Tim Burroughs Managing Editor Global Private Funds, and Managing Editor, AVCJ MERGERMARKET

Tim Burroughs is managing editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, having joined the publication in May 2011. He is responsible for all editorial content put out under the AVCJ brand, including Asian Venture Capital Journal, AVCJtv, AVCJ Awards and AVCJ.com. Tim previously spent five years at China Economic Review, serving as editor-in-chief and then editorial director. Located in Greater China since 2003, during which time he has lived in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong, Tim has been a China-based contributor for publications including The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, BBC and China Daily. Prior to moving to China, he trained and worked as a journalist in the UK. He was honored at the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and at the State Street Institutional Press Awards - Asia in 2012.

Yup Kim Chief Investment Officer TMRS

Yup S. Kim serves as the Chief Investment Officer for Texas’ $41 billion municipal retirement system (TMRS) and chairs its staff investment committee. Previously, he served as the Head of Investments for Private Equity at CalPERS, California’s $490 billion pension fund, where he helped lead the $60 billion private equity program across all functions, including strategy, team management, and investment activities across primary, secondary, and co-investment opportunities globally. Previously, he served as the Senior Portfolio Manager at the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, an $80 billion sovereign wealth fund, where he helped lead its private investment activities. The private equity and special opportunities portfolio generated 25% net of fee returns over a decade. He has also held positions at DB Private Equity, where he served on the Investment Committee, Performance Equity, and Silver Point Capital, and he began his career at Citigroup in New York. Kim received his B.A. in Economics from Yale University, speaks six languages, and serves as Chair for the Milken Institute Rising Allocator forum. He serves as a Board Member of the Korea Finance Society, a Term Member for the Council of Foreign Relations, a Global Investment Ambassador for the Seoul Metropolitan Government and a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard Business School, The Wharton School, Yale University, and many other academic institutions.

Tim Burroughs Managing Editor Global Private Funds, and Managing Editor, AVCJ MERGERMARKET

Tim Burroughs is managing editor of Asian Venture Capital Journal, having joined the publication in May 2011. He is responsible for all editorial content put out under the AVCJ brand, including Asian Venture Capital Journal, AVCJtv, AVCJ Awards and AVCJ.com. Tim previously spent five years at China Economic Review, serving as editor-in-chief and then editorial director. Located in Greater China since 2003, during which time he has lived in Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong, Tim has been a China-based contributor for publications including The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, BBC and China Daily. Prior to moving to China, he trained and worked as a journalist in the UK. He was honored at the Society of Publishers in Asia awards in 2007, 2008 and 2010, and at the State Street Institutional Press Awards - Asia in 2012.

Tobias Knapp Partner Baker McKenzie

Tobias (Toby) Knapp is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Transactional practice group, based in the New York office. Toby is an internationally recognized advisor to strategic and financial sponsor clients. He has been recognized by Chambers USA as one of New York’s leading lawyers for Mergers & Acquisitions, by The Legal 500 in the categories of middle-market and large M&A transactions, and as a notable practitioner by the International Financial Law Review.

Practice Focus

Toby counsels both US and multinational clients across a broad range of industries in their most important strategic and investment transactions. He routinely advises clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism, fiduciary and investment advisory relationships and a broad range of capital raising transactions.

Representative Legal Matters

Prior to joining the Firm, Toby advised on the following matters:

• A leading publicly traded technology solutions and specialty components manufacturer in acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic transactions across the United States and Asia.

• A leading European stock exchange and financial information company on US-based M&A transactions.

• A publicly traded pharmaceutical company in multiple strategic and capital raising transaction and sale through an all-stock merger combination.

• A leading asset management and corporate trust firm on numerous private equity investment transactions.

• A Nasdaq-listed live TV streaming company in its acquisition of a French media organization.

• A UK-based publicly traded sports media and gaming company in its acquisition of a sports data analytics and technology business.

• A leading Japanese trading company in acquisition and investment transactions in North and South America.

Roy Burns Managing Director, Co-Head of TA's North America Financial Services Team TA ASSOCIATES

Roy Burns, Managing Director at TA Associates (“TA”), is co-head of the Firm’s North America financial services investing efforts and a member of the Core Investment Committee. Based out of TA’s Austin office, Roy focuses on investments in financial services and financial technology companies, including electronic payment, investment management and wealth management end markets. Roy serves on the Board of Directors of AffiniPay, Apex Group, Caprock, Financial Information Technologies (Fintech), Orion Advisor Solutions, Rectangle Health and Wealth Enhancement Group. Additionally, Roy led or was actively involved in TA’s investments in BluePay, Cardtronics, Dealer Tire, Exeter Property Group, First Eagle Investment Management, K2 Advisors, Numeric Investors and Stadion Money Management. Prior to joining TA in 2001, he worked at Banc of America Securities in its High Yield and Leveraged Finance Group, and at Davidson Kempner Partners where he focused on public company investments. He earned a BS in Business Administration, with Special Attainments, from Washington and Lee University and his MBA as an Arjay Miller Scholar from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Roy is a Leadership Circle member of The Honor Foundation, and he was formerly a Trustee of the Boston Ballet and an Advisor of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Bob Morse Co-Founder and Managing Director STRATTAM CAPITAL

Bob Morse

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Bob founded Strattam Capital in 2013 along with Adrian Polak, and he serves as Managing Partner.

He is currently director of Action Title Research, Affinaquest, CloudHesive, Contegix, and Trax Group. Previously, Bob was a Partner and member of the Investment Committee at Oak Hill Capital Partners. He also worked at GCC Investments, a growth private equity firm based in Boston, and at Morgan Stanley.

Bob attended Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude with a B.S.E., and Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he earned his M.B.A. and was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Karl Schade Founder and Managing Partner PRESIDIO INVESTORS

KARL SCHADE

Presidio Investors Founder and Managing Partner

Karl Schade has been structuring, analyzing, and managing private equity investments for over two and a half decades. Today, he serves as Managing Partner of Presidio Investors, the private equity firm he founded in 2007. In this role, Mr. Schade has spent fourteen years focused on middle market buyouts, specifically in the technology, media, and financial services industries. At Presidio Investors, Mr. Schade, and the middle market-focused team he recruited, have invested in thirteen platform investments through thirty-eight acquisitions.  Mr. Schade is based in Austin, TX.

Mr. Schade also has significant CEO experience. From 2013-2016, he was the CEO of The Presidio Group, a San Francisco-based financial services firm with ~$5 billion of assets under advisement. As CEO, Mr. Schade worked with the team and Board of Presidio to grow assets, open a Washington D.C. office, and restructure the firm, resulting in a successful exit. During 2011, Mr. Schade also served as CEO of Hattrick Sports Group, one of Presidio Investors’ most successful technology investments.

Prior to founding Presidio Investors, Mr. Schade worked for a decade at several large private equity firms, including The Blackstone Group in New York City, Silver Lake Partners in Menlo Park, and Blum Capital Partners in San Francisco. While at these Firms, Mr. Schade learned industry best practices and was a team-member on deals representing approximately $1 billion of invested equity capital. 

Mr. Schade received his MBA from Harvard Business School, and his BA from Claremont McKenna College.  Mr. Schade has served on numerous Boards and Associations, and he is a frequent speaker at industry events.

Presidio Board Seats (past and present): Bravas, Podium Audio, Golden Pear Funding, National Health Finance, Hattrick Sports Group, Metropolitan Bank, and Lindora

Rene Benedetto Managing Director and Senior Relationship Manager THE CARLYLE GROUP

Rene Benedetto a Managing Director and Senior Relationship Manager responsible for business development, investor relations and strategic fundraising initiatives with institutional investors across Carlyle’s three business segments. Rene is based in Austin, Texas.

Rene has 25+ years of private equity investing, business development, fundraising, and board experience.  Prior to Carlyle, Rene was a Managing Director of Certares Management LLC, an investment firm with ~$10B of AUM across Private Equity, Credit and Real Estate, where she focused on private equity investing and fund marketing for Certares Real Estate and Private Equity platforms. Prior to Certares, Rene was a Managing Director of Trivergance LLC, a mid-market private equity firm, where she led investments, debt and equity capital raising, business development and strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 brands.

Prior to Trivergance, Rene was a Principal at Halyard Capital, a middle-market private equity fund focused on media and tech-enabled business services investments.  Prior to Halyard, Ms. Benedetto was a General Partner at Impact Venture Partners, a technology-focused venture capital fund. Rene also held positions as a Director at CIBC’s merchant banking group and a Senior Analyst at Bank of America’s growth equity and investment banking groups.

Rene has served on the boards of multiple companies and currently serves as on the Deans Advisory Council of the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and on the Executive Council of New York for McCombs. She is also a Member of Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN).

Rene received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania and a B.B.A. in Finance with Highest Honors, from The University of Texas at Austin.

Tiffany Kosch Managing Partner CENTERGATE CAPITAL

Tiffany Kosch is a Managing Partner at CenterGate Capital. Tiffany has over 25 years of investment experience creating value in lower middle market companies. She was a Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, where she invested in underperforming lower middle market companies for eight years. Her experience covers a broad range of investment structures and types, among them corporate spin-outs and orphans, turnaround equity and distressed debt. Sectors covered are also broad, including business services, consumer products and manufacturing. Tiffany received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.S., cum laude, from Georgetown University.

John May Founder and Managing Partner CORE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS

Mr. May is the Founder and Managing Partner of CORE and is responsible for overseeing all activities of the firm including investment sourcing and valuation, transaction structuring, the securing of acquisition financing, and fundraising.

Before founding CORE, he spent 18 years working on transactions with several private equity sponsors principally with The Blackstone Group and H.I.G. Capital. He currently serves on the boards of the following CORE portfolio companies:

Fathom, Saylite, Cohere, Kelvix, Cadrex, 3DXTech, GEM, Century Box, and Aviation Concepts.

Mr. May graduated with Honors from East Carolina University with a business degree. He currently serves on the ECU Foundation Board of Directors including its Executive Committee and is Chair of the Investment Committee. He is also Co-Founder and

Former Chairman of the Board for Imerman Angels, a 501 (c)(3) Chicago based cancer support organization. He is also an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a member of The Economic Club of Chicago, and obtained his Level I Sommelier accreditation from The International Sommelier Guild.

Francesca Friday Senior Private Equity Reporter MERGERMARKET

Bio: Francesca Friday covers private equity for Mergermarket. Before that, she spent nearly seven years at The Financial Times, covering PE, M&A, and corporate finance. She also wrote and produced the FT's award-winning newsletter, Due Diligence. She currently lives in Brooklyn and is a Pittsburgh native.

Kaci Boyer Managing Director, Private Equity NEUBERGER BERMAN

Kaci Boyer is a Managing Director of Neuberger Berman and a senior member of the private equity investment team. Ms. Boyer focuses on designing and implementing customized private equity portfolios for institutional clients, acting as a program manager and a client investment contact for some of NB Private Equity’s largest custom account mandates. In addition, she is also responsible for evaluating and executing private equity investments and assists with business development activities across the private equity platform. Ms. Boyer joined the Dallas office in 2007 and spent nine months in Neuberger Berman’s Hong Kong office focused on private equity investments throughout the Asia Pacific region. In 2017, the National Association of Investment Companies recognized Ms. Boyer as a Rising Star for outstanding contributions she has made to the private equity industry early in her career. Ms. Boyer received a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University.

Hunter Peterson Founder and Managing Partner SKYLARK PRIVATE EQUITY PARTNERS

Hunter has spent over 25 years investing in lower middle market companies across a variety of industries including healthcare, specialty manufacturing, and business services. He wholeheartedly believes that entrepreneurs are the backbone of the world’s economy and respects the talent, skill, and risk tolerance required to start a new business. As an investor, he enjoys working alongside business founders and their families and believes it a great privilege to provide strategic counsel to the companies in which he invests. Hunter considers private equity to be a great tool which can be used to amplify the success these businesses have already achieved.

Prior to starting Skylark Private Equity Partners, Hunter was a partner at both The Riverside Company and Trinity Hunt Partners. Earlier in his career, he worked at TA Associates, William Blair & Company, and Heller Financial. Hunter received a BA in Economics, from Vanderbilt University and his MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

Yoni Riemer Managing Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Development PEAK ROCK CAPITAL

Yoni Riemer is the Managing Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development at Peak Rock Capital. In his role, Yoni leads the Investor Relations team across all Peak Rock fund strategies, and also helps oversee communications and firm development initiatives. He joined Peak Rock in its inaugural fund as a Vice President, and subsequently served as a Principal on the Private Equity investment team prior to his current leadership role.

Peak Rock Capital is a leading middle-market private investment firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, making equity and debt investments in companies in North America and Europe. Peak Rock’s equity investment platform focuses on opportunities where it can support senior management to drive rapid growth and performance improvement, with expertise in corporate carve-outs and partnering with families and founders seeking first-time institutional capital.

Carlos Martinez Canada Editor MERGERMARKET

After eight years collaborating for Mergermarket from Latin America, Carlos is joining our staff as the new Canada Editor, where he will boost coverage and build up a strong source network, as well as spearhead Mergermarket’s energy and mining reporting.

Carlos started out as a Colombia correspondent in late 2014 and quickly became a crucial member of the Latin America team, helping with edits, sharing leads on Teams, and closely collaborating with Debtwire and Infralogic’s regional teams. He was named Deputy Latin America Editor in 2021.

Prior to joining Mergermarket, Carlos was senior features editor at Mexico’s leading business magazine and held similar roles at various other media outlets in Canada and the UK. He started his journalism career as a researcher/reporter at the Los Angeles Times’ foreign bureau in Mexico City back in 2005.

Carlos holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Thompson Rivers University in Canada and a master’s degree in international development from the University of Manchester in the UK. He is fluent in English and Spanish and is refreshing his high school French language skills. Outside of work he spends most of his time playing with his six-year-old daughter Sienna and walking his mixed-breed schnauzer Max.

Patrick Severson Co-Head of Vista Foundation Fund VISTA EQUITY PARTNERS

Patrick Severson joined Vista Equity Partners in 2013. Mr. Severson is Co-Head of the Vista Foundation Funds and sits on its Investment Committee. Additionally, he serves as a member of Vista’s Executive Committee, the firm’s governing and decision-making body for matters affecting its overall management and strategic direction, and Vista’s Private Equity Management Committee, the firm’s decision-making body for matters affecting Vista’s overall private equity platform. Mr. Severson currently sits on the boards of Assent Compliance, Bonterra, ESO, Granicus, Khoros, Kibo, LogicMonitor, Naviga, Poppulo, Power Factors, Sonatype and Trintech. He was also actively involved in the firm’s investments in AGDATA, AlertMedia, ARCOS, Autotask, PeopleAdmin, Regulatory DataCorp (RDC), Return Path, StarRez, TigerConnect and Wrike.

Prior to joining Vista, Mr. Severson worked as Partner at Warburg Pincus where he spent 12 years investing in and working with software companies at all stages from startup to buyout. Before his time with Warburg Pincus, Mr. Severson worked at Booz-Allen & Hamilton, where he was a Consultant. Prior to Booz-Allen, Mr. Severson worked at Price Waterhouse, where he focused on media and technology industries.

Education

B.S. in Computer Science, Stanford University
M.B.A., Columbia University

Rachel Stone Charlottesville Bureau Chief MERGERMARKET

Rachel covers fintech and the broader tech sector for Mergermarket. She has a bachelor’s degree in business journalism from Washington and Lee University.

Jeff Akers Partner & Head of Secondary Investments ADAMS STREET PARTNERS

Jeff leads all aspects of the secondary business, including strategy, investments, fundraising, and portfolio construction. He is principally focused on leading North American secondary opportunities.

Prior to joining Adams Street, he was a strategy consultant with L.E.K. Consulting, where he managed the execution of market-related due diligence for several top-tier private equity firms.

Previously, Jeff worked for two years as an investment associate with William Blair Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity fund with $1 billion under management. At WBCP, he participated in all aspects of sourcing, evaluating, executing, and monitoring buyout and growth equity investments. He also has three years of investment banking experience with William Blair & Company and SunTrust Equitable Securities.

Jeff serves on the Advisory Board of several funds within Adams Street’s portfolio. He is also Chair of Adams Street’s Secondary Investment Committee and a member of the Executive Committee

Jeff Hammer Global Co-Head of Secondaries MANULIFE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Jeff Hammer
Global Co-Head of Secondaries
Manulife Investment Management

Jeff joined Manulife Investment Management in 2019 as global co-head of secondaries. Along with Paul Sanabria, Jeff leads the global secondaries business focused on general partner-led and special situation transactions, and partners with private equity, private credit, and secondary fund sponsors. Previously, he was co-head of Houlihan Lokey’s illiquid financial assets practice, a unit he co-founded and built into the leading investment banking group focused on customized transactions for holders of illiquid securities. Prior to that role, Jeff was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns, where he founded, built, and co-led Private Equity Advisors, the private equity fund-of-funds and secondary investing unit of Bear Stearns Asset Management. Earlier, he co-founded BDC Financial, a firm that provided customized private equity investment management and advisory services to institutional and high-net-worth investors. Earlier in his career, he held investment banking positions at Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

• Education: A.B. in Politics, Princeton University; M.B.A., Harvard University
• Joined the company: 2019
• Began career: 1985

Amyn Hassanally Partner and Global Head of Private Equity Secondaries PANTHEON

Amyn is a Partner and Global Head of Private Equity Secondaries. Prior to joining Pantheon Amyn was an Investment Partner at Coller Capital, where he worked for 17 years in both London and New York and was formerly the global Co-Head of Investment Execution. Prior to joining Coller, he practiced corporate law, focusing on private equity transactions and fund structuring. Amyn holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics from Brandeis University and a JD in Law from the Duke University School of Law.

Jeff Keay Managing Director HARBOURVEST PARTNERS

Jeff Keay joined HarbourVest in 1999 and focuses on global secondary investments across a range of transaction types. Jeff is based in Boston and also worked in the Firm’s London office. Jeff is the Chair of the Firm’s Secondary InvestmentCommittee and he currently serves on a number of advisory boards. Prior to joining the Firm, Jeff spent three years at Ernst & Young LLP, where he specialized in the venture capital and financial services industries. His previous experience also includes working at the Financial Accounting StandardsBoard. Jeff received a BA (cum laude) in Economics and Accounting from the college of the Holy Cross in 1996.

Tom Cane Funds Editor MERGERMARKET

As Funds Editor, Tom is launching Mergermarket's coverage of private funds in North America, which includes profiles of GPs and LPs, news and insights on funds, and data-driven analysis. Based in Chicago, he has over 15 years' experience in financial journalism, predominantly as an M&A and ECM specialist, as part of the former Acuris, and now ION Analytics. Starting as a reporter in London, Tom covered the financial services and real estate sectors for Dealreporter during the global financial crisis, including a secondment at the Financial Times. He has also been based in Hong Kong and New York, with highlights including launching Mergermarket's coverage of the Asian ECM market, as well as serving as Managing Editor for Mergermarket and Dealreporter in both APAC and the Americas, overseeing large teams of over 50 journalists. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff to ION Analytics' Chief Content Officer, who he supported in strategic planning, operations and communications. 

