MEET THE TEAM

John Heskin’s primary focus is leading the firm’s financial services platform AltAero Aviation Finance as its CEO.  

He is responsible for the strategic direction, originations and portfolio management. 

Over 25 years of financial services experience spanning many roles including credit underwriting, risk management, originations and business leader.  

Prior to joining Acorn, Heskin was Managing Director and Group Head of CIT Bank’s Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services lending practice which focuses on lending to private equity owned businesses as well as aviation asset financing.

Over his 16-year career with CIT he worked as a credit underwriter and as an originator prior to be named Group Head in 2017.

Prior to CIT, Heskin worked at GE Capital as a risk manager and at Bank One/First Chicago in its Asset Backed Securities Group as well as in its International Credit function. 

Heskin holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with concentrations in Finance and Accounting and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

As a member of the Investment Committee, Nagel oversees AltAero’s investment selection as well as it’s the firm’s strategic direction.

Nagel is the Managing Partner of Acorn Growth Companies and leads the strategic direction of the firm and its portfolio assets.

Nagel first served Acorn as an Advisory Board Member and in 2004 joined as a partner, launching the firm’s private equity practice. He leads and is responsible for Acorn’s current geographic footprint, fund operations, fundraising activity, investment deal generation, portfolio integrations and performance improvement initiatives. 

Since joining Acorn, the firm has closed more than 30 transactions in areas that include advanced manufacturing, government IT services, defense electronics, engineering services, aircraft financing and leasing, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), maintenance repair overhaul, modernization and upgrades, radar, satellite communications, airborne logistics, air cargo, value-added distribution, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS). 

Prior to joining Acorn, Nagel was with Platinum Equity as part of their operating team, where he led several revitalization and transformation strategies that spanned high growth enterprises and successful turnarounds. While at Platinum, Nagel was involved with 13 successful acquisitions. 

Nagel has a degree from the University of Oklahoma school of Engineering.

As a member of the Investment Committee, Agnew oversees AltAero’s investment selection as well as it’s the firm’s strategic direction.

Agnew has spent his 20-year career in the financial services industry in both investment banking and advisory and equity research roles, the vast majority of which have been focused on the aerospace, defense and government contracting markets.

Agnew is a Partner at Acorn Growth Companies where he leads the firm’s M&A practice. Prior to joining Acorn, he established the U.S. Aerospace, Defense and Government Contracting investment banking group for Canaccord Genuity, working closely with the firm’s international offices and leading its efforts in the sector globally. During this time, Agnew gained significant experience advising private companies and public Boards of Directors.

Prior to Canaccord, Agnew spent 10 years at FBR Capital Markets, eventually leading the firm’s ADG investment banking practice and completing both merger and acquisition and financing transactions for public and private companies.

Prior to FBR, he was with Quarterdeck Investment Partners (now Jefferies), where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace, defense and government contracting markets.

Agnew is a graduate of Florida State University with a B.S. in economics.

Pollack serves as a Senior Associate with AltAero and supports the team in identifying and evaluating investment opportunities and performing transaction due diligence. 

Pollack is a Senior Associate at Acorn Growth Companies.

Prior to joining Acorn in 2021, Pollack served as an Associate with Gladstone Capital (NASDAQ: GLAD), a Washington D.C.-based business development company where he focused on direct credit and equity investments across a variety of industries.

Prior to that, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Hovde Group in the Specialty Finance group. His focus was on providing mergers and acquisitions advisory services to companies in in the non-bank financial services industry.

Prior to Hovde, Pollack served as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Industrials & Technology Group at FBR & Co. 

Pollack received his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Richmond.