Robert Smith
Founder at Castanea Partners Inc
Profile
I co-founded Castanea Partners in 2001.
It has been a fun and entrepreneurial venture from the start.
Prior to Castanea, I was Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Neiman Marcus Group Inc., where at various times I also held the positions of Co-CEO and of President and Chief Operating Officer.
While at Neiman Marcus, I served on the National Retail Federation Board.
Additionally, I was Co-CEO of Harcourt General and a director of that company from 1989 to 2001.
At Harcourt General, I held several management roles, including President and co-Chief Operating Officer.
While at Harcourt General, I was also President of General Cinema Companies.
Before joining General Cinema Corporation (predecessor to Harcourt General), I was an associate consultant at Bain & Company.
I received my AB from Harvard College and my MBA from Harvard University.
I am Co-Chairman of the Board of the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and currently serve as Chairman of the Board of the Pan-Mass Challenge, and as a member of the Boards of Directors of the Boston Children’s Hospital, Facing History & Ourselves, and the Harvard Committee on University Resources.
I previously served on the Board of Jumpstart and the Institute of Contemporary Art, and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School.
I was born and raised in Boston and continue to live here with my wife and children.
I’m an avid professional sports fan and outdoor enthusiast, and love big mountain and back-country skiing, road cycling, mountain biking, hiking, tennis, squash, and now fly fishing.
Robert Smith active positions
Companies | Position | Start |
---|---|---|
Castanea Partners Inc
Castanea Partners Inc Investment ManagersFinance Castanea Partners Inc (Castanea Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2001 by Robert A. Smith and Brian J. Knez. The firm is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts. | Founder | 2000-12-31 |
Thorley Industries LLC
Thorley Industries LLC Recreational ProductsConsumer Durables Thorley Industries LLC develops products for infants and children. Its products include 4moms mamaRoo, 4moms breezeplayard and 4moms self-installing car seat. The firm offers infant seats, playards, strollers, bouncy seats, infant tubs, spout covers and accessories including car seat adapters, color kits, bassinets, handlebar bags and cell phone chargers, and double strollers. The company was founded by Robert D. Daley and Henry F. Thorne in June 2005 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. | Director/Board Member | - |
The Children's Medical Center Corp.
The Children's Medical Center Corp. Hospital/Nursing ManagementHealth Services The Children's Medical Center Corp. operates as a non-profit hospital and research center. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Director/Board Member | - |
Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation
Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation Investment Trusts/Mutual FundsMiscellaneous Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation supports individuals and families in economically disadvantaged communities. Its services include healthcare, urban education, and economic mobility. The company was founded by Richard A. Smith and Susan Smith in 1970 and is headquartered in Newton, MA. | Director/Board Member | - |
The Children's Hospital Corp.
The Children's Hospital Corp. Medical/Nursing ServicesHealth Services Children's Hospital Corp. engages in the provision of pediatric care services. It offers acupuncture, angioplasty, antibiotic allergy testing, audiogram, baclofen pump, biochemical genetic testing, blended diet, bone scan, brain scan, breast augmentation surgery, cardiac catheterization, cardiac MRI in children, chest reconstruction surgery, and CO2 laser treatment. The company was founded by Francis Henry Brown in 1869 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Director/Board Member | - |
Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc.
Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc. is a non-profit organization that organizes a bike-a-thon to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The private company is located in the US. The American company provides resources to inform riders, volunteers, and donors about PMC fundraising, training, and the impact of their efforts at the institute. 100% of every rider-raised dollar goes to Dana-Farber. | Director/Board Member | - |
Former positions of Robert Smith
Companies | Position | End |
---|---|---|
NEIMAN MARCUS GROUP LTD LLC | Chief Executive Officer | 2003-12-30 |
Harcourt General, Inc. | Chief Executive Officer | 2001-12-30 |
Facing History & Ourselves National Foundation, Inc.
Facing History & Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services For more than 30 years, Facing History and itself has believed that education is the key to combating bigotry and nurturing democracy. The firm works with educators throughout their careers to improve their effectiveness in the classroom, as well as their students' academic performance and civic learning. Through a rigorous investigation of the events that led to the Holocaust, as well as other recent examples of genocide and mass violence, students in a Facing History class learn to combat prejudice with compassion, indifference with participation, and myth and misinformation with knowledge. Facing History's impact in supporting teachers' effectiveness and promoting students' academic development and civic learning has been demonstrated in more than one hundred studies by independent researchers and Facing History evaluators. Since it was founded in 1976 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Facing History and itself has grown from an innovative course taught in a single school district to an international organization with more than 150 staff members in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, London, Los Angeles, Memphis, New England, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto, and partnerships in Northern Ireland, Israel, Rwanda, China and South Africa. These offices and partnerships, as well as projects throughout North America and around the world, support a network of more than 29,000 trained educators who reach nearly two million young people annually. | Director/Board Member | - |
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Training of Robert Smith
Harvard University | Masters Business Admin |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
Private companies | 14 |
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Harcourt General, Inc. | Retail Trade |
The Neiman Marcus Group LLC
The Neiman Marcus Group LLC Department StoresRetail Trade Part of Neiman Marcus Group, Inc., The Neiman Marcus Group LLC is a private company that offers free shipping and free returns on their website. The company is based in Dallas, TX. The Neiman Marcus Group was acquired by Warburg Pincus & Company US LLC on October 06, 2005 for $4,894.38 million. The company sells the latest styles from top designers such as Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Burberry, Christian Louboutin, Kate Spade, and more. The company was founded in 1907. Geoffroy van Raemdonck has been the CEO of the company since 2018. | Retail Trade |
Thorley Industries LLC
Thorley Industries LLC Recreational ProductsConsumer Durables Thorley Industries LLC develops products for infants and children. Its products include 4moms mamaRoo, 4moms breezeplayard and 4moms self-installing car seat. The firm offers infant seats, playards, strollers, bouncy seats, infant tubs, spout covers and accessories including car seat adapters, color kits, bassinets, handlebar bags and cell phone chargers, and double strollers. The company was founded by Robert D. Daley and Henry F. Thorne in June 2005 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. | Consumer Durables |
Bain & Co., Inc.
