Biography

Mr. Phillip Clough
Chairman, Board of Directors

Phil Clough is a General Partner at ABS Capital Partners, a Baltimore-based private equity fund that invests in mid- to late-stage growth companies in the business services, health care, media & communications and technology sectors.  He is responsible for investments within the business services sector.  In addition to American Public Education, Inc., he currently serves on the board of ABS portfolio companies Advanced Disposal Services, Inc., Fairfield Language Technologies, Inc., Liquidity Services, Inc., Payformance Corporation and Restaurant Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Clough brings to ABS key operating experience from his years at SITEL Corporation, the global leader in providing outsourced call center services to large corporations, where he was CEO and President from 1998 to 2001. While at SITEL, Mr. Clough grew both revenues and EPS significantly, as well as established relationships with corporations such as GM, America Online, Siebel and IBM.

From 1990 to 1997, he was in the Investment Banking Group at Alex. Brown & Sons Incorporated, leading their business services efforts, where he advised clients on M&A transactions and equity and debt offerings. He served in the United States Army from 1983 to 1988, rising to the rank of Captain in 1987. 

In addition to his board duties, Mr. Clough is a Trustee and the Treasurer of St. Paul’s School in Baltimore, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and a Financial Advisory Council member of the Career College Association.

Mr. Clough holds a B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and an M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.