I love working with passionate founders and management teams leading "category-killer" companies and brands.
Q&A
What is your favorite part of your job?
Private equity is a little like a puzzle, with many disparate pieces that have to come together in just the right alignment, to create the perfect picture. The challenge is that frequently the puzzle is missing a number of pieces. I love the intellectual detective work required to weigh the risks and opportunities, and the variety of issues our companies encounter on a regular basis. But far from being a solitary analytical exercise, the best part of my job is collaborating with my talented colleagues at Great Hill and the visionary executives that lead our portfolio companies. We’ve been fortunate to be involved in many businesses reshaping their industries and it is certainly more fun when you’re able to win with a group of people you enjoy and respect.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the small college town of Norman, Oklahoma, a die-hard Sooners fan in the heyday of Barry Switzer’s wishbone football and Billy Tubbs’ full-court-press basketball. I was the son of an applied math professor but somehow avoided nearly all numerate college courses on my way (ironically) to a career in finance. My mother wrote a book in the 80’s titled, “Word of Mouth Eating in Oklahoma,” which was a restaurant guide popular amongst truck drivers across the Midwest looking for the best homemade chicken fried steak. I was a skilled but apathetic debater, a strong-bat / weak-arm outfielder, and an irreverent teenager itching to see what was east of the Mississippi.
Would you rather be a rock star or actor?
This one is easy. I’ve played guitar for 35 years and still enjoy picking it up in my free time. If I were talented enough to be a rock star, I’d most likely be on tour right now vs. drafting my private equity bio!
