People

Founder and Managing Partner

Gerry Cardinale

Gerry Cardinale is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of the firm.

RedBird manages $7.5 billion of equity on behalf of a select group of blue-chip institutional and family office investors.  The Firm’s prior and current investment portfolio includes many of the world’s most iconic entrepreneurs, properties and brands across the sports, media and entertainment industries – including Fenway Sports Group (Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Pittsburgh Penguins, New England Sports Network); the Yankees Entertainment & Sports (“YES”) Network (New York Yankees and Amazon); Skydance Media (Larry and David Ellison); The Springhill Company (LeBron James and Maverick Carter); the XFL (Dwayne Johnson and his partner Dany Garcia); and European football’s A.C. Milan which recently won Italy’s Serie A Championship.

Since the Firm’s inception, RedBird has also been an active investor and company builder in Financial Services — a core competency of the Firm with a dedicated investment team that has invested over $1 billion across Insurance & Insurance Distribution, Asset & Wealth Management and Fintech & Insurtech.  Notable investments include Aquarian, a diversified life and annuity insurance carrier with over $7 billion of assets and an affiliated asset manager; and Constellation, a managing general agent insurance distribution platform that RedBird scaled to a top 5 player in the industry in under two years before exiting to Truist in July 2021.

Prior to founding RedBird in 2014, Gerry spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs where he was a Partner of the firm and a senior leader of the Merchant Bank’s private equity investing business. During his tenure, Gerry worked with entrepreneurs and family business owners to build several successful multi-billion-dollar companies, including the Yankees Entertainment & Sports (“YES”) Network, Legends Hospitality, and Suddenlink Communications.

In addition to his broad responsibilities as Chief Investment Officer, Gerry is actively engaged in company-building activities across the Firm’s portfolio in its core industries of Sports, Media & Entertainment and Financial Services.  He is also active in driving RedBird’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the Firm as well as within the investment portfolio.  Accordingly, 50% of the Firm’s investment professionals and 30% of CEOs in its most recent fund are either female or diverse.

Philanthropically, Gerry is a Trustee of the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City and leads one of the multi-state Selection Committees that awards Rhodes Scholarships each year.  Gerry received an Honors BA from Harvard University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and an M.Phil in Politics and Political Theory from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

Partner

Hunter Carpenter

Hunter Carpenter is a Partner of the Firm and helps lead the Dallas office as well as the Firm’s Energy, Energy Solutions and Industrials investments.

In his current role, Hunter leads all sourcing, execution, company building and monetization initiatives across the Firm’s legacy energy and energy solutions portfolio. Hunter is responsible for investments in Aethon United, Aethon III, Black Mountain South Texas I, CapturePoint, CapturePoint Solutions, FireBird Energy, Four Corners Petroleum, Lambda Energy Resources, Lambda Carbon Solutions, Majority Strategies, Permian Production Partners and Tally Energy Services.

Prior to joining RedBird, Hunter was a Managing Director at The Stephens Group, the family office for one of America’s longest-tenured private equity investors. During his time at The Stephens Group, Hunter oversaw many of the firm’s Energy and Industrials investments. He also played a critical role in establishing the firm’s standalone private equity business. Hunter began his career as an investment banker at Stephens Inc.

Philanthropically, Hunter serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee for The University of Mississippi’s endowment and is a board member of the University’s private foundation.

Hunter holds both B.A. and M.A. degrees in Accounting from The University of Mississippi, as well as a J.D. from The University of Mississippi Law School.

Partner

David Castelblanco

David Castelblanco is a Partner of the Firm.

In his current role, David focuses on Media, Entertainment and Consumer investments.

Prior to joining Redbird, David spent over 20 years with Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division where he was a Managing Director in their private equity investment business. He worked closely with Gerry Cardinale for over a decade helping to build the Merchant Bank’s TMT investment business. He invested over $4 billion in the U.S., primarily in the Media, Communications, Entertainment and Consumer sectors. David went on to establish and run the Merchant Bank’s Latin America investment business, opening their first office in São Paulo.

During his tenure, David worked closely with entrepreneurs and management teams to build several successful industry leading platform companies, including the Yankees Entertainment & Sports (“YES”) Network, the #1 Regional Sports Network in the United States. He is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oncoclinicas, one of the world’s largest private providers of cancer care.

Philanthropically, David is a Member of Stanford Law School’s Board of Visitors and Dean’s Advisory Council. He serves on the President’s Advisory Council on Economics of Brown University and is a member of Newark Academy’s Board of Trustees. David received a BA from Brown University, a JD from Stanford Law School and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Partner

Andy Gordon

Andy Gordon is a Partner of the Firm and leads the Firm’s Los Angeles office as well as its Technology, Media & Telecom (“TMT”) investment vertical and its Capital Markets activities.

In his current role, Andy is responsible for RedBird’s West Coast business and established the Firm’s Los Angeles office in 2021. In addition, Andy helps lead the Firm’s Capital Markets initiatives, supporting RedBird’s existing investment portfolio as well as strategic opportunities for new investments. Within the portfolio, Andy helped source the Firm’s investment in Skydance Media with the Ellison family.

