Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC, a boutique investment bank that specializes in advising consumer businesses, announced that longtime restaurant and consumer financier, William R. “Bill” Kraus has joined the firm as a Managing Director. At Arlington, Kraus will concentrate on cultivating private equity sponsor relationships and on further strengthening the debt capital markets capabilities of Arlington’s growing consumer advisory practice.

“We are very excited to have Bill join the Arlington team,” said Vann Russell, Managing Partner of Arlington Capital Advisors. “Over the past 10 years, Bill has been one of the most influential financiers in the restaurant industry and we look forward to supporting him and his efforts to build our debt capital markets and sponsor coverage practice areas. Bill’s addition marks a significant expansion in our capabilities and practice areas of focus and will add even more velocity to Arlington’s recent growth and momentum. “

Prior to joining Arlington, Kraus was a Managing Director with Antares Capital, a leading provider of financing solutions for middle market, private equity backed companies where he managed numerous West Coast private equity relationships. Prior to Antares, Kraus spent 20 years with GE Capital, culminating with a ten-year role as Senior Managing Director with GE Capital Franchise Finance in Scottsdale, AZ where he specialized in leveraged finance transactions for middle market restaurant businesses.

Prior to GE Capital Franchise Finance, Kraus was Managing Director with GE Sponsor Finance in New York, where he managed relationships with numerous private equity firms.

He holds a B.A. in Business Economics from Brown University and an M.B.A. in Finance from The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and resides in Scottsdale with his wife and four children.