Prior to co-founding Avista Capital Partners in 2005, Mr. Dean led one of the largest and most consistently successful private equity franchises in the world, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, for 10 years. Mr. Dean served as Co-Managing Partner of DLJMB from 1995 - 2005 and was Chairman of the Investment Committees of DLJMB I, DLJMB II, DLJMB III and DLJ Growth Capital Partners through December 2007. 

Mr. Dean received a B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1979, where he was an Echols Scholar, and an M.B.A. with high distinction from Harvard Business School in 1984, where he was a Baker Scholar. 

Mr. Dean currently serves on the Boards of ConvaTec, IWCO, Nycomed and VWR. Mr. Dean formerly served as the Chairman of the Board of Arcade, DeCrane Aircraft, Mueller and Von Hoffmann. He also formerly served on the boards of American Ref-Fuel, Argyle Television, BioPartners, Charles River Labs, Evergreen Media, Merrill, Safilo, Visant and several additional DLJMB boards. Mr. Dean serves as Chairman of the Special Projects Committee of Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital and served as a member of the College Foundation Board of the University of Virginia. In addition, Mr. Dean serves on various committees of the Boys Club of New York, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association and the Museum of the City of New York.