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Bob joined Craton
Equity Partners as Chief Financial Officer in April 2011. Bob has over 25 years of experience in
accounting, finance, operations, public and private financings, restructurings, and start-ups across
a wide range of businesses.
For the past three years, Bob served as Chief Financial Officer
for Live Earth, Control Room, Vibe Magazine/Digital, Uptown Magazine, and Soul Train |
Holdings, all of which are portfolio companies of Intermedia Partners other than Live Earth, which
is held by Kevin Wall. Immediately prior, Bob served as Chief Financial Officer of Roll Global,
a $2 billion group of companies closely held by Stewart and Lynda Resnick. These companies include Teleflora,
Paramount Farms, FIJI Water, POM Wonderful, and Paramount Citrus. Bob also was hired by Liberty Media
Corporation to assist with two of their equity investments. The first was to help form the Hallmark Channel
cable network out of a small religious cable network, move it from New York to Los Angeles, and take it
public within two years. Bob’s second assignment was as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer
of DMX Music, a world-wide $200 million provider of foreground music services. Bob Baxter completely restructured
DMX’s business model, which facilitated the successful sale of the company to Capstar Partners.
Bob earlier served as Chief Financial Officer for a gaming start-up, Hemmeter Enterprises, which grew from
10 employees to over 2,000 within two years, and as VP of Finance for House of Blues. This followed two years serving
as the Chief Financial Officer of Hollywood Park Casino. Bob was hired to work as part of a new team to
restructure the casino business, to oversee construction of a casino (which was completed in 1996), and to oversee
construction of the proposed Hollywood Park (NFL) Stadium, which was not built due to Al Davis’ last-minute move to Oakland.
Bob previously spent seven years at Arthur Andersen in Los Angeles, becoming the lead engagement manager
for its global entertainment practice. Bob’s clients included News Corporation, Fox Studios and Networks,
MGM/UA, and MGM Grand, Inc. He gained extensive experience in initial public offerings, public debt financings,
and purchase/sale transactions, including an $815 million sale of the Pebble Beach Company. |