Mr. Rodriguez founded Palladium in 1997 and serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to forming Palladium, Mr. Rodriguez was a partner of Joseph Littlejohn & Levy (JLL), a buyout firm which he joined in 1989. Before launching his private equity career, he worked in operations for General Electric Company in the U.S., Mexico and France and graduated from GE’s Manufacturing Management Program. Mr. Rodriguez serves on the Board of Directors of Palladium portfolio company TransForce. Mr. Rodriguez has served on the Board of Directors of Palladium portfolio companies ABRA, Castro Cheese, Daniel's Jewelers, Jordan Health Services, Second Nature Brands, Teasdale, Taco Bueno, Trachte and Wise Foods, among others. Mr. Rodriguez serves on the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian, the University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. Mr. Rodriguez also serves on the Boards of the Robert Toigo Foundation and the Alfred E. Smith Foundation. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and an M.A. in International Studies from the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania.