What do people usually think of when they imagine an extremely successful banker? They usually come up with a mental picture that is a stereotype of a greedy banker wearing a fancy suit, consuming Cuban cigars at five star hotels and not giving a damn about anybody else. Marc J Leder is not the quintessential, stereotypical banker. True, he does wear fancy suits, but upon closer scrutiny, one would realize that in his heart, Marc J Leder is basically someone who likes to help people. He derives so much satisfaction from helping others that he makes his living with Sun Capital Partners Inc. by helping struggling companies get back on their feet. Then he turns around and donates massive amounts of his own money to art, educational, as well as charity and volunteer organizations.
Meet Sun Capital Partners Inc.
After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Marc Leder began his career by working for Lehman Brothers in New York, climbing the corporate ladder until he reached the position of Senior Vice President. Itching to do his own thing, he left Lehman Brothers and established Sun Capital Partners Inc., in 1995 with his partner and former Wharton classmate Rodger Krouse, who was also working for Lehman Brothers in New York. Sun Capital Partners Inc. is a global equity firm that specializes in company buy outs. Marc J Leder gets his bells ringing every time his company successfully maneuvers another company to the right track and thus avoids bankruptcy. “It’s incredibly rewarding to come in and provide the necessary capital and human resources to transform potential into results,” Marc J Leder said in an interview with Huffington Post. He added, “Sometimes our work saves companies and jobs that might otherwise have gone away because the business became uncompetitive”.
Marc J Leder’s Philanthropic Activities
Marc J Leder firmly believes in giving back some of the economic benefit of his work to charity. Together with his business partner Rodger, they now support two nonprofit charter schools in Florida as well as other causes through the Sun Capital Foundation. “There’s a real intersection between philanthropy and business,” he reiterated. The charity committee at Sun Capital Partners Inc. also encourages all employees to volunteer and nominate their favorite local charities. An avid arts collector, Marc J Leder is also the Director of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which helps disadvantaged artists get more support and exposure. Marc J Leder is aware that trying to help others sometimes can seem overwhelming, as poverty is a complex issue. He advised, “Every cause sounds like a great cause, but you still have to pick and choose because you can’t contribute to all of them.” He added, “We need to look at how many people we’re helping and obviously, there are different levels of help. For one charity, a sizable donation can help a thousand individuals, and for another charity it would only help twenty.”