Brian Hegi Managing Partner CROSSPLANE CAPITAL

Brian is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Crossplane Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm founded in 2018 investing control equity in niche manufacturing, industrial services, and value-added distribution businesses. Crossplane currently manages over $730 million across two funds and co-investment vehicles. He began his career as an operations improvement consultant with AlixPartners and AT Kearney and has been an industrial-focused private equity investor for the last 17 years. Brian received his MBA from The University of Texas and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Tony Ludlow Managing Director BAYMARK PARTNERS

Over the past 25 years Mr. Ludlow has focused on acquiring, growing, and managing various public and private companies. During the past fifteen years he has been involved in more than 55 transactions.

Currently, Mr. Ludlow is a founder of Baymark Partners focused on investments in service based and technology middle-market companies. Prior to founding Baymark Partners, Mr. Ludlow was a Director, the General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer of Transition Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm with over 25 investments in various service based businesses. Prior to joining Transition Capital Partners, Mr. Ludlow held various senior level positions in large and small public companies as well as practicing M&A, corporate, and securities law in a law firm.

Mr. Ludlow was a Vice President at Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS), a $6.5 billion, Fortune 500 company in the business process and information technology outsourcing industry. He was responsible for integrating new acquisitions, internal business improvement consulting, negotiating complex contracts with Fortune 100 clients, and legal and accounting compliance.

Prior to ACS, Mr. Ludlow practiced M&A, corporate, and securities law at Hallett & Perrin, P.C., where he represented various publicly-traded and privately-held businesses in connection with public offerings of equity and debt, private placements of equity, venture capital and leveraged financing. He also represented various businesses in connection with mergers and negotiated acquisitions of assets and securities. Prior to working as an attorney, Mr. Ludlow worked at Dallas Semiconductor Corporation, a $350M manufacturing company where he held several accounting and finance positions and ultimately earned the position of Manufacturing Controller.

Mr. Ludlow received his JD from Southern Methodist University School of Law and a BBA in Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and a Certified Public Accountant.

David Post Operating Senior Advisor EQT

David Post has been an Operating Senior Advisor with EQT Partners since 2023. He supports EQT’s Global Technology Sector Team in investment diligence, portfolio company value creation, and portfolio operations. David also serves as the Chairman of both Storable and Billtrust. Prior to joining EQT Partners, David held CEO and other C-level roles across numerous PE-backed software companies including Kibo Commerce, Omnitracs, MRI Software, and Sunquest Information Systems. In addition, David was previously the President of VCG, the value creation arm of Vista Equity Partners. Earlier in his career, David worked in both the ERP and PPM software sectors. David has a BS in Management Information Systems from Seton Hall University’s Stillman School of Business and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Chris Zugaro Partner and Co-Founder TRIVE CAPITAL

Chris is a Partner and co-founder of Trive Capital. Chris sits on the Investment Committee of Trive and on the board of directors at most of Trive’s portfolio companies. Chris has responsibility for sourcing, executing, and managing investments which he has done historically across a variety of industries, situations, and security types.

Prior to co-founding Trive, Chris was a Principal at Insight Equity, a Dallas, TX area private equity firm. Chris was with the management consulting firm Bain & Company prior to Insight Equity where he worked with companies across industries and situations.

Chris received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also holds a BS in Computer Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, from Texas A&M University.

Josh Armstrong Deputy Managing Editor MERGERMARKET

Josh Armstrong is deputy managing editor for Mergermarket in North America. He founded the Southeast US editorial bureau in 2018, building out Mergermarket's coverage in the region from a home base in Charlottesville, Virginia. He previously oversaw financial services coverage at S&P Global Market Intelligence and did a little bit of every job at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in Alaska.