Prior to joining RedBird, Andy had a distinguished 35-year career at Goldman Sachs, where he was most recently the global chairman of Investment Banking Services, head of the Investment Bank’s West Region, global head of media and telecommunications for the Technology, Media and Telecom Group, and co-head of the One Goldman Sachs family office initiative in the Americas. He advised some of the most prominent industry leaders in Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications, including Disney, AT&T, Liberty Global, Live Nation, IAC/Expedia, Activision, and was the first leader to build and unify the West Region, which now spans three offices generating over $3 billion in revenue.

Philanthropically, Andy is the founding Chairman of the Sierra Canyon School, an early kindergarten through grade 12 college preparatory school in Los Angeles. He serves as a Trustee Emeritus for Wesleyan University and is the Co-Chairman Emeritus and Trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Andy holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and a general course degree from the London School of Economics.

Partner

Robert Klein

Robert Klein is the President of the Firm.

In his current role, Robert oversees the non-investment operations of the Firm, including Capital Partnerships, Finance and Legal & Compliance. Since joining RedBird in 2017, Robert has helped to drive AUM growth from $1 billion to $7 billion and has diversified RedBird’s LP base to include global blue-chip pension plans, endowments, insurance companies, asset managers and family offices. He has also built internal teams to further support and institutionalize the Firm’s operating infrastructure.

In addition to his Firm responsibilities, Robert is also involved in select Financial Services investments, including Main Street Advisors, Grafine Partners and Vida Capital. In this capacity, he advises on product creation, business building and capital advisory.

Prior to joining RedBird, Robert worked for ten years at JPMorgan most recently as Global Head of the Alternative Investments Group — a hedge fund, private equity/credit and real estate platform with over $80 billion in assets under supervision. During his tenure at JPMorgan, Robert was also President of J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management, a $13 billion hedge fund solutions provider that served both institutional and retail investors globally. He also served on the Private Bank’s Global Investment Review Committee, the Private Equity Portfolio Advisory Committee, the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Council, the Investment Management Americas Operating Committee, and the Private Bank Investment Team.

Philanthropically, Robert is a member of the Cornell University ILR Finance Council and has been a board member of Make a Wish Foundation of New York. He is also a Friend of the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.

Robert holds a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from NYU-Stern School of Business.

Partner

Andrew Lauck

Andrew Lauck is a Partner of the Firm and helps lead the Dallas office as well as the Firm’s Consumer investment business.

In his current role, Andrew is responsible for the Firm’s investments in Jet Linx, Blade Urban Air Mobility (NASDAQ: BLDE), BETA Technologies, Aero Centers, Equipment Share and RedBird QSR. Andrew oversaw the Firm’s opportunistic investments during the height of COVID-19 pandemic in both Main Event and Jet Linx. Main Event was exited in June 2022 to Dave and Buster’s, following a robust recovery in performance since RedBird’s initial investment in 2020. Andrew also holds a board observer seat for Blade Urban Air Mobility (NASDAQ: BLDE).

Andrew’s investing activities include high growth platforms where technology and advancement are driving key market differentiation, such as Equipment Share’s SaaS based solution for the retail equipment rental business and the evolution of urban mobility and electric aviation in Blade and BETA, respectively. Andrew is also actively involved in the management of the Firm’s investments in Vida Capital, Aethon United, FireBird Energy and Lambda Energy. In addition to his active investment responsibilities, Andrew co-leads the Portfolio Monitoring Team, responsible for overseeing the performance of RedBird’s active portfolio companies. Andrew also helps lead the Firm’s junior investment professional recruiting and development.

Prior to joining RedBird, Andrew was a Vice President of BDT & Company LLC, where he focused on Consumer investments for three years. Prior to BDT, Andrew was an Associate at Flexpoint Ford, LLC. He began his career at Goldman Sachs in both the firm’s Investment Banking and Merchant Banking Divisions.

Philanthropically, Andrew is a Board Member of Vogel Alcove and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association in Dallas and he is the former Chairman and a current member of Indiana University’s Investment Banking Network Advisory Council.

Andrew holds a B.S. in Finance and International Business, with distinction and honors, from Indiana University.

Partner

Alec Scheiner

Alec Scheiner is a Partner of the Firm and leads its Sports and Media investment business.

In his current role, Alec helps oversee the Firm’s investments in Fenway Sports Group, OneTeam Partners, and RedBird FC (comprised of Toulouse FC, the Rajasthan Royals and Zelus Analytics) and is actively involved in the Firm’s investments in Dream11, The SpringHill Company, Collector’s Universe and RedBall Acquisition Corp.

Alec has led OneTeam’s remarkable growth trajectory, resulting in 10x its original earnings in two years and has helped architect the company’s partnerships with Electronic Arts, Dapper Labs, Fanatics Trading CardCo and DraftKings. Under Alec’s stewardship, Toulouse Football Club has been the highest performing Ligue 2 team, and in less than a year Fenway Sports Group has added another Top 4 US league with the acquisition of the Pittsburgh Penguins. In addition, the Firm’s publicly traded RedBall Acquisition Corp has reached an agreement to merge with SeatGeek, an innovative mobile technology-based ticketing platform that is a leader in both the primary and secondary ticketing markets.

Prior to joining RedBird, Alec had a successful 12-year operating career in sports. From 2012 to 2016, Alec was President of the Cleveland Browns, and under his leadership the team set sales records for season tickets, club seats, suites and corporate partnerships. The team increased its gate revenue by almost 20% during this period and had the second-fastest-growing corporate partnership revenue in the NFL.

