Vice President
Senior Support Specialist
Associate
Controller
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
Associate
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
Associate
Starting Summer 2025
Chief Financial Officer
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
Controller
Principal
Vice President
Associate
Principal
Associate
Prior to joining Backcast in 2023, Mr. Barak was a Senior Associate at Oak View Group, an investment firm specializing in sports, entertainment, and hospitality, where he was responsible for evaluating new investments and arranging financings for the firm's portfolio. Prior to Oak View Group, Mr. Barak was an investment banking Associate Director in the Leveraged Finance & Financial Sponsors group at UBS, and an investment banking Analyst in the Bank Debt Investment Group at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey (now Truist). Mr. Barak received a B.S. in Finance and Technology Management from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.
Senior Support Specialist
Prior to joining Backcast in 2021, Ms. Campisi was an Administrative Manager at NGEN Partners, a venture capital firm, where she managed all administrative and project management duties. Prior to NGEN, Ms. Campisi was an Operations Manager at Icon Luxury Group, where she worked closely with clients to manage, coordinate and execute deals globally. Ms. Campisi received a B.A. from the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University.
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
(973)512-7483 Work
(347)244-2396 Mobile
Mr. Cerny is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Backcast and has primary responsibility for risk management. Mr. Cerny is one of the longest tenured direct investors in the middle market, having begun his career in middle market investing at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners in 1993. Since that time, Mr. Cerny helped initiate a middle market leveraged finance and mezzanine effort at UBS Securities, served as a Managing Director in the formative years of The Blackstone Group’s Corporate Debt Group which focused on structured debt and equity middle market investments, and was a Co-Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the middle market debt platform at Kayne Anderson. Mr. Cerny graduated from the University of Chicago (1999) with a J.D. / M.B.A. and from Pomona College (1992) where he received a B.A. in Government with honors and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. At Pomona he was an All American swimmer and was a captain of both the swimming and water polo teams. He currently serves on the Seton Hall University Board of Regents. Mr. Cerny is also an Eagle Scout.
Principal
(973)512-7488 Work
(347)244-4271 Mobile
Neil Chirite joined Backcast in 2018. Prior thereto, he was an investment banking Associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Citi. Prior to Citi, Mr. Chirite was an analyst at Mooring Capital, a private investment group, and Cambridge Associates, an investment consulting firm. Mr. Chirite received a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.
Vice President
(973)512-7485 Work
(347)254-1660 Mobile
Prior to joining Backcast in 2020, Mr. Eiseman was an Analyst at Lincoln International, a middle-market investment bank, where he evaluated investments made by private credit and equity funds. Prior to Lincoln, Mr. Eiseman was an Associate in the Banking & Capital Markets Group at PwC, where he earned a CPA auditing broker-dealers. Mr. Eiseman received a B.S.B.A, cum laude, from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
(973)512-7487 Work
(347)255-2947 Mobile
Mr. Gudis is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Backcast and has primary responsibility for transaction development and structured solutions. Mr. Gudis has more than 30 years of senior level experience investing in middle market companies at industry leading firms. Mr. Gudis began his career in the mid-1980’s working in Leveraged Finance at leading investment banks including Bank of America and Citibank. He later served as a Senior Vice President and the Head of Middle Market Sponsor Finance for GE Capital Corporation from 1993-1999, where he managed the Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York offices. Mr. Gudis joined The Blackstone Group’s Corporate Debt Group in 1999 upon its inception where he focused on middle market structured debt and equity investments. As a Partner and investment committee member at Blackstone, he served as the head of sourcing and transaction development. Prior to Backcast, Mr. Gudis was the founder and Head of the Private Debt Capital Group at S.A.C. Capital where he sourced, invested, and managed over $2 billion of firm capital in a variety of directly originated debt and equity securities mainly in the middle market. Mr. Gudis graduated from USC (1985) with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and is a long-time Advisory Board Member for the USC Marshall School of Business. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Nuvance Health and chairs its Investment Committee. Mr. Gudis was also the former Chairman of the Board of Norwalk Hospital.
Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Hurley serves as the Chief Financial Officer for Backcast. She serves in a similar role for Centre Partners which she joined in 2020. Ms. Hurley previously spent six years as the Management Company Controller at American Securities LLC and the 2 years prior to that role as Chief Financial Officer of The Arlon Group, both private equity firms. Prior thereto, Ms. Hurley spent 13 years at State Street Bank and Trust, where she held a variety of roles in their private equity fund administration business. She started her career at PwC. Ms. Hurley received a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Scranton, an M.B.A. from Seton Hall University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Associate
Prior to joining Backcast in 2022, Mr. Maloney was a Director in the Corporate Finance and Restructuring group at FTI Consulting, where he provided strategic and financial advice to companies, lenders, and other creditors in out-of-court and in-court restructurings. Mr. Maloney received a B.S. in Management from Boston College.
