Francisco Partners (“FP)”, a leading technology-focused private equity firm, announced five senior promotions to its investment team: Megan Austin Karlen to Partner, Capital Markets; Neil Tolaney to Partner; and Evan Daar, Mario Razzini and Christine Wang to Principal.
Dipanjan “DJ” Deb, Co-Founder and CEO, said, “We are enormously proud of the individuals being promoted. Each has made substantial contributions to the firm’s success, and we are thrilled to have them as part of our senior team going forward. Great people are the most significant source of competitive advantage for private equity firms. Over the course of nearly 20 years, FP has built a strong track record of identifying and cultivating a diverse talent pool and promoting from within. Megan, Neil, Evan, Mario and Christine continue this tradition and we could not be happier to have them.”
Ms. Karlen joined Francisco Partners in 2016 and leads the capital markets function for the firm. Prior to joining FP, she was the Vice President of Business Development at Radius Intelligence. She was also the Vice President of Business Development at CardSpring. Previously, she was at Castle Harlan, Gleacher Mezzanine and Morgan Stanley. Megan is a graduate of Harvard College and received her MBA degree from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Tolaney joined Francisco Partners in 2016 and focuses on investments in the consumer internet sector. Neil currently serves on the Board of Directors of LegalZoom and Pet Circle. Prior to FP, he was a Vice President at Technology Crossover Ventures and Associate at Polaris Venture Partners. He was also previously at LegalZoom, where he led business and corporate development and FP&A. Neil graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yale University and also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Mr. Daar originally joined Francisco Partners in 2011 as an Associate and rejoined the firm in 2015 after pursuing his MBA degree. Evan serves on the Board of Directors of Discovery Education, Optanix, SmartBear, SonicWall and Verifone. Prior to FP, he worked as a Consultant with McKinsey & Company. Evan graduated Phi Betta Kappa from Columbia University and received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Razzini joined Francisco Partners as an Associate in 2011. Mario currently serves on the Board of Directors of ByBox and ClickSoftware. Previously, he worked at Arma Partners, an M&A advisory firm, and started his career as an Analyst at Citigroup in the Natural Resources Group. Mario graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bocconi University in Milan.
Ms. Wang joined Francisco Partners in 2015. Christine serves on the Board of Directors of Prometheus Group and Quest Software. Prior to joining FP, she was an Associate at Advent International and began her career as an Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at J.P. Morgan. Christine graduated Cum Laude from Columbia University and also holds an MBA degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
About Francisco Partners:
Francisco Partners (“FP”) is a leading global private equity firm that specializes in investments in technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 19 years ago, FP has raised over $14 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 200 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. The firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.