Alec joined the Browns after spending eight years with the Dallas Cowboys, initially as General Counsel and then as the first non-ownership Senior Vice President. While at the Dallas Cowboys, Alec helped design the sales strategy for the $1.2 billion AT&T Stadium and was instrumental in structuring and negotiating the public and private financing of the stadium during the Financial Crisis. He was also the point person for the Cowboys on the creation of Legends Hospitality in partnership with the New York Yankees and Goldman Sachs. In this capacity, Alec served on the company’s Board of Directors, was the Cowboys’ representative on its three-person executive committee and helped develop the Legends Premium Sales model.

Alec holds a B.S.F.S. in International Economics and Latin American Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law School.

Partner

Dan Swift

Dan Swift is a Partner of the Firm and focuses on Portfolio Monitoring and Capital Markets activities.

In his current role, Dan oversees RedBird’s Portfolio Monitoring Team, which manages the Firm’s portfolio positions across the lifecycle of each investment. This team, which includes senior professionals across all functions of the Firm, works directly with deal teams and portfolio company management to achieve the investment outcomes that we underwrite. The PMT process encompasses quarterly financial reporting, strategic and operational reviews, and sector-specific analysis, all geared toward ensuring that we execute on our investment thesis, adapt to ever-changing market conditions, and maximize the value of our investments over time. Dan is also actively involved in all Capital Markets activity across the portfolio which ranges from SPAC issuance and subsequent business combinations to refinancing and recapitalization transactions.

Prior to joining RedBird, Dan had a successful 22-year career at Goldman Sachs, where he was a Partner of the firm and led the Corporate Finance practice and co-led the Technology, Media & Telecom group of Goldman in Asia. He was a founding member of Goldman’s Beijing office, and also lived in Hong Kong and Singapore, spending 17 years in Asia. During his tenure, Dan advised Goldman’s largest clients in Asia and led deal teams across Greater China, Korea, India and Southeast Asia. He was a member of the firm’s Capital Committee and Commitments Committee, supervising all aspects of Corporate Finance and M&A execution. Dan also served on the Listing Committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, guiding key policy reforms for the Hong Kong capital markets.

Philanthropically, Dan is a trustee of the Asian Cultural Council in New York City and the International Advisory Council of Washington University in St. Louis.

Dan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Washington University and an M.B.A. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Partner

Julia Wittlin

Julia Wittlin is a Partner of the Firm and leads the Firm’s Miami office as well as its Venture and Emerging Growth investment vertical.

In her current role, Julia oversees the Firm’s efforts in venture and emerging growth where RedBird backs disruptive technologies and business models in RedBird’s core areas of expertise.

Prior to joining RedBird, Julia spent 15 years at BlackRock. Most recently, Julia was a Managing Director and a senior portfolio manager within BlackRock Alternative Investors, where she developed and led the team’s growth equity investment efforts and deployed over $500 million. Julia’s investments include leading companies such as Hashicorp, Rivian, Epic Games, Attentive, and Databricks.

Julia is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and was a member of the UN PRI Private Equity working group where she focused on advancing diversity efforts within the industry. Additionally, Julia is a steering committee member of the southeast chapter of WAVE, the Women’s Association of Venture and Equity.

Julia holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a Certificate in Mathematical Modeling. She is a CFA, CAIA, and FRM designation holder.

Partner

Mike Zabik

Mike Zabik is a Partner of the Firm and leads its Financial Services investment business.

In his current role, Mike leads all sourcing, execution, company building and monetization initiatives across the FIG portfolio. Since 2014, the Firm has invested over $700 million in Financial Services investments across six investments and completed 12 add-on acquisitions. Mike is responsible for the Firm’s investments in Aquarian Holdings, Arax Investment Partners, Obra Capital, Main Street Advisors and Grafine Partners, and is actively involved in Skydance Media and Zenith Shipping. Mike also previously led RedBird’s investment in Constellation Affiliated Partners, an MGA platform, sold to Truist in July 2021 and was involved in OneTeam Partners, which was exited in September 2022.

In addition to his active investment responsibilities, Mike leads the Portfolio Financing Team, which has structured the portfolio company financings across 40 platform investments and over 80 add-on acquisitions.

Prior to joining RedBird, Mike was a Vice President at Ares Management LLC for four years, and before that was an Associate at Kelso & Company. Mike began his career at Deutsche Bank in the firm’s Leveraged Finance and Private Debt businesses.

Philanthropically, Mike is a member of Indiana University’s Investment Banking Network Advisory Council.

Mike holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Indiana University.

Chief Operating Partner

Mark Dowley

Mark Dowley is the Chief Operating Partner of the Firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Mark was the Chief Strategy Officer of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, a diversified entity with portfolio companies in media, entertainment, consumer products, gaming, biotech, defense and technology.

Prior to MacAndrews & Forbes, Mark was a partner at Endeavor, responsible for overseeing the agency’s corporate marketing, commercial, digital and new business efforts. Prior to Endeavor, Mark was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Interpublic Sports and Entertainment Group, where he oversaw multiple divisions, including Octagon, Octagon Motorsports, Initiative Media, PMK/BNC, Rogers & Cowens and GM EventWorks. Mark was also vice chairman of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup. In his various roles, Mark has created and managed sponsorship and media transactions with professional and amateur sports leagues, global artists, musicians and athletes, including NBA, Premier League, MLB, NFL, Live Nation, The Rolling Stones, Jay Z, the Grateful Dead and LeBron James.

