TEAM

Bart Foster
Managing Partner

San Francisco

Bart is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of L Capital. He is an experienced private equity investor and operating partner, having led/co-led more than 35 private equity transactions and business transformations. In aggregate, he has invested more than $375 million in equity capital across various industries.

Prior to L Capital, Bart was the operating partner responsible for software investments at Marlin Equity Partners. Previously, he led successful investments and business transformations in partnership with leading private equity firms, including Francisco Partners, Battery Ventures, Golden Gate Capital, Warburg Pincus, and TCV. Bart has served as chairman of six companies with annual revenue ranging from $20 million to $650 million. He began his career as a strategy consultant for Booz, Allen & Hamilton and worked as an executive in the technology industry including executive roles at Oracle and Informatica.

Bart received an MBA from Harvard Business School (with distinction) and bachelor’s degrees from Stanford University in economics and political science.

Simon Francis
Partner

San Francisco

Simon is a Co-Founder and Partner at L Capital and a Co-Founder of Renovata & Company, L Capital's affiliated retained executive firm focused on PE as an asset class.

Simon’s expertise as a specialist “headhunter” focused on serving private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies was the genesis for today’s three-part platform: L Capital + Diligence & Advisory + Renovata. The strong client relationships at leading GPs, including many Founders and/or Managing Partners, were built over two decades. This market presence generated valuable co-investment opportunities. Francis then teamed up with Bart Foster, previously from Marlin Equity, (his running mate today) to create an investment vehicle.

With 24 years’ experience, Simon has led and completed hundreds of retained search engagements and dozens of pre-deal diligence engagements for 50+ of the Private Equity International (PEI) 300 top firms. By sector, Simon’s focus is Technology, Consumer, Industrial and Business Services sectors. His practice is primarily focused on CEO, CFO and/or Board Director searches for PE-backed companies. Simon is also the firm’s specialist in GP level portfolio operations and “operating partner” searches.

The early to mid-phase of Simon’s career was spent leading international executive search firms. He was a Partner for nine years with CTPartners (formerly Christian & Timbers), where he was the global practice leader for private equity. Previously he spent five years with Heidrick & Struggles, based in London initially and then transferred internally to Menlo Park, California in 1999.

In addition to co-founding Renovata & Company, L Capital and L Capital Advisors, Simon is a Board Director and co-founder of Clockwork, the leading SaaS provider to human capital professionals at investment firms and over 250 retained executive search firms.

A Lord Foley Scholar, Simon graduated with a law degree and a social anthropology minor from the London School of Economics and then went on to Bar School (the Inns of Court School of Law) for training as a barrister.

Tony Condino
CFO & Operating Partner

San Francisco

Tony is a senior finance and operations executive with extensive private equity experience. He serves as the Chief Financial Officer for L Capital and a finance operating partner for the firm's Diligence & Advisory offering. His expertise includes, financial planning analysis, cash management, controllership, acquisitions, and strategic initiatives targeting maximization of enterprise value and returns.

Prior to L Capital, Tony served in critical portfolio management functions for Marlin Equity Partners during the firm’s growth of Assets Under Management (AUM) from $50M to $6.5B. Tony helped drive outsized internal rates of return working directly with over 20 Marlin portfolio companies in both North America and Europe.

Tony’s prior career includes roles as vice president of finance at Stravina (Consumer Products), director FP&A at Ampad (Consumer Products), director of FP&A at Centis (Consumer Products), and product line controller at HITCO (Aerospace).

Tony has a BS in Finance from Santa Clara University and has a Certificate in Production and Inventory Control.

Michael Misiaszek
Principal

San Francisco

Michael is a Principal at L Capital and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating new investments for the firm. He also supports various value creation initiatives across the portfolio, assists with fundraising and manages investor relations.

Prior to L Capital, Michael worked as a Principal for a boutique private equity advisory and executive search firm. Michael’s practice focused on primarily on technology and business services, managing diligence projects and C-suite/board-level searches for top-tier buyout firms and their portfolio companies.

