Ignacio Jayanti - Corsair Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Ignacio Jayanti is the Chief Executive Officer of Corsair and serves as Chairman of the Buyouts Investment Committee and as a member of the Infrastructure Investment Committee. He joined Corsair in 1993 when the first Corsair fund was launched and is based in New York. Ignacio is a director of Corsair portfolio companies IDnow and ZEDRA. Prior to spinning off Corsair as an independent business from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. in 2006, Ignacio played a key role as a senior member of the investment team of the predecessor Corsair funds and also was responsible for managing the operations...
info_outline
Omar Jaffrey - Palistar Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Omar Jaffrey has been involved in technology, media and telecommunications (“TMT”) investments, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, public and private capital raises, restructuring and bankruptcies for over 30 years. Mr. Jaffrey founded Palistar Capital (formerly, Melody Investment Advisers, “Palistar”) in 2019 as a specialist digital infrastructure investor as his go-forward investment platform and created Symphony Wireless, an affiliated easements origination platform (“Symphony”). The team successfully raised a $2 billion dedicated digital infrastructure...
info_outline
Daphne Dufresne - Awani Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Daphne Dufresne is the Founder and Managing Partner of Awani Capital. She leads the firm’s strategic direction, investment decisions, and value creation initiatives across the portfolio. With over 25 years of private equity experience, Daphne has a long-standing track record of building scalable businesses in the business and industrial services sectors. She plays an active role in all phases of the investment process—from deal sourcing and thesis development to portfolio company growth and exit strategy. Before founding Awani, Daphne was a Managing Partner at GenNx360, a $2.2...
info_outline
Advice to Young Professionals and College Students from Female Private Equity Professionals
Private Equity Fast Pitch
In recognition of International Women’s Month, I’m releasing a montage of advice from some of the most accomplished women in our industry. These remarkable leaders have navigated one of the most demanding and historically male-dominated corners of business and have done it with conviction, resilience, and extraordinary leadership. If you’re a young professional, a student considering this industry, or a leader developing the next generation of talent, this episode is worth your time. Sunaina Sinha - Global Head, Private Capital Advisory, and Senior Managing Director,...
info_outline
Suzanne Yoon - Kinzie Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a Chicago- based private equity firm redefining the lower middle market. With over 25 years of experience, Suzanne founded Kinzie on the conviction that sustainable value is unlocked by integrating people and operational innovation with technology. Under her leadership, Kinzie specializes in founder transitions across the manufacturing, business services, and consumer sectors. Suzanne and her team move beyond traditional oversight to serve as hands-on partners, utilizing tech-driven efficiencies to scale...
info_outline
Andy Unanue - AUA Private Equity Partners
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Andy Unanue is the founder and Managing Partner of AUA Private Equity Partners, an operationally-focused, lower middle market investment firm with expertise in supporting and growing family-owned and demographic-driven businesses. Andy is a member of AUA Private Equity’s Investment Committee, and under his leadership, AUA has deployed over $800 million of capital to date. AUA’s business model is driven by Andy’s own family background – he is a member of the Unanue family, which owns and runs Goya Foods, the largest producer of Spanish- and Latin-American foods in the United...
info_outline
Eric Wiklendt - Speyside Equity
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Eric Wiklendt is a Managing Director at Speyside Equity, where he is responsible for sourcing, executing, managing, and exiting investments. Eric has previously held senior leadership and operational roles, and he currently serves on the Boards of several portfolio companies. Before joining Speyside Equity, Eric was President & CEO of Kelix Heat Transfer Systems. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Eaton and Hilti Corporation, where he oversaw M&A activities, established a manufacturing plant in Mexico, managed a large marketing team, and directed industrial sales...
info_outline
Sam Gaynor - Altamont Capital Partners
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Sam Gaynor is a Managing Director at Altamont Capital Partners where he oversees their Financial Services practice. Sam evaluates and underwrites deals in the insurance, asset / wealth management, and specialty finance sectors, working closely with management teams to help maximize the value of their businesses. In particular, Sam has overseen Altamont's efforts to incubate new Financial Services businesses, having launched eight new companies over the last decade.
info_outline
Quotes and Mottos Montage from Private Equity and Investment Banking Professionals
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Throughout 2025, I sat down with CEOs, founders, investors, and leaders across the private equity ecosystem. In every conversation, I asked a question that I have asked since the very first episode of Private Equity Fast Pitch: What’s the quote, motto, or what drives you? The answers were telling as there were no slogans or catchy buzzwords. What stood out was a shared seriousness about how success is built over time. Intention. Discipline. Mentorship. Compassion. Consistency. A deep respect for people and for the responsibility that comes with leadership....
info_outline
Eliot Kerlin - Broadwing Capital
Private Equity Fast Pitch
Eliot serves as Managing Partner of Broadwing Capital, which he co-founded after 20 years of operational private equity experience. He is responsible for overall direction of the firm and ensuring Broadwing achieves its investment objectives in a manner consistent with the firm’s mission and core values. He originates and leads investment opportunities, partners with management post-acquisition to achieve transformative results, and serves as primary contact at the firm for investors. Eliot has been a private equity investor since 2000, and has significant expertise in mergers and...
info_outlineParker Weil is Executive Managing Director, Co-Head of Global Corporate and
Investment Banking Coverage at TD Securities (TDS), and sits on the CIB Executive
Management Committee. He is responsible for overseeing the business’ global
strategy, managing key relationships, and leading high-profile transactions to drive
business growth and market expansion.
Prior to this, Parker was the Co-Head of the Financial Sponsors Group which manages
the firm’s relationships with Private Equity firms, Family Offices, and Independent
Sponsors. He has over 30 years of experience providing M&A advice and capital
raising services to companies in the manufacturing, energy & power, and business
services industries. Prior to TD Cowen, Parker served as Managing Director and head
of the Industrials and Natural Resources investment banking group for Stifel Financial
Corp. He previously held roles at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers.
Parker currently serves on the Board of Directors of 180 Degree Capital Corp. He has
also served on Clean Energy Fuels and on the Board of Trustees of the Ridgewood
Lacrosse Association.
Parker holds a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from
the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.