In 2008, Mark founded Art & Science (“A&S”) to provide strategic marketing, communications, creative services and sponsorship portfolio management to a global set of Fortune 500 companies. A&S, via its Artists in Residence program, creates proprietary marketing solutions in partnership with companies to help increase market share, drive revenue and enhance business results. In 2021, RedBird acquired A&S to be a strategic growth partner for RedBird portfolio companies.

Philanthropically, Mark has been actively involved in raising support for COVID relief. He produced two documentaries, including “Sparks in the Darkness“ and the “Surge at Mt. Sinai” as well as the music series “Pay it Forward for Small Business.” Together with Bobby Shriver and Bono, Mark is the co-creator of Product (RED), a global AIDS/HIV relief organization, which has raised more than $700 million from global consumers.

Mark currently sits on the boards of the Child Mind Institute, the world’s leading childhood mental health clinical research organization, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. He is also on the board of Pharrell Williams and Virgil Abloh’s Black Ambition, which is dedicated to providing business grants to young BIPOC entrepreneurs. Most recently, Mark has been appointed as a director to the Bahamas National Trust Fund Inc. (“BNT”), that pursues advancement opportunities in support of the environment and people of The Bahamas.

Mark holds a B.A. from The College of Wooster where he currently sits on the Board of Trustees.

Chief Executive Officer, RedBird IMI, Operating Partner, RedBird Capital Partners

Jeff Zucker

Jeff Zucker is the CEO of the RedBird IMI and an Operating Partner at RedBird Capital Partners. RedBird IMI is a joint investment vehicle focused on acquiring, investing in and building large scale media, entertainment and sports content properties on a global basis.

Jeff has had one of the most storied careers in media, creating new brands and resurrecting old ones. He spent the last three decades in leadership roles across every part of media, including news, sports, entertainment, and digital innovation.
 
Most recently, Jeff served as President of CNN, from 2013-2022, and Chairman of WarnerMedia Sports from 2019-2022. In Jeff’s nine years at CNN, he oversaw a dramatic turnaround of the global news network, driving it to its largest audiences ever and turning it into the most used digital news and information outlet in the world.  At WarnerMedia Sports he was responsible for all programming acquisitions, production, marketing, league relations and sales.  The portfolio included partnerships with the NBA, NHL, MLB and the NCAA for the Men’s Basketball Championship. 

Prior to CNN and WarnerMedia Sports, Jeff spent 25 years at NBC Universal. His ascent at NBC began in 1986 as a researcher for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul. He then took over NBC’s Today show at the age of 26 and re-invented the historic morning news program. After ten years there and four years as the President of NBC Entertainment, he became the President and CEO of NBCUniversal, from 2007-2011.

While CEO of NBCUniversal, he also co-founded the online streaming service Hulu, in 2007.
  
A 14-time Emmy Award winner and three-time Peabody Award recipient, Jeff received a BA in American History from Harvard College. He served as president of The Harvard Crimson from 1985 to 1986.

Managing Director

Tyler Alexander

Tyler Alexander is a Managing Director of the Firm and focuses on TMT investments.

In his current role, Tyler is actively involved in the firm’s investment in Talent Systems, which he holds a board seat on, as well as Compass Datacenters, TierPoint and Next Tier Connect. He was also involved with N3, which was exited in 2020. Collectively, these companies have closed 15+ add-on acquisitions, while also executing over $6 billion of debt and equity financing transactions to support continued growth across the technology landscape. In addition, Tyler works closely on Capital Markets activity for the existing portfolio and leads the Firm’s Management Compensation Team.

Prior to joining RedBird, Tyler was an Associate at MidOcean Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on consumer and business services. Prior to MidOcean, Tyler began his career at Rothschild & Co. in the firm’s global advisory restructuring group. At Rothschild, Tyler specialized in special situations, debt advisory, and in-court and out-of-court restructuring transactions related to the financial crisis.

Philanthropically, Tyler is a Member of the New York Regional Board for the College Foundation of the University of Virginia.

Tyler holds a B.A. in History with distinction from the University of Virginia, where he was a Jefferson Scholar.

Managing Director

Alexander Blankfein

Alex Blankfein is a Managing Director of the Firm and focuses on Consumer investments.

In his current role, Alex is actively involved in the Firm’s investments in Jet Linx and Aquarian Holdings, both of which he holds a board seat on, as well as in Aero Centers, EquipmentShare and TierPoint. Alex also helps lead the Firm’s Associate Recruiting efforts.

Prior to joining RedBird, Alex was a Senior Associate at The Carlyle Group, focusing on growth and middle-market buyout opportunities and portfolio companies across the healthcare, services and industrials sectors. Prior to Carlyle, Alex was a consultant at Bain & Company, where he was engaged in market, financial, and operational diligence for both private equity and corporate clients.

Alex holds both a B.A. in History and an M.B.A. from Harvard University.

Managing Director

Kevin LaForce

Kevin is a Managing Director at the Firm and helps lead its Sports and Media investment business.

In his current role, Kevin is actively involved in all aspects of strategic planning and business implementation for the XFL. Kevin has led several key areas including developing the League’s media strategy and running a market process for live game distribution rights, driving key commercial and fan engagement priorities including the League’s approach to legalized sports betting and interactive gaming and engaging the National Football League (“NFL”) on opportunities to enhance the sport of football. In addition to his active role with the XFL, Kevin has leveraged his expertise and relationships across the media and sports marketplace to support business development efforts across the Firm’s sports and media portfolio, including the Rajasthan Royals, Skydance, SeatGeek and YES.

