Since 2005, Thompson Dean has overseen Avista Capital Partners in New York as a co-CEO. In this capacity, Thompson Dean directs the Avista investment strategy, which focuses on middle-market companies in communications, industry, and health care. VWR International, which provides equipment and consumable supplies to research laboratories around the world, remains one of the firm’s portfolio companies.A global supplier of life sciences materials, Avantor recently signed an agreement to acquire VWR for $33.25 in cash per share of the company’s common stock. This figure reflects a total value of $6.4 billion. The acquisition builds upon the strengths of each company to create a new organization more capable of meeting the needs of biopharma and advanced technology clients around the world. The combined organization will be vertically integrated to serve education, research, and government institutions from initial inquiry through production. This marketplace remains one of the fastest growing in the world. Since its IPO, VWR has maintained strong growth patterns. Combining the company’s large breadth of products and strong distribution channels with Avantor’s industry-leading materials and solutions will result in an organization that can meet the demands of the growing life sciences sector.
Before beginning his professional career in financial management, Thompson Dean of Avista Capital Partners attended the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics and foreign affairs. Thompson Dean of Avista also attended Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he earned his master of business administration.The Harvard Business School offers a number of resources to help students excel in their education, including the Baker Library/Bloomberg Center. The center is part of the Harvard library system, known to be the world’s largest private library, and it features numerous collections of business resources that are available to students, HBS faculty, and the Harvard community.The center houses more than 150 separate databases such as the Media Intelligence Center with access to publications and newspapers from around the world. It also includes databases like the Business History Explorer, which contains information regarding the history of British businesses, and Datastream, which provides information on currencies, stock markets, and company financials.
A graduate of Harvard Business School, Thompson Dean serves as chief executive officer of Avista Capital Partners in New York. At Avista, Thompson Dean and his team identify and invest in promising companies, such as Acino International AG. This pharmaceutical company develops advanced drug delivery technologies, including transdermal, oral, and extended release parenteral technologies.Recently, Acino announced that it came to an agreement with Endo International subsidiaries to acquire the South African company Litha Healthcare. Based in Johannesburg, Litha works with area hospitals, pharmacies, medical specialists, and law enforcement teams. Acino acquired Litha as part of its growth strategy to enter high-potential markets in Africa and the Middle East. A strong and immediate presence in South Africa, made possible by the acquisition, is the first step in playing a role in the pharmaceutical sector of the whole continent. Litha, with 160 employees, maintains a strong position in the market and an excellent therapeutic reputation. The company also has a strong product pipeline and relationships with key industry players. The deal was announced at the end of February and is expected to become official in the near future.
