Executive Directors
Rhyno is made up of a number of dedicated, strategic business minds that work together across our portfolio to ensure the health and success of your investments. The group was founded in 2012 with four partners leading the charge. Get to know the founders of Rhyno Equity Group:
CPA, CA, MBA
Responsible for the financial, treasury, and risk management areas of Rhyno and its portfolio companies
MEng Mgmt, PMP, LEAD
Manages Rhyno’s portfolio companies in the areas of information technology, production, scheduling, procurement, and logistics
BA Comm
Responsible for the development and implementation of effective sales and marketing strategies to drive profitable and sustainable growth of Rhyno’s portfolio companies
PEng, LEED AP
Responsible for executing Rhyno’s investment strategies by seeking new opportunities and managing the acquisition process
Mr. Agarwal is responsible for the formulation and execution of Rhyno’s corporate strategy to maximize shareholder value by implementing short- and long-term plans. Mr. Agarwal is also responsible for the financial, treasury and risk management areas of Rhyno and its portfolio companies, including the management of financial relationships and implementation of effective internal control systems to safeguard Rhyno’s assets and provide accurate financial reporting.
Mr. Agarwal has 20 years of financial, strategic, information technology, sales and operational experience in the automotive and home improvement industries.
Prior to co-founding Rhyno, Mr. Agarwal spent a decade with an owner-managed manufacturer in the home improvements industry as its CFO. Eventually, Mr. Agarwal assumed the General Manager role for the Company’s operations which included responsibility for areas such as production, logistics, quality control, procurement and customer service. He developed and executed numerous financial and operational initiatives to optimize the Company’s profitability and market position, including the implementation of a fully integrated ERP system. He also led the start-up of a national sales and installation program for a major retailer on behalf of the Company. He was responsible for lead generation, marketing initiatives and the management of the sales force across Canada.
Mr. Agarwal currently serves as President and CEO of Rhyno’s portfolio company, Irpinia Kitchens. He is responsible for providing the overall and day-to-day leadership of the Company through the development and execution of short- and long- term strategic initiatives and performance objectives for the Company.
Mr. Agarwal holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree achieved in 1997 from McMaster University where he received several scholarships in recognition of his academic performance. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Mr. Agarwal obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 2000. Mr. Agarwal earned a Master of Business Administration, specializing in Operations Management, from McMaster University in 2007 where he was awarded the Gold Medal for achieving the highest grade point average in the graduating class.
Mr. Mark is responsible for providing leadership and management of Rhyno’s portfolio companies in the areas of information technology, production, scheduling, procurement, and logistics in support of Rhyno’s profitability objectives and to meet customer expectations for quality and delivery.
Mr. Mark brings more than 15 years of operational and sales experience to Rhyno in the retail and home improvement industries.
Before co-founding Rhyno in 2012, his early career began in manufacturing operations with a large Company in the window and door industry. Mr. Mark became an expert in taking over the management of underperforming plants and finding methods of improving efficiencies, throughput, and quality while keeping costs at minimum levels. Mr. Mark excelled after being promoted into senior management roles within the Company where he implemented large capital expenditure projects, managed marketing efforts, advised on procurement, managed costing programs across all divisions, managed processes for retail display initiatives, and assumed the responsibility of the company’s forecasting. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Mark also gained extensive experience in negotiating and developing relationships with Corporate Buyers and Merchandising Managers of large big-box retailers.
Mr. Mark has brought a wealth of knowledge and value to Rhyno’s existing portfolio. He has spearheaded and overseen several cross-departmental strategies and projects within the portfolio, including Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), costing analyses, product development, plant CapEx projects, and the implementation of Human Resources processes.
Mr. Mark holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Physics (Materials) and a Minor in Applied Mathematics from the University of Western Ontario. He also earned a Master’s Degree, with distinction, in Manufacturing Engineering and Management from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. In May 2014, Mr. Mark successfully completed his Project Management Professional designation specializing in Information Technology from the Project Management Institute.
Mr. Mark is also a trained Fellow of LEAD International, a world-wide sustainability initiative, and has served on the Board of Executives for LEAD Canada since 2012 and has been Vice President of the Board since 2014.
Mr. Burdon is responsible for the development and implementation of effective sales and marketing strategies to drive the profitable and sustainable growth of Rhyno’s portfolio companies in support of Rhyno’s long-term objectives.
Before co-founding Rhyno Equity Group in 2012, Mr. Burdon spent most of his career in a senior management role with a Fortune 500 advertising agency. Mr. Burdon was responsible for executing sales and marketing campaigns for a multitude of high-profile clients. During his tenure, Mr. Burdon was involved in the creation and execution of many successful campaigns which resulted in generating hundreds of millions in new revenue growth for his clients.
Mr. Burdon brings a wealth of expertise to the Rhyno portfolio companies in the areas of Marketing, Sales Management, and Customer Service. He has successfully implemented key account management procedures, CRM software, processes for recruitment and management of effective field representation, customer service procedures, digital and experiential marketing strategies, and strategic brand equity building.
Mr. Burdon holds a Communications Degree from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta with a Major in Broadcast Journalism.
Mr. Mark is responsible for executing Rhyno’s investment strategies by seeking new opportunities and managing the acquisition process to achieve Rhyno’s long-term growth strategies.
Mr. Mark has more than 13 years of project management, contract development and administration, technical design, project estimation, and portfolio budgeting experience within the construction and real estate management industries. He spent his early career working with leading firms in the Canadian structural consulting industry as well as the City of Toronto. He held various positions ranging from Design Engineer, Project Engineer, and Project Manager. Mr. Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and value to Rhyno’s portfolio companies as his consulting experience spans hundreds of large construction projects including complete design, additions, renovations, and rehabilitations. Mr. Mark has developed expertise in a wide range of building design types including reinforced concrete, steel, wood, masonry, and fiber-composite and is well versed in technical analysis and drafting.
Through Rhyno’s head office, Mr. Mark refined the deal flow processes and created Rhyno’s proprietary deal flow pipeline of small- and medium-sized companies and continues to lead Rhyno’s acquisition process.
Mr. Mark holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science degree from the University of Western Ontario. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Mr. Mark obtained his Professional Practice designation in 2008.