meet our
Managing Directors

Claude Zdanow is a Managing Director at STS Capital Partners, where he advises founders and business owners on selling their companies to strategic buyers. A public-company CEO, serial founder, and M&A principal, he brings nearly two decades of experience building, scaling, acquiring, and selling businesses. He joined STS through its Global Advisor Network before becoming a Managing Director.​

Claude has completed more than 15 acquisitions and worked on transactions representing more than $250 million in enterprise value. Having sat on both sides of the table as a buyer and a seller, he knows how strategic buyers evaluate a business, what drives their valuation, and what it takes to close a deal.​

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Claude is CEO of ONAR Holding Corporation, a publicly traded, AI-powered marketing platform that serves middle-market and growth-stage brands and continues to grow through acquisitions. Before ONAR, he founded Stadiumred Group in 2007, growing the business from a recording studio into a global marketing agency holding company through eight acquisitions, reaching nearly $100 million in revenue and almost 100 employees. Stadiumred’s clients included 7-Eleven, Brown-Forman, Pernod Ricard, and Disney’s FX Networks. The company was recognized as one of Adweek’s fastest-growing agencies and as an Inc. 5000 company before Claude exited in 2021.​

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Claude’s experience also extends to the music and entertainment industry, where he built businesses that worked with artists including Avicii, The Chainsmokers, Chris Brown, Eminem, and Drake. His work contributed to 22 Grammy Award-winning projects and 30 Grammy nominations. Drawing on his experience as a founder, acquirer, and operator, Claude has also spoken and advised on business, marketing, and M&A, with engagements including Columbia Business School, the Organization of American States, and The Recording Academy. His expertise has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Rolling Stone, and The New York Times.​

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Today, Claude continues to build and invest in businesses across marketing, technology, consumer products, and hospitality. He is the founder of Sona Hills, a boutique vineyard hospitality destination in Paso Robles, California, and Claude Philippe Wines. He also serves on the board of Chemtech Holdings and is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).​

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