Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> September 28, 1998
ROBERT JAMES SKANDALARIS is the founder of Noble International, Ltd. and
presently serves as CEO and Director. His current responsibilities
include the identification and analysis of potential acquisition
candidates and strategic planning for Noble International. Prior to
founding the company in 1993, Mr. Skandalaris was Vice Chairman and
Shareholder of The Oxford Investment Group, Inc., a merchant banking
firm. He had been affiliated with The Oxford Investment Group since
1987, where his responsibilities entailed capital raising, securities
transactions, mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, defensive
assignments and general finance advice. Mr. Skandalaris has also served
as Senior Vice President of Investments at Prudential-Bache Securities
and was a member of the Chairman's Council. Mr. Skandalaris founded the
Professional Services Group at Prudential-Bache which provided
investment manager selection and development investment policy
statements and strategies for ERISA plans, foundations and individual
monies. Mr. Skandalaris began his career as a Certified Public
Accountant at Touche Ross & Co., where he achieved Manager of Tax and
Financial Planning status and gained extensive experience in tax
planning and compliance for national manufacturing, financial services
and ERISA relationships. Mr. Skandalaris received his MSA in Accounting
from Eastern Michigan University in 1976 and completed his B.S. in
Finance and Accounting at Michigan State University in 1974. Mr.
Skandalaris also serves on the Board of Directors for several private
companies and charities. He is Chairman of Twenty-First Century
Advisors, LLC, the general partner of two hedge funds, one of which,
Twenty-First Century Off-Shore Fund. Ltd., is publicly traded on the
Irish Stock Exchange. Mr. Skandalaris resides in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan with his wife and three children. Profile
LLOYD P. JONES III began his automotive career in 1978 doing
acquisitions and divestitures for the Federal Mogul Corporation. He was
promoted through the ranks to the position of Manager of Marketing and
Planning for the Engineering and Transmission Products Group of Federal
Mogul. In 1985, he joined Magna International where he held positions in
Domestic Sales Management, was Director of International Sales and
Marketing for Magna. In 1990, Lloyd took over as Vice Chairman and CEO
of GRM Industries, an automotive supplier specializing in stamping and
plastic injection molding, until the company was absorbed by EWI
Corporation. In 1993, Lloyd became Vice President of Sales and Marketing
for the eleven stamping facilities of Masco Tech Corporation. Most
recently, he has been Executive Vice President of A.G. Simpson
Automotive, Inc. where his responsibilities included directing Sales and
Marketing activities, and formulating and implementing Departmental
Strategic Plans, including OE, Tier I, Aftermarket and Non-automotive
plans. In addition, Lloyd was responsible for developing new product,
customers and business venture initiatives. Lloyd was raised in the Los
Angeles area, and graduated from the University of Southern California.
He and his wife, Jan, have three children and live in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan. Profile
TWST: Could you give us a background summary on Noble International? Mr. Jones (President & COO): Noble International is a full service
independent supplier of automotive components,