Entrepreneurial Venture Creation

"Person of the Year"

The Whittemore School of Business and Economics will recognize Jeffrey Pollock on May 7, 2004 as the 2004 Entrepreneurial Venture Creation "Person of the Year" for his commitment to New Hampshire's business community, appreciation of the Whittemore School and its resources, and his track record of creating entrepreneurial value.

Mr. Pollock has served as MerchantBanc's president and chief executive officer since its founding in 1992 and is the managing director of Venture Partners, LP, a limited partnership capitalized with $20 million. Under his leadership, MerchantBanc has been the source for more than $140 million of private capital investment in the form of loans and private equity investments in more than 100 companies.

Mr. Pollock's board appointments include the National Association of Seed & Venture Funds, the New Hampshire State Board of Education, the New Hampshire Governor's Advisory Committee on Capital Formation, the New Hampshire High Technology Council, the Fleet In-City Advisory Board, and the Steering Committee of e-Cares, a philanthropic initiative of the NH Charitable Foundation involving New Hampshire's entrepreneurial community. He also serves on the boards of three portfolio companies, Dialout.Net, Inc., FastAsset, Inc., and Nextmark, Inc.

Mr. Pollock is a strong supporter of the Entrepreneurship program at the Whittemore School. He has served as a judge for the Paul J. Holloway Business Plan Competition, as a speaker for the Holloway Seminar Series in Entrepreneurship, and has addressed individual courses taught at the Whittemore School. He has given his time freely to students and other prospective and active entrepreneurs.

Mr. Pollock holds a Master's in Business Administration from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Purdue University. The U.S. Small Business Administration named him National Financial Services Advocate of the Year for 1999.
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