Daniel Phan Joins Closed Loop as Private Equity Co-Head
July 17, 2025|John McNulty
Closed Loop Partners has appointed Daniel Phan as Managing Director and Private Equity Co-Head.
Mr. Phan, who has over a decade of private equity experience across industrial sectors, will co-lead the investment strategy alongside Founder and CEO Ron Gonen and current Private Equity Co-Head Jackson Pei.
Mr. Phan previously served as a managing director at Aterian Investment Partners. He has more than 15 years of experience with platform investments across infrastructure, environment, specialty manufacturing, and material sciences sectors. Prior to Aterian, Mr. Phan worked at Corporate Partners, the private equity affiliate of Lazard Frères, and began his career in the media and telecom group at Deutsche Bank.
Closed Loop Partners invests in the circular economy – a system where products and materials are reused, repaired, and recycled to reduce waste – through several strategies including venture capital, private equity, and credit. The firm’s buyout strategy focuses on acquiring and growing companies across sectors including plastics, packaging, food and agriculture, circular technology, and textiles. As an example, in November 2023, Closed Loop purchased Sage Sustainable Electronics, an Ohio-based provider of IT asset disposition (ITAD) services by refurbishing, reselling, or recycling used electronics, with a focus on data security and environmental sustainability.
The circular economy industry is gaining momentum as companies and investors seek to reduce waste and decouple growth from resource consumption. According to a 2024 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the global circular economy could generate $4.5 trillion in economic benefits by 2030 through waste reduction, efficient resource use, and new business models.
“We are proud to have Daniel join the Closed Loop Partners team, as our firm accelerates growth and contributes to the momentum behind the transition to the circular economy,” said Ron Gonen, the founder and CEO of Closed Loop. “Daniel’s longstanding experience in the private equity market, as well as his expertise in key areas of our expansion, bolsters our ability to build circular economy platforms that keep materials in circulation at scale, increase supply chain resilience, and contribute to positive impact outcomes while delivering value to stakeholders for impact.”
The hiring of Mr. Phan follows a February 2025 minority investment from Capricorn Investment Group, a California-based investment firm that specializes in sustainable investments with a focus on climate-related opportunities, into Closed Loop Capital Management, the asset management arm of Closed Loop Partners.
“This is a key moment of growth for our middle market private equity business, as we build on our successes to date, and leverage the growing relevance of this asset class to global investors,” said Tazia Smith, the CEO of Closed Loop Capital Management. “As the current market presents a critical opportunity for growth in circular solutions that provide resilience and security, we look forward to working toward key milestones as Daniel, Jackson, Ron and our broader investment team continue to execute on our buy-and-build investment strategy.”
Daniel Phan
“The strength of Closed Loop Partners’ platform and ecosystem of investors uniquely positions the firm to continue leading the transition to the circular economy,” said Mr. Phan. “With the expertise of the private equity team, and its ability to leverage the firm’s full platform and actively engaged strategic corporate partner network, there is a clear runway ahead for growth and impact. I look forward to working with Jackson, Ron, Tazia and the team to realize these opportunities.”
Closed Loop’s current investor base includes KIRKBI, BlackRock, Realdania, Nestlé, Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Unilever, as well as other corporate and institutional partners and global family offices. The firm was founded in 2014 and is based in New York City.