Michael spent his early career in fin-tech and consulting at FactSet Research Systems building and managing investment strategies for large buy side and private equity clients.

Michael graduated with honors from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management and the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship.

Jeff Yolen
Executive Vice President, Diligence & Advisory

Boston

Jeff Yolen serves as Executive Vice President of L Capital Diligence and Advisory and is responsible for business development and account management across the firm’s client portfolio.  

Prior to joining L Capital, Jeff served as Partner at Renovata, L Capital's affiliated retained executive firm focused on PE as an asset class.   Prior to his tenure at Renovata, Jeff spent time at Russel Reynolds and JM Search.  He spent more than 15 years as chief revenue officer or corporate development executive for companies including Virgin Management, Sphere (acquired by AOL), RealNetworks, and Kozmo.com.  He also served as a Venture Partner at New Atlantic Ventures and Vulcan Capital.

Jeff received an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters of Public Health from Harvard's Kennedy School, and bachelors degree with honors from Harvard in Urban Studies.

Kate Rowley
Vice President, Diligence & Advisory

San Francisco

Kate serves as Vice President of L Capital Diligence & Advisory and is responsible for research operations and customer success across the firm's client portfolio. In addition, she helps manage L Capital's investor relations and fundraising efforts. 

Prior to joining L Capital, Kate served as Director of Operations and Customer Success at Apex Leaders, a private equity consulting firm specializing in thematic development, deal origination, due diligence, board and executive placements. Kate spent her earlier career as an international healthcare project manager and a small business manager. 

Kate graduated with honors and earned an MBA with specialization in international business from Oakland University. She also holds a dual bachelor's degrees in Psychology and German studies with honors from Michigan State University. 

Brendan Ward
Vice President, Diligence & Advisory

New York

Brendan serves as Vice President of L Capital Diligence and Advisory and is responsible for business development and account management across the firm’s client portfolio.  

Prior to joining L Capital, Brendan served as Senior Director of Business Development at Apex Leaders, a private equity consulting firm specializing in thematic development, due diligence, portfolio advancement and board placements. Brendan spent his earlier career in sales at research advisory firm Gartner and at software startups Seismic Software, Persado, and Datalogix. 

Brendan graduated from Providence College with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Finance. He also received a certificate in International Business from Mount Batten in London where he also interned at Deutsche Bank. 

Cole Ishihara
Senior Associate, Diligence & Advisory

Cole Ishihara is a Senior Associate with L Capital Diligence & Advisory and is responsible for leading research and sourcing engagements across the firm's portfolio of clients. 

Prior to his current role, Cole worked for Apex Leaders, a boutique private equity advisory firm focused on executive led thesis development, due diligence, and portfolio advancement engagements.

Cole graduated with honors from Boise State where he earned his B.A. in History. 

Gordy Holterman
Special Advisor

Gordy has 30 years of experience in investing, building, and growing successful financial and technology organizations. His primary focus is on how technology and data science innovations are changing investment processes, wealth management, and financial transactions. Gordy works with several emerging technology companies across the fintech, proptech, insurtech, and agtech segments. He is Co-Founder of Vertis AI, a software provider developing a SaaS product that delivers actionable, data-driven insights for workforce, workplace, and commercial real estate decision-makers.

Previously Gordy was Founder and CEO of Overland Advisors, a multi-asset relative value hedge fund created in partnership with Wells Fargo. Before Overland, he served as SVP, Head of Financial Products for Wells Fargo, as the Founder and CEO of SF Sentry Relative Value Fund, and as a partner and Chief Operating Officer for Fixed Income Funds at Farallon Capital Management. Earlier, he started his financial career at O’Connor & Associates in Chicago.

Gordy earned a BS degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a JD from Stanford University Law School. Additionally, he serves on the board of advisors for Jumpstart, a national early childhood education organization working toward the day every child in America enters kindergarten prepared to succeed.