Bain & Co., Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Bain & Co., Inc. provides management consulting services. It offers advisory services to the companies on their critical issues and opportunities: strategy, marketing, organization, operations, technology and mergers and acquisitions, across all industries and geographies. The company was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Commercial Services |
Castanea Partners Inc
Castanea Partners Inc Investment ManagersFinance Castanea Partners Inc (Castanea Partners) is a private equity firm founded in 2001 by Robert A. Smith and Brian J. Knez. The firm is headquartered in Newton, Massachusetts. | Finance |
The Children's Hospital Corp.
The Children's Hospital Corp. Medical/Nursing ServicesHealth Services Children's Hospital Corp. engages in the provision of pediatric care services. It offers acupuncture, angioplasty, antibiotic allergy testing, audiogram, baclofen pump, biochemical genetic testing, blended diet, bone scan, brain scan, breast augmentation surgery, cardiac catheterization, cardiac MRI in children, chest reconstruction surgery, and CO2 laser treatment. The company was founded by Francis Henry Brown in 1869 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Health Services |
National Retail Federation, Inc.
National Retail Federation, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services National Retail Federation operates membership organizations. Its channels of distribution include department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores. The company is headquartered in Washington, DC. | Commercial Services |
Facing History & Ourselves National Foundation, Inc.
Facing History & Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services For more than 30 years, Facing History and itself has believed that education is the key to combating bigotry and nurturing democracy. The firm works with educators throughout their careers to improve their effectiveness in the classroom, as well as their students' academic performance and civic learning. Through a rigorous investigation of the events that led to the Holocaust, as well as other recent examples of genocide and mass violence, students in a Facing History class learn to combat prejudice with compassion, indifference with participation, and myth and misinformation with knowledge. Facing History's impact in supporting teachers' effectiveness and promoting students' academic development and civic learning has been demonstrated in more than one hundred studies by independent researchers and Facing History evaluators. Since it was founded in 1976 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Facing History and itself has grown from an innovative course taught in a single school district to an international organization with more than 150 staff members in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, London, Los Angeles, Memphis, New England, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto, and partnerships in Northern Ireland, Israel, Rwanda, China and South Africa. These offices and partnerships, as well as projects throughout North America and around the world, support a network of more than 29,000 trained educators who reach nearly two million young people annually. | Commercial Services |
Institute of Contemporary Art
Institute of Contemporary Art Other Consumer ServicesConsumer Services The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) is an organization dedicated to promoting experimentation in contemporary art, advancing new scholarship, and fostering the exchange of art and ideas. The non-profit company is based in Miami, FL. Through exhibitions, programs, and its collection, ICA provides an international platform for the work of local, emerging, and under-recognized artists, and advances the public appreciation and understanding of innovative art. ICA was launched in 2014 and opened its new permanent home in Miami's Design District on December 1, 2017. | Consumer Services |
The Children's Medical Center Corp.
The Children's Medical Center Corp. Hospital/Nursing ManagementHealth Services The Children's Medical Center Corp. operates as a non-profit hospital and research center. The company was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Boston, MA. | Health Services |
General Cinema Corp.
General Cinema Corp. Movies/EntertainmentConsumer Services General Cinema Corp. operates chain of movie theatre's. The company was founded by Philip Smith in 1935 and is headquartered in Chestnut Hill, MA. | Consumer Services |
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School Other Consumer ServicesConsumer Services Buckingham Browne & Nichols School provides education services. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. | Consumer Services |
Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation
Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation Investment Trusts/Mutual FundsMiscellaneous Richard & Susan Smith Family Foundation supports individuals and families in economically disadvantaged communities. Its services include healthcare, urban education, and economic mobility. The company was founded by Richard A. Smith and Susan Smith in 1970 and is headquartered in Newton, MA. | Miscellaneous |
Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc.
Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc. Miscellaneous Commercial ServicesCommercial Services Pan Massachusetts Challenge, Inc. is a non-profit organization that organizes a bike-a-thon to raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The private company is located in the US. The American company provides resources to inform riders, volunteers, and donors about PMC fundraising, training, and the impact of their efforts at the institute. 100% of every rider-raised dollar goes to Dana-Farber. | Commercial Services |
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