Prior to joining RedBird, Kevin had an notable 14-year career at the National Football League (“NFL”), where he most recently served as the Senior Vice President of Media Strategy and Business Development. Kevin also established and led the NFL’s strategic investment entity, 32 Equity LLC, serving as Vice President from 2013 to 2021.

During his tenure at the NFL, Kevin led the League’s media strategy and business development efforts, focusing on partnerships representing over 70% of the NFL’s annual revenue. Under Kevin’s leadership, the NFL negotiated the most favorable live game distribution contract in the League’s history, valued at over $110 billion. Kevin also grew 32 Equity into a market-leading strategic investment platform. 32 Equity’s most transformative transaction was the 2015 spin-off of the League’s premium hospitality business, On Location Experiences (“OLE”) in partnership with RedBird. OLE grew to become one of the world’s leading independent premium event and hospitality platform increasing its revenue from $20 million at inception to over $550 million upon its sale to Endeavor in 2020.

Kevin holds a B.A. in English and Government from Lehigh University and a M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Head of Capital Partnerships

Colleen Quilty

Colleen Quilty is the Head of Capital Partnerships of the Firm.

In her current role, Colleen is responsible for all existing and prospective Limited Partner relationships. As part of her responsibilities, Colleen oversees fund formation, new and ongoing diligence requests, fund communication and reporting, and manages client relationships. In addition, Colleen is involved in the Firm’s ongoing efforts and commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Prior to RedBird, Colleen was a senior member of the Business Development team at Lone Star, an $85 billion real estate, equity, credit fund. While at Lone Star, Colleen focused on the firm’s marketing and fundraising efforts, as well as managing investor relations. She focused primarily on North American LPs including consultants and public pension plan clients. Prior to Lone Star, Colleen was a Relationship Manager in the Marketing and Investor Relations Group at Och-Ziff Capital Management. Before joining Och-Ziff, Colleen was a Relationship Manager at UBS Wealth Management. Colleen began her career at J.P. Morgan Private Bank as an investor and advisor to families and institutionally sized private accounts.

Philanthropically, Colleen is involved with the Junior League of New York City, an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

Colleen holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University.

Principal

Niraj Shah

Niraj Shah is a Principal of the Firm and focuses on Sports and Media investments.

In his current role, Niraj is actively involved in each of the firm’s Sports and Media investments to date, representing over $1.6 billion of equity deployed, including investments in Dream11, Fenway Sports Group, the Rajasthan Royals, The SpringHill Company, Toulouse Football Club, Wasserman Media Group and the YES Network. Niraj also plays a central role in the oversight of the XFL, RedBall Acquisition Corp. and Skydance Media, as well as RedBird’s exited investment in On Location Experiences with the NFL.

Prior to joining RedBird, Niraj was an Associate of Apax Partners, a global private equity firm, where he evaluated investments within the Media and Business Services industries. Niraj began his career as an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs, where he advised a variety of clients within the Consumer Retail Group on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts.

Philanthropically, Niraj is a mentor with The Opportunity Network, an organization whose mission is to provide students from low income and underrepresented backgrounds in the NYC area with hands-on college prep and career education services.

Niraj holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing with honors from The Ohio State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Capital Partnerships

Marc Younan

Marc Younan is a member of the Capital Partnerships team.

In his current role, Marc is responsible for all existing and prospective Limited Partner relationships in Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

Prior to joining RedBird, Marc was a senior member of the Business Development/Institutional Sales team at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. As an Executive Director, Marc focused on institutional client’s fund raising across all asset classes and strategic relationships in the Middle East and New Markets. Prior to Goldman, Marc began his career at Bank Audi in Lebanon where he held several positions across retail product development, consumer lending and client service.

Marc holds a B.S in Finance (Honour List) and an MBA (Distinguish List), both from the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Beirut.

Chief Financial Officer

David Grochow

David Grochow is the Chief Financial Officer of the Firm.

In his current role, David is responsible for all financial activities for the firm, including accounting and investor reporting operations, risk management and tax planning.

Prior to joining RedBird, David was the Chief Financial Officer at Irving Place Capital for eight years. Prior to Irving Place Capital, David worked for six years as Controller in the Private Equity Group at The Blackstone Group. David also spent time with Geller & Co. and Arthur Andersen as a Senior Accountant.

David holds a B.B.A. degree from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Michael Chiaravalloti

Michael Chiaravalloti is the Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of the Firm.

In his current role, Michael is responsible for all regulatory relationships, compliance and legal activity for the Firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Michael had a distinguished 15-year career at J.P. Morgan, most recently as a Managing Director and Head of the Global Funds Structuring team within the J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Alternative Investments Group. The platform had $100 billion in client capital invested across the private equity, hedge funds and real assets at the time of his departure. As part of his activities at J.P. Morgan, Michael served as a director of J.P. Morgan Private Investments Inc., a registered investment advisor, and a member of the Private Equity Advisory Council and Private Investments Council. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Michael was an Associate in the Corporate Department at Proskauer Rose LLP.

Michael holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law.

Operating Partner

Brent Stehlik

Brent Stehlik is an Operating Partner of the Firm and as well as the President of OneTeam Partners.