Vice President
(862)206-4260 Work
(347)255-3620 Mobile
amenendez@backcastpartners.com
Prior to joining Backcast in 2021, Mr. Menendez was a Senior Consultant in the Corporate Finance and Restructuring group at FTI Consulting, where he provided restructuring advisory services to companies, lenders, and other creditors in both out-of-court and in-court workout situations. Prior to FTI, he was an Associate in the Asset Based Lending group at MidCap Financial, where he was responsible for underwriting senior financings to middle-market companies. Mr. Menendez received a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia.
Controller
Mr. Ng serves as the Controller for Backcast, working under Mr. Tomai. He serves in a similar role for Centre Partners which he joined in 2005. Prior thereto, he spent three years as a Senior Associate in the Financial Services Group at BDO USA, LLP which he joined after having worked five years as a Senior Associate in the Real Estate Group at McGladrey LLP. Mr. Ng received a B.B.A. in Accountancy from Baruch College.
Managing Partner, Co-Founder
(973)512-7482 Work
(347)266-1102 Mobile
dpetrucco@backcastpartners.com
Mr. Petrucco is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Backcast, and has primary responsibility for fund formation, capital markets, and managing the investor and operating partner relationships. Prior to Backcast, Mr. Petrucco was a Co-Founder of the middle market direct investment platform at Kayne Anderson, where he oversaw with his partner a team of 17 professionals located across the U.S. which invested in similar middle market companies across a variety of different credit funds. Prior to Kayne, he was a Managing Director in the Corporate Debt Group at Blackstone, a middle market focused direct debt and equity investment business. Prior to Blackstone, he assisted in the construction of a middle market debt and equity investment platforms at The Royal Bank of Scotland, where he headed North American debt and equity underwriting, syndications and sales and trading. Prior to RBS, he was the second hire in the construction of a similar platform at UBS. Mr. Petrucco began his career at Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust after graduating from Boston College (1989) with a B.A. in Economics. He is a Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of The Headstrong Project (www.getheadstrong.org), a non-profit charity that provides comprehensive treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans suffering the effects of PTSD and who are at risk for suicide. He is also a member of ProVetus (www.provetus.org), a non-profit that provides mentoring for returning U.S. combat veterans to assist them as they transition back into the civilian workforce. Additionally, he is a member of The Special Operations Fund, a charity whose primary mission is to provide financial support for higher education, in college or technical school, for families of personnel who have died in the line of duty while serving with certain units of the U.S. Special Operations Command (www.specialoperationsfund.org).
Associate
Prior to joining Backcast in 2024, Mr. Pierotti was an Associate at BMO Capital Markets in the Leveraged Finance group, where he was responsible for originating and arranging leveraged loan and high yield bond financings for both sponsor-backed and corporate clients. Before BMO, Mr. Pierotti was an investment analyst at FedEx Corporation covering opportunistic credit and investment grade fixed income strategies for the corporate pension plan. Mr. Pierotti received a B.B.A. in Banking & Finance from The University of Mississippi. He has been a CFA charterholder since 2019.
Principal
(973)512-4887 Work
(973)986-0142 Mobile
rstuckert@backcastpartners.com
Ryan Stuckert joined Backcast in 2023. Mr. Stuckert is focused in the sourcing, due diligence and monitoring of both debt and equity investments. Prior to Backcast, Mr. Stuckert was a Principal and Investment Committee member of the Siguler Guff credit team. At Siguler Guff, Mr. Stuckert led investments in both corporate credit and specialty finance opportunities including structured credit transactions and other alternative lending opportunities. Mr. Stuckert also served as a director or board observer for several portfolio companies. Prior to joining Siguler Guff in 2010, Mr. Stuckert was an Investment Banking Analyst at Jefferies & Company, Inc. He was a member of the firm’s Technology Group where he focused on various sectors including the Internet & IT, communications and digital media. Mr. Stuckert holds a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Engineering with a concentration in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He has been a CFA charterholder since 2014.
Chief Administrative Officer
Mr. Tomai serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for Backcast. He serves in a similar role for Centre Partners which he joined in 2001. Prior thereto, he was Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corp. which he joined after 13 years with the Bank of New York. Mr. Tomai is also a founding general partner of AspenTree Capital, a private investment firm specializing in public securities and venture capital investments for managed accounts. Mr. Tomai is not active in the day-to-day managing of individual accounts of AspenTree Capital. He currently serves on the advisory board of Palisades Ventures, LLC. He previously served on the Boards of Centre Pacific Holdings LLC, Gray Energy Services LLC, and MB Investment Partners and Associates LLC. Mr. Tomai received a B.S. from Vanderbilt University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Controller
Ms. Zheng joined Backcast in 2024. She brings over nineteen years of diverse experience in financial services to her role as Controller at Backcast. Previously serving as Vice President at HPS Investment Partners, she oversaw financial reporting and compliance for foreign management company vehicles. Prior to that, she held positions at Ernst & Young, JPMorgan Chase, Sanne Group (acquired by Apex) and FIS, working with private capital firms with various types of investment strategies. Ms. Zheng holds a B.S.B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Georgetown University and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of New York.
Associate
Starting Summer 2025