Martin Schwertmann Partner KIRKLAND & ELLIS

Martin Schwertmann is a partner in the Technology & Intellectual Property Transactions Practice Group in the Bay Area office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Martin advises clients on the intellectual property and technology aspects of corporate transactions, including carve-outs, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, private equity and venture capital investments, and restructuring and debt financing transactions. In addition to his transactional experience, Martin also advises clients on issues relating to data privacy (from a U.S. perspective and with respect to European privacy questions), the licensing of intellectual property, and other technology transactions.

Kevin Burke Partner and Head of Strategy SAPPHIRE VENTURES

Kevin is a Partner and Head of Strategy for Sapphire Ventures, where he is responsible for advising the investment teams, portfolio companies, and limited partners on key market trends and dynamics.  Kevin works across all Sapphire strategies to help the firm best execute against current opportunities, while also identifying and evaluating future focus areas.

Prior to joining Sapphire, Kevin spent 7.5 years in Corporate Strategy at Microsoft where he was a Senior Director and member of the strategy leadership team.  In this role, Kevin worked directly with Microsoft’s Leadership Team on the company’s most critical strategic growth initiatives, with work that touched both existing and new product categories, go-to-market, M&A, and partnerships.  Prior to Microsoft, Kevin worked at Booz & Company in the firm’s Technology, Media, and Telecom practice where he consulted for several Fortune 100 technology clients in the software and ecommerce categories, and also was selected as one of the 3 members of the inaugural class of the Katzenbach Center’s Leadership Program.

Kevin is a graduate of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas-Austin, as well as of Emory University, where he majored in Economics.  He currently lives in Austin, TX with his beautiful wife Cassie and their two children, Olivia and Owen.

Alan Cline Head of North America HG

Alan is Hg’s Head of North America, a Partner and a member of Hg’s Senior Leadership Team. He leads our activity across the USA and Canada.

Alan is a highly respected software investor with 20 years’ experience of backing great companies as one of the early employees of Vista Equity Partners. Alan has a long and impressive track record across leadership, tech investing and operations, having built the Foundation Fund within Vista, following hands on experience as a technology entrepreneur.

Eugene Esmonde Managing Director - Co-Head TMT Private Equity BCI

Eugene Esmonde joined BCI in 2022 and is based in New York City. He co-leads the technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) sector team. The TMT team focuses on a broad range of technology verticals including software, digital infrastructure and fiber networks, data and information services, and the evolving cybersecurity landscape. With $250.4 billion in gross assets under management as of March 31, 2024, BCI is one of the largest institutional investors in Canada.

Prior to joining BCI, Eugene was a Principal for the private equity group at Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investments, based in Toronto. While at CPP Investments, Eugene was focused on investments in the technology, media, telecom, luxury retail, and various other sectors, where he executed a total of ten transactions and two exits, a trade sale and initial public offering (IPO). Eugene was also a significant contributor to portfolio company merger & acquisitions (M&A) transactions; identifying significant cost reductions; debt financings and restructurings; and general asset management of the portfolio’s operating companies. Eugene also led the development of investment strategies for two platform investments. Eugene started his career as a Lawyer in Australia and spent three years working in Shanghai, China, where he was an Investment Analyst for a Chinese and Australian family office.

Eugene holds a bachelor of business in finance, and a bachelor of law, both from Queensland University of Technology, based in Australia.

Eugene currently serves on the board of Verifone Systems, Inc., a global payments and commerce solutions platform.