In his current role at OneTeam Partners, Brent is responsible for the day-to-day activity of the business and growth of the commercial licenses and marketing opportunities. Brent helped lead the company to a $200 million run-rate EBITDA in its third year, nearly a 5x increase from initial EBITDA and an IRR of over 100%. Under his leadership, the company has added licenses with brands such as Bally’s, Dapper Labs, Sorare, Mythical Games and signed long-term extensions that included significant increases with EA and Sony, among others. During his tenure as President, the company has also added Player Association relationships with the MLSPA, USWNTPA, NWLSPA and WNBA. Brent also spends time on other RedBird sports investments, including the commercial aspects of RedBird FC.

Prior to joining RedBird, Brent had a successful 20-year career across various leading sports organizations. Most recently, Brent was Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer of the Cleveland Browns, where he oversaw all aspects of revenue generation for the franchise, including ticket sales and retention, operations, suite and premium sales, corporate partnership sales and activation, concessions, merchandise and special events.

Prior to joining the Browns, Brent was Senior Vice President of business operations for the San Diego Padres, where he managed all aspects of revenue generation and marketing. Brent has held additional roles at the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Brent holds a B.A. in Sports Business from the University of Mount Union.

Advisor

Jason Port

Jason Port is an Advisor of the Firm focused on its Venture and Emerging Growth investment vertical.

In his current role, Jason is involved in the Firm’s efforts in venture and emerging growth where RedBird backs disruptive technologies and business models in RedBird’s core areas of expertise. Throughout his career, Jason notably invested in the early stages of high-growth companies including Twitter, Jump Forward and Uber. Jason was one of the earliest employees at Sportsline.com, aiding its rapid growth before its acquisition by CBS. Since then, he has focused his investments in early-stage companies while his consultancy, Network Media Group, has offered strategic consulting to companies of all sizes. As the initial investor in Quirky.com, he was instrumental in backing the vision of the disruptive collaborative innovation platform. Most recently, Port lead business development at LeadEdge Capital Partners, a $5B Venture Growth Fund focused on Saas/Technology.

Jason serves on the Board of Directors of the Heather on Earth Music Therapy Foundation, as well as on the advisory board of the Miami Country Day School. He has also served as a speaker for EY Global’s World Entrepreneur of the Year event in Monaco.

Vice President

Dana Covo

Dana Covo is a Vice President of the firm.

In her current role, Dana works closely with Institutional and EFO partners to tailor investment solutions which help bring strategic capital partners to RedBird portfolio companies, develop co-investment opportunities and connect global family offices.

Prior to joining RedBird, Dana spent four years at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank. In her most recent role, she was an Investment Specialist in the Global Investment Opportunities group (GIO), a team that provides both long term and tactical multi-asset class investment ideas to the firm’s most active and sophisticated Individual and family office clients. Prior to GIO, Dana was part of the Global Investments Business Strategy team. In her role, she helped oversee the management of 700 global Investment advisors.

Dana received a B.A. with honors in English Literature from Emory University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Vice President

David Dingman

David Dingman is a Vice President of the Firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, David was the Managing Director of Shipston Group Limited, a private equity firm focused on both international and domestic investments across a wide range of industries, including automotive, biotech, real estate, and fintech. During his 13 years at Shipston Group Limited, David was instrumental in the transformation of several of the Company’s investments into global businesses, many of which were built as platform buy-and-builds. David also directed the reorganization and prioritization of investments with the focus on the monetization of legacy investments through both private and public market transactions. David was a member of Shipston’s Investment Committee, supervising all aspects of the corporate finance and M&A execution.

Among his many investments, David led Shipton’s roll up and integration of multiple high-precision machining companies and low-pressure aluminum casting suppliers to create Mobex Global. Mobex Global is a fully integrated globally trusted partner to the automotive, heavy-duty, construction, agriculture, and industrial markets, and is at the forefront of the evolving mobility industry. In addition, David positioned the IPOs of both China Maple Leaf Educational Systems and Genscript Biotech Corp, solving complicated jurisdictional and governance issues resulting in successful exits. Maple Leaf was the largest private boarding school system in China and Genscript Biotech Corp was a leading Hong Kong gene and cell therapy provider with a current market cap of $37 Billion HK.

In his current role at RedBird, David is actively involved in the sourcing and due diligence process involved with new investment opportunities, as well as actively involved in the management and oversight of the Firm’s investments in Compass Datacenters, Main Event, and Aquarian Holdings.

Philanthropically, David is an Advisor Advocate for the OKU Foundation and serves on the Board of the Boston Winter Ball. David is also an advisor to the Michael and Elizabeth Dingman Foundation.

David received both his MBA and BA in History from Boston College.

Vice President

Alex Goheen

Alex Goheen is a Vice President of the firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Alex was a Vice President at Pine Brook Partners, a New York based private equity firm that makes control investments in the Energy and Financial Services sectors. At Pine Brook, Alex was responsible for deal sourcing, transaction execution, and portfolio oversight of the firm’s Energy, Energy Transition, and Infrastructure investments. Prior to Pine Brook, Alex was an Investment Banking Analyst at Evercore Partners where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts across the energy and infrastructure sectors.

In his current role, Alex is actively involved in the management and oversight of the Firm’s Energy and Energy Solutions investments, including in Aethon United, Aethon III, Black Mountain South Texas I, CapturePoint, CapturePoint Solutions, FireBird Energy, Four Corners Petroleum, Lambda Energy Resources, Lambda Carbon Solutions and Tally Energy Services.

