as Chairman of the Board and led the extensive restructuring of Ceres Group Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio-based mid-cap insurance holding company, and Chairman of the Board and interim CEO for Indivos Corporation, a payment services company utilizing proprietary biometric authentication solutions. Mr. Ruh also served as a director of Security Business Bancorp, Regency Bancorp, Hanmi Financial Corporation (the largest Korean-American bank in the United States), as well as several privately owned community banks.

Mr. Ruh holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York Maritime College and a M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

About Aequitas Capital Management, Inc.

Founded in 1993, Aequitas Capital Management is an alternative asset management company dedicated to innovation, discipline and excellence. With proven expertise in finance, management and technology -- Aequitas sources, structures and implements private credit and private equity solutions, benefiting the individuals and institutions that trust us as a valuable investment partner. A team of more than 130 employees with cross-functional experience supports our firm, which is headquartered near Portland, with offices in Jacksonville, San Diego and New York.