Mr. Lavin is the President of Javlin Partners, LLC. Javlin is a US-based investment firm which invests in and finances distressed consumer assets throughout the globe. Mr. Lavin currently serves as the Chairman of Belos Capital Asia (Ltd). Belos is based in Hong Kong and is a leader in the Asian consumer non-performing loan market. Mr Lavin also currently serves as the Non-Executive Chairman of Velum Credit Management – Brazil. Velum is a leader in the Brazilian consumer non-performing loan market. Mr. Lavin is an Advisory Board member of Arrow Global. Arrow Global is based in London where it is a leader in the UK and selected European consumer non-performing loan markets. He is also an active Advisory board member of Parthenon Capital – a Private Equity firm focusing on the middle market.
Previously in his career, Mr. Lavin served as an Executive Vice President of Sallie Mae and the CEO of its Asset Performance Group (APG) until September 2008. As the CEO of the APG division, he led Sallie Mae’s principal and structured finance units, international distressed consumer asset management functions and its collection activities. He joined Sallie Mae in 2004 as part of the acquisition of Arrow Financial Services, a leading accounts receivable management business, where he served as president and CEO from 1999 to 2008. Arrow Financial Services was recognized on the INC. 500 list as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America and by Chicago Crains as one of the Largest Privately Held Companies in Chicago for three straight years. In June 2003, Mr. Lavin won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award – Illinois, in the Financial Services category.
Prior to leading Arrow Financial Services, Mr Lavin held management positions at Citibank, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Bankers Trust in New York, London and Chicago, where he gained experience in banking, capital markets, international finance, derivative markets and cash/treasury management. Mr. Lavin received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Mr. Lavin currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board at University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Business. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Thunderbird’s Center for Global Entrepreneurship. He is a regular university guest lecturer on Entrepreneurship. Mr. Lavin is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Osa Foundation. Osa is a private foundation which focuses on improving urban education. He is also on the MicroVest Funding Advisory Council. MicroVest is an active participant in the global Micro Lending arena. He is also on the Advisory Board of NextStreet, is a merchant bank, which provides financial services to small businesses in the US inner city market.