Mr. Claudius E. Watts, IV, also known as Bud, serves as the Managing Director at The Carlyle Group LP. Mr. Watts established the firm's Technology Buyout Group in 2004 and was Head of Technology Buyout Group until 2014. At Carlyle, Mr. Watts focuses on United States buyout and growth equity investments in larger companies focused on software, software enabled services, semiconductors, systems and related distribution businesses. He is in the Corporate Private Equity business segment and has joined Carlyle in 2000. He served as Managing Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of First Union Securities, Inc., where he led its Defense, Aerospace and Technical Services Group. Mr. Watts joined First Union Securities when First Union acquired Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co., where he served as a Principal advised Carlyle on several transactions. He was a Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Air Force. During his service, he was qualified as an Instructor Pilot in both the F-16 and A-10 aircraft and served in a number of leadership and operations management positions. He has been the Chairman at Carolina Financial Corporation since April 26, 2017. He has been Director of Carolina Financial Corporation and Crescom Bank since January 21, 2015. Mr. Watts served as a Director of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. since December 1, 2006 and served as its Lead Director. He has been a Director of CommScope Holding Company, Inc. (Alternate Name CommScope Enterprise Solutions) and CommScope, Inc. since January 14, 2011. He served as a Director of Freescale Holdings G P Ltd since December 1, 2006. He served as a Director of Lockheed Martin Sippican Inc., and Open Solutions, LLC. He served as a Director of SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc., from November 2005 to May 29, 2013. He served as the Chairman of CPU Technology, Inc. He served on the Boards of Firth Rixson, Ltd. He served as the Chairman of Jazz Semiconductor, Inc., since February 2002. He also served as Member of the Board of Directors of SS&C Technologies, Inc. Mr. Watts holds a M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering cum laude from The Citadel.