Waud Capital Partners has hired Phil Olson as a new Principal and the initial member of the firm’s business development group. Mr. Olson will be responsible for identifying investment opportunities within the firm’s business and technology services vertical.
“The business development group is an important addition to our disciplined and process-driven approach to finding lower-middle market companies that are poised for growth within our investment niches – healthcare services, and business and technology services,” said Reeve Waud, Managing Partner of Waud Capital. “Phil brings to Waud Capital extensive industry knowledge and strong relationships. We look forward to his contributions as we seek to make several new platform acquisitions as well as add-on acquisitions each year.”
Mr. Olson has more than 15 years of investment banking experience in technology and technology-enabled business services. From March 2016 to August 2016 he was a Managing Director at Chicago-based investment bank Financial Technology Partners. Earlier, from July 2003 to March 2016, he was a Managing Director at William Blair where he focused on technology, and more specifically, financial technology, payments, technology-enabled business models and vertical software businesses. Throughout his career, Mr. Olson has completed more than 100 technology and business services-related transactions. Mr. Olson has a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Northwestern University.
The hiring of Mr. Olson increases the Waud Capital team to 27 investment and finance professionals, three operating partners and one executive partner. “We plan to expand the business development group rapidly with additional experienced hires in early 2017,” added Mr. Waud.
Waud Capital makes investments from $50 million to $100 million in middle-market companies with enterprise values from $50 million to $250 million that operate in the healthcare services and business and technology services sectors. Since its founding in 1993, Waud Capital has made more than 195 investments, including platform companies and add-on acquisitions. The firm is headquartered in Chicago (www.waudcapital.com).
“We have worked closely with Phil over the years and he has brought us several actionable investment ideas in our areas of focus,” said Matt Clary, a Partner at Waud Capital. “His industry insights and network will serve the firm well as we execute on our investment strategy in the business and technology services vertical.”
“Waud Capital has a strong reputation as one of the best lower middle-market private equity firms in the country,” said Mr. Olson. “I’m excited to join the team and help originate and drive new investments within business and technology services. Their focus on areas such as vertical software, payments, compliance and training, human capital management and other tech-enabled business services presents attractive opportunities to build strong industry leaders and identify accretive add-on acquisitions.”
© 2016 Private Equity Professional | December 20, 2016