Alex received a B.B.A in Finance from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and was a member of the Portfolio Practicum Honors Program.

Vice President

Isaac Halyard

Isaac Halyard is a Vice President of the Firm.

In his current role, Isaac focuses on Sports & Media investments and is actively involved in the management and oversight of the investments in A.C. Milan, the SpringHill Company, Dream Sports, Fenway Sports Group, RedBird FC and the YES Network. He was also involved with RedBird’s prior investments in OneTeam Partners and On Location Experiences. Isaac serves on the Board of Directors of A.C. Milan and Toulouse FC.

Isaac was previously an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of The Goldman Sachs Group, where he advised a variety of clients within the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts.

Philanthropically, Isaac is on the Advisory Board of FC Harlem, a specialized non-profit program for talented and committed minority youth ages 10-19 who often do not get opportunities to pursue soccer development at the highest levels. The program’s development model consists of licensed, competent coaches who use the small spaces of the inner cities, immigrant culture and creativity of the neighborhoods to develop dynamic soccer players.

Isaac received a B.A. in Economics and a minor in African and African American Studies from Stanford University.

Vice President

Katherine Kapnick

Katherine is a Vice President of the firm.

In her current role, Katherine is actively involved in the management and oversight of the investments in Compass Datacenters, Constellation Affiliated Partners and Grafine Partners.

Prior to joining RedBird, Katherine worked as COO and Co-Founder of Hill House Home, a direct-to-consumer home goods brand. Katherine started her career as an analyst at L Catterton, a global private equity firm, where she evaluated leveraged buyout and minority investment opportunities within the Consumer sector.

Katherine received a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, with high honors. She received an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management.

Vice President

Irene Keskinen

Irene Keskinen is a Vice President of the Firm and focuses on Financial Services investments.

In her current role, Irene is actively involved in the management and oversight of the Financial Services portfolio and in evaluating new opportunities across the sector.

Prior to joining RedBird, Irene spent seven years in private equity at The Carlyle Group and General Atlantic focused on growth equity and buyout investments across the global Financial Services sector. She began her career at Morgan Stanley in investment banking.

Irene holds a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and joint B.Comm. and B.A. (Economics) degrees from Queen’s University, where she graduated with First Class Honours.

Vice President

Toby Lee

Toby Lee is a Vice President of the firm.

In his current role, Toby is actively involved with the investments in Constellation Affiliated Partners, Majority Strategies, OneTeam Partners and Zenith Shipping.

Toby was previously an Investment Banking Analyst at Lazard Freres & Co., where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts in the Technology Group.

Toby received a B.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

Vice President

Steven Loh

Steven Loh is a Vice President of the firm and Chief Financial Officer of FireBird Energy.

In his current role at RedBird, Steven is actively involved in the management and oversight of the investments in Aethon United, FireBird Energy, Four Corners Petroleum, Lambda Energy Resources, Perdure Petroleum, and Tally Energy Services.

Prior to joining RedBird, Steven was the Director of Finance and Treasurer of RSP Permian, a publicly traded upstream company, where he managed a broad range of financial responsibilities including M&A, capital markets, credit facility, hedging and treasury.  Prior to RSP Permian, Steven worked at Aethon Energy, Lime Rock Resources and Deutsche Bank in a variety of energy finance-related roles.

Steven received a B.A. in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Classical Studies from Rice University, where he graduated Cum Laude.

Vice President

Dillon West

Dillon West is a Vice President of the Firm and focuses on Media, Entertainment and Consumer investments.

In his current role, Dillon is actively involved in the management and oversight of Artists Equity, Talent Systems, Skydance Media and RedBird’s QSR Investment. Dillon serves on the Board of Directors of Artists Equity. He was also involved with RedBird’s prior investment in Main Event, which was exited in July 2022. 

Dillon was previously an Investment Banking Analyst at Evercore Partners, where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts.

Dillon received a B.B.A. in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

Senior Associate

Kyle Law

Kyle Law is a Senior Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Kyle is actively involved with the investments across the current TMT portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Kyle was an Associate at Golden Gate Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, where he evaluated leveraged buyout, minority investment, and bankruptcy restructuring opportunities.

Prior to Golden Gate, Kyle was an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of The Goldman Sachs Group, where he advised a variety of clients within the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings, and leveraged buyouts.

Kyle received a B.S. in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Senior Associate

Dean Pacinelli

Dean Pacinelli is a Senior Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Dean is actively involved with the investments across the current Sports and TMT portfolios.

Prior to joining RedBird, Dean was previously an Analyst at UBS Investment Bank where he worked in the Global Industries Group, focused on Industrial Technology and Tech-Enabled Services.

He received a B.S. in Finance from the Pennsylvania State University.

Associate

Alex Balleza

Alex Balleza is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Alex is actively involved with the investments across the current Financial Services portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Alex was an Investment Banking Analyst at Wells Fargo Securities, where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts and debt and equity financings in the Financial Institutions space.

Alex received a B.S. in Finance from Bentley University.

Associate

Jake Cohen

Jake Cohen is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Jake is actively involved with the investments across the current Consumer portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Jake was an Investment Banking Analyst at Evercore Partners, where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and debt and equity financings in the Transportation and Infrastructure sectors. He began his career at Stifel as an Investment Banking Analyst advising companies on M&A and equity financings in the Healthcare Group.