Carl Press Partner THOMA BRAVO

Carl Press is a Partner at Thoma Bravo. Based in San Francisco, he joined the firm in 2015 as a Vice President. Carl is the co-head of Thoma Bravo’s $3.0bn Explore platform, which focuses on investing in high growth middle-market technology companies. He currently serves on the board of directors of Foundation Software, Applitools, Circle, and Bluesight. Previously, he was a Senior Associate at HighBar Partners, an Associate in the Special Situations Group at Oaktree Capital Management, and an Analyst at UBS Investment Bank. GrowthCap named Carl to its list of Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors for 2021. Carl holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Palmer Scholar, and a BS, with Honors, in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Sandeep Swaminathan Senior Managing Director HAVELI INVESTMENTS

Sandeep Swaminathan is a Senior Managing Director at Haveli Investments and is based in Austin. Sandeep is an experienced technology investor and operator. At Haveli, he is focused on the entire investment life cycle from sector ideation to exit with special emphasis on portfolio value creation. Prior to Haveli, he was a Partner at Bregal Sagemont, a growth equity firm, and worked at Vista Equity Partners. During his time in private equity, Sandeep has worked on approximately 25 investments across all facets of Enterprise Software and has partnered with portfolio company management to drive growth in revenues and profitability. Sandeep is an Engineer by background and received his MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his MS from The Georgia Institute of Technology. He is married, has two children, and enjoys traveling, running, and spending time with his family.

Stephen Cammock Managing Director, Private Equity Investments GCM GROSVENOR

Mr. Cammock focuses on private equity investment activity. Mr. Cammock has expertise in underwriting primary funds, middle market buyout co-investments, secondary opportunities, and direct investments. Mr. Cammock has a particular focus on engagement with diverse sponsors and managers, with a heightened focus on emerging and next generation talent. Throughout his career he has evaluated and transacted across buyout, special situations, growth equity, and venture capital, including seed investment opportunities. Mr. Cammock is a leader in deal sourcing and client relationship management and services a variety of institutional clients across North America and Western Europe. Prior to GCM Grosvenor, Mr. Cammock worked at Credit Suisse in the Customized Fund Investment Group where he engaged in similar investment activities. Mr. Cammock is a recipient of the 2015 National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) Rising Star Award. Mr. Cammock received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University.

Josh Garcia Investment Director ALLOCATE

Josh is an Investment Director with a decade of experience in private market fund and co-investments. At Allocate, Josh leads investment efforts across venture, growth equity, and buyout strategies. His responsibilities include portfolio construction and management of commingled and custom vehicles, manager sourcing and diligence, and serves a pivotal role in client experience and educational efforts.

Scott Ramsower Head of Private Equity Fund Investments TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS

Scott Ramsower leads the Private Equity Funds Team at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).  Through his role at TRS, Scott has oversight responsibilities for the group’s approximately $33 billion private equity fund investment portfolio.  In addition, he is a member of the Private Equity Investment Committee and Management Committee, through which he assists in the strategy and development of the overall private equity team and portfolio.  Scott is also a member of the ILPA Board of Directors and an ILPA Faculty Member, helping to educate fellow practitioners in the private equity industry.

Prior to joining TRS in 2010, Scott was in the New York office of AlpInvest Partners, a leading private equity investor with over €35 billion in AUM.  At AlpInvest, Scott focused on evaluating new private equity fund commitments to various strategies around the globe.  Prior to AlpInvest, Scott was an associate in the equity research department of Morgan Stanley.  Previously, he also worked in the consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Scott received a BBA, Finance from Texas A&M University. 

Rorie Norton Editor-In-Chief PRIVATE EQUITY LAW REPORT

Rorie is the Editor-in-Chief of the Private Equity Law Report who uses his legal background and experience in the private funds industry to help private fund managers mitigate their operational risks and navigate an evolving compliance landscape. He began his legal career as an associate attorney at Ropes & Gray representing private equity funds, both on the debt financing and equity sides, in portfolio company acquisitions. Prior to joining the PELR, Rorie was an associate attorney at Kleinberg Kaplan where he advised private fund managers on structuring, launching, offering and administering fund vehicles.

Rorie received his bachelor’s degree with a double major in political science and international studies from the University of Richmond, and his J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law. He graduated magna cum laude from both institutions.