Ex-Dow Jones CEO Zannino Lands At CCMP Capital

CCMP Capital Advisors is bulking up its expertise in the media and retailing sectors, adding Richard Zannino to the staff as a managing director and member of its investment committee.

Zannino’s most recent post was chief executive officer of Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of The Wall Street Journal. Zannino left Dow Jones in January 2008 after the completion of News Corp.’s $5 billion acquisition of the company. Prior to joining Dow Jones in 2001, Zannino was an executive vice president with fashion retailer Liz Claiborne, executive vice president and chief financial officer of industrial products maker General Signal, and executive vice president and chief financial officer of department store operator Saks Fifth Avenue.

“This is another major milestone in the execution of our plan to add seasoned operating professionals to our senior management team,” said Greg Brenneman, the chairman of CCMP Capital, in a statement addressing Zannino’s hiring. “Our operating talent is a key differentiator for CCMP and will prove increasingly important in generating outsized returns for our investors.”

New York-based CCMP Capital was founded in 2006 when it spun out from JPMorgan Chase & Co. The firm closed on a $3.4 billion buyout fund in late 2007. Its portfolio includes movie theater operator AMC Entertainment; Aramark, a Philadelphia-based provider of food and uniform services; National Surgical Care, a Chicago-based operator of surgery centers; Quiznos Sub, a Denver quick-service restaurant chain; and drug developer Warner Chilcott.