Jake received a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Pennsylvania.

Associate

Jason Kao

Jason Kao is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Jason is actively involved with the investments across the current Financial Services portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Jason was an Investment Banking Analyst at UBS, where he advised on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and debt and equity financings in the Financial Institutions Group.

Jason received a B.S. in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Associate

Oscar Lin

Oscar Lin is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Oscar is actively involved with investments across the current TMT and Consumer portfolios.

Prior to joining RedBird, Oscar was an Investment Banking Analyst at Jefferies Group LLC where he worked in the Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group, focused on the Automotive Aftermarket, Consumer and Sports sectors.

Oscar received a B.S. in Finance from Indiana University.

Associate

Elizabeth Owen

Elizabeth Owen is an Associate of the firm.

In her current role, Elizabeth is actively involved with investments across the current Consumer, TMT, Sports, and Energy portfolios.

Prior to joining RedBird, Elizabeth was an Investment Banking Analyst at Barclays Capital, where she advised on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and debt and equity financings.

Elizabeth received a B.B.A. in Finance from the McCombs School of Business and a B.A. in Plan II Honors at The University of Texas at Austin.

Associate

Chase Shea

Chase Shea is an Associate of the firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Chase was an Investment Banking Analyst at Credit Suisse, where she advised and executed on mergers and acquisitions and leveraged buyouts in the Financial Sponsors Group. In her current role, she works on the Capital Partnerships team focusing on limited partner relationships and capital raising initiatives.

Chase received a B.S.B.A in Finance and Management from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Associate

Gavin Springer

Gavin Springer is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Gavin is actively involved with investments across the current Sports portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Gavin was an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Guggenheim Securities, where he advised a variety of clients within the Technology, Media & Telecommunications Group on mergers and acquisitions, activism defense, equity and debt financings and leveraged buyouts.

Gavin received a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University.

Associate

Nelson Urdaneta

Nelson E. Urdaneta Mezerhane is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Nelson is actively involved with the investments across the current Consumer and Sports portfolios.

Prior to joining RedBird, Nelson was previously an Analyst at Morgan Stanley where he worked in the Consumer Retail Group, focused on VMS and Global Beverage.

He received a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Associate

Griffin White

Griffin White is an Associate of the firm.

In his current role, Griffin is actively involved in the management and oversight of the Firm’s Energy and Energy Solutions investments.

Prior to joining RedBird, Griffin was an Associate at Stronghold Investment Management, a Dallas based private equity firm that focused on investments in the real-assets space. At Stronghold, Griffin was responsible for deal sourcing, transaction execution, and portfolio oversight of the firm’s Energy investments. Prior to Stronghold, Griffin was an Analyst with Citigroup in the Investment Banking Global Energy Group in Houston.

Griffin graduated Summa Cum Laude from SMU and received a B.B.A in Finance from the Cox School of Business and received a minor in Engineering Management, Information and Systems from the Lyle School of Engineering.

Analyst

Jordan Kennedy

Jordan Kennedy is an Analyst of the firm.

In his current role, Jordan is actively involved with the investments in across the current Sports portfolio.

Prior to joining RedBird, Jordan was a Summer Analyst in Blackstone’s Strategic Partners Group, Barclays’ Tech Equity Capital Markets within Investment Banking, and Robert W. Baird’s Equity and Fixed Income Capital Markets divisions.

Jordan was a member of SEO and BLK Capital Management and was the inaugural intern for Access Distributed and the CEO, Founder, and Chairman of his own nonprofit, Diverse Leaders for Tomorrow.

Jordan received a B.B.A. in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Controller

Kimberly Raba

Kimberly Raba is the Controller of the firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Kimberly was a Vice President of Finance at Benefit Street Partners.  Prior to BSP, Kimberly worked in a financial reporting capacity at CAN Capital.  She also spent time as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Kimberly received a B.B.A. degree from James Madison University, a M.S. degree in Professional Accounting from the Stillman School of Business, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Kimberly also serves as the New York City Advisory Chair to the SEC Professionals Group.

Assistant Controller

Ashleigh Coughlan

Ashleigh Coughlan is an Assistant Controller at the firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Ashleigh was a Managing Direct at Greystone & Co where she oversaw the Accounting and Finance Department. She held various Finance roles across the firm throughout her 13-year tenure.

Ashleigh received both a B.A. in Business and Accounting from Atlantic Technological University and a M.S. in Finance from the Technological University of Dublin.

Finance Manager

Tim Lee

Tim Lee is a Finance Manager of the Firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Tim was a Senior Fund Accountant at American Securities, LLC. Prior to American Securities, Tim worked as a Senior Audit Associate at RSM US LLP.

Tim received both a B.B.A. and M.S. in Accountancy from Baruch College and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Finance Manager

Matthew O’Brien

Matthew O’Brien is a Finance Manager of the Firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Matt was an Associate in the fund accounting group at Cowen Inc. Prior to Cowen, Matthew worked as an Accounting Analyst at Millennium Management. He also spent time as a Senior Audit Associate at KPMG LLP.

Matthew received a B.S. in Business Administration and double majored in Finance and Accounting at Saint Joseph’s University.

Finance Associate

Pechie Wat

Pechie Wat is a Finance Associate of the firm.

Prior to joining RedBird, Pechie held various positions at Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB).

Pechie received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.