John Stomber Joins The Carlyle Group as Managing Director; Former Cerberus and Merrill Official Will Help Expand Leveraged Finance Business

New York, NY – Global private equity firm The Carlyle Group today announced that John C. Stomber has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Leveraged Finance Group. Mr. Stomber, who comes to Carlyle from Cerberus, will help develop new investment products and expand existing business lines. Mr. Stomber began his duties in this new position May 1, 2006 and is based in New York City. Carlyle’s Leveraged Finance Group manages $5.4 billion in 12 high yield, mezzanine and distressed funds in the United States and Europe.

Michael J. Zupon, Managing Director and Head of the Leveraged Finance Group, said, “We welcome John’s wisdom, vision and energy. He has a unique blend of experience, ranging from the credit markets to running large and complex global derivative trading desks with full responsibility for risk management and proprietary trading activities. John is a strong leader with a track record of innovation and a strong intellectual curiosity.”

James H. Hance, Jr., Carlyle Senior Advisor, said, “John’s experience base is exceptionally broad and diverse, encompassing virtually every asset class in every major market in the world. He is a proven, insightful leader who will be a significant benefit to Carlyle’s growing leveraged finance business.”

Mr. Stomber said, “Mike Zupon and his team have created a thriving enterprise at Carlyle and I look forward to being a part of its continued success.”

Mr. Stomber comes to Carlyle from Cerberus where he was a Managing Director focused on structured finance transactions and deals with banking and securities firms. Prior to joining Cerberus in 2004, Mr. Stomber was Senior Vice President & Global Treasurer of Merrill Lynch & Company, a Member of the Executive Management Committee and Chairman of the Asset & Liability Committee, working first for Stan O’Neil, and subsequently for Tom Patrick, in the turnaround of that firm post-1998. He was also on the Boards of virtually every financial operating subsidiary of the firm globally, was a member of the Reserve Committee, the Risk Oversight Committee and attended all Finance & Audit Committee meetings of the parent company Board of Directors.

Prior to Merrill Lynch, Mr. Stomber was a Managing Director who served in several senior capacities at Deutsche Bank from 1991 to 1999, including Treasurer of the Americas, where he was responsible for all funding and risk management for capital markets and banking activities, and was principal representative with federal regulators. He subsequently built and then managed Deutsche Bank’s North American fixed income and foreign exchange swaps and derivatives businesses.

From 1981 to 1991, Mr. Stomber served at Security Pacific Bank and prior to that he worked at Crocker National Bank.

Mr. Stomber earned his M.B.A. from New York University and his B.A. from Franklin and Marshall College.

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