Bill Kraus

Mr. Kraus is a Senior Vice President with GE Capital Solutions, Franchise Finance in Scottsdale, AZ, where he has specialized in leveraged finance transactions in the restaurant sector since 2005.  Kraus has spent a total of nearly 13 years with GE Capital.  From 2003-2005, he was a Managing Director with Global Sponsor Finance in New York City, where he was a relationship manager for several large cap private equity firms.  From 1996-2003, Kraus held several positions at GE Equity in Stamford, CT, the last position being Managing Director & Global Practice Leader – Industrial, where he created and managed a $120 million portfolio of strategic equity investments in the transportation and industrial sectors.  

Mr. Kraus previously served on the Board of Directors of Keystone Automotive Operations, Universal Technical Institute, Abra Auto Body, High Technology Solutions, Truck-Lite, SLJ Retail, and Intirion Corp.  

From 1993-1996, Kraus was a Senior Associate at Davenport Management in Westport, CT, which managed a $120 million private equity fund.  From 1991-1993, he was an Associate with GE Capital’s Transportation & Industrial Funding division in Stamford, CT, where he analyzed energy project financings and commercial aviation lease transactions.  Prior to graduate school, Kraus got his start in private equity with the $31 billion AT&T pension fund, where he evaluated venture capital/LBO fund and other alternative investments from 1987-1989.

Mr. Kraus holds a BA. in Business Economics from Brown University and an M.B.A in Finance from The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.

Bill’s personal interests include spending time with his wife Laura and their four young children; playing basketball, golf, soccer and softball; and hiking, mountain biking and skiing.  Bill has been active in the community; has coached numerous youth sports teams; and is a volunteer alumni interviewer for the Brown University Admissions Office.