Madison Dearborn Partners

Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) was founded in 1992 by a group of professionals, including John A. Canning Jr., Paul J. Finnegan, Samuel M. Mencoff, and Nicholas W. Alexos, who had previously led private equity investments at First Chicago Bank. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the firm established itself as a significant player in the leveraged buyout market, focusing on industries such as basic industries, business and government software and services, financial and transaction services, and health care.

During the private equity boom of 2006 and 2007, MDP completed several high-profile buyouts of publicly traded companies, including CDW, Asurion, and Univision Communications. One of its most ambitious efforts was a 2007 agreement to acquire Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) in a deal valued at approximately C$51.7 billion, which would have been one of the largest leveraged buyouts in history. However, the transaction ultimately collapsed in late 2008 after auditors determined the resulting entity would be insolvent.

In addition to its large-scale buyouts, the firm has been involved in significant transactions such as the acquisition of a majority stake in TransUnion from the Pritzker family and the buyout of the baseball card maker The Topps Company alongside Michael Eisner's Tornante. The firm continues to manage a diverse portfolio of companies across its core sectors, having raised over $23 billion in capital since its inception.