October 27, 2020

54. L Catterton Managing Partners Michael Farello & Jon Owsley

42 minutes

Today, I'm joined by L Catterton Managing Partners Michael Farello & Jon Owsley.

In addition to investments in consumer brands across almost every category, L Catterton has been heavily involved in the fitness space investing in Equinox, ClassPass, Peloton, Tonal, and many others.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the future of fitness, including COVID's impact on gyms and studios, the growth of connected fitness, and the potential for tech companies like Apple and Amazon to get involved.

More on today's guests

Michael Farello

Michael is a Managing Partner of L Catterton's growth fund, focusing on all aspects of the fund's investment strategy and portfolio management. Over the course of his career, he has served on the Boards of more than 30 companies, with a particular focus on health and wellness, technology and direct-to-consumer businesses. In this capacity, he has focused on the companies' growth strategies, acquisitions and marketing and has extensive experience on both compensation and audit committees. He has served on the Boards of Vroom (NASDAQ: VRM), HomeChef (acquired by Kroger), Better.com, 98point6, ClassPass, Hydrow, Humann, and Pinarello among others.

Michael has worked in the consumer sector since the late-80s as a consultant, senior executive, and investor. Prior to joining Catterton, he held several executive positions at Dell where he led the company's consumer marketing and ecommerce business following a strategic role in the Office of the Chairman. Previously, Michael spent 12 years at McKinsey & Company, most recently as a Partner focusing on the consumer sector.

Mr. Farello earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School and a B.S. with distinction in industrial engineering from Stanford University.

Jon Owsley

Jon is a Managing Partner of the L Catterton Growth Fund. Prior to joining L Catterton, he was a consultant at The Parthenon Group, a strategy consulting firm based in Boston. Prior to joining The Parthenon Group, Jon was a corporate attorney at Hale and Dorr (now Wilmer Hale) in Boston. Prior to Hale and Dorr, he was the Assistant Brew Master at Otter Creek Brewing and was a college lacrosse coach. Jon received a B.A, magna cum laude, from Middlebury College and a JD, with honors, from Cornell Law School. Jon lives in Connecticut with his wife and three teenage daughters.