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.

These are not quotes for social media.

They are reference points for leadership.

I'm incredibly grateful for these guests time and our impactful conversations. And grateful to be able to bring these voices to the private equity community.

The Ninth Annual Quotes and Mottos montage features perspectives from our 2025 guests:

Erik Brooks – Founder & Managing Partner, Ethos Capital Action over analysis. Grit, discipline, and winning the next 30 minutes.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000684256262

Jeff Aiello – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Agellus Capital Execution over perfection. Momentum guided by principles.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000687186161

Russ Roenick – Founder & Managing Partner, Transom Capital Group Decisiveness and self-awareness. Knowing your limits and acting accordingly.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000731004463

Michelle Noon – Founder & Managing Partner, Clearhaven Partners Growth through discomfort. Progress comes from moving through challenge.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000733152917

Andrew Weinberg – Founder, CEO & Co-Chair, Brightstar Capital Partners Carpe Diem. Presence, gratitude, and intention, rooted in family.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000696604131

Paul Raphael – Founder & Partner, Aurea Quality and mentorship. Trusting people to figure it out.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000717775898

Parker Weil – Global Co-Head of Investment Banking, TD Securities Long-term thinking. Reputation, relationships, and consistency.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000737590933

Lucy Heintz – Partner, Actis Empathy and perspective. Understanding how others see the world.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000701104377

Chris Rozzell – Managing Partner, Cresta Fund Management Clarity over comfort. Discipline over drama. Truth over ego.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000721947245

Tim Meyer – Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Angeles Equity Partners Focus and simplification. Eliminate noise to intensify impact.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000735555551

Neda Vakilian – Partner, Actis Sharp thinking and grounded execution. Trust and responsibility as leadership.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000713638680

Robert Brown – CEO, Lincoln International Hustle and presence. Showing up and doing the blocking and tackling.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000711726279

Kristin Johnson – Managing Director, Altamont Capital Partners Service and humility. Leading by asking, "What can I do to help?"

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000726285319

Sean MacIver – Managing Director, KeyBanc Capital Markets Adaptability. Knowing when the familiar tool no longer fits.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000728454456

John Diggins – Partner, Platinum Equity Risk and growth. Understanding that not taking risk can be the biggest risk.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000706853889

Matthew Sparks – Managing Director, Northleaf Capital Proactivity. Skating to where the puck is going, not where it's been.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000723925489

Eliot Kerlin – Partner & Managing Partner, Broadwing Capital Presence and forward thinking. Focused on what comes next.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000741835818

Scott Sperling – Co-CEO, THL The ripple effect. Small actions compounding into meaningful impact.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000720142324

Michael Psaros – Co-Founder & Co-Managing Partner, KPS Capital Partners Time, gratitude, and legacy. Using success in service of something larger.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-equity-fast-pitch/id1359329939?i=1000739675082

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 acquisitions, corporate strategy, performance improvement, and realizations through sales, public offerings and dividend recapitalizations.

Prior to founding Broadwing in 2022, Eliot was a Managing Partner of Insight Equity, a private equity firm with $1.4 billion under management. During his 17 years at Insight, Eliot led numerous investments and exits, working with management teams to create significant value across pre-fund investments, three equity funds and one mezzanine vehicle. He was responsible for all stages of the investment process, collaborating closely with management to identify and implement strategic and tactical improvement opportunities. Eliot served as Director and Chairman of multiple portfolio company boards, acted as Chief Restructuring Officer at a portfolio company during the great recession, and led acquisitions and greenfield expansion efforts throughout the United States and in seven countries.

Before joining Insight, Eliot acted as turnaround manager for Bay State Paper Company. Earlier in his career, Eliot worked for three years at Jupiter Partners, a New York-based private equity fund focused on domestic manufacturing, distribution and services companies. Previously, Eliot worked as an investment banker in Merrill Lynch's Global Communications Group advising public and private companies on corporate mergers, public offerings and bond offerings.

Eliot enjoys investing in the lives of his three sons and daughter and his local community. He co-founded and serves as Chairman of Casa Del Lago, an outreach to the Bachman Lake community in Dallas. In addition, Eliot previously served as a long-time board member of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program and other non-profit boards, Director and Chairman of a school board, English as a Second Language teacher, Assistant Scoutmaster, and coach of multiple soccer teams. Eliot co-founded a national impact angel network that invests in young companies and provides advice to their founders. Active in professional circles as well, Eliot was the Chairman of the DFW Private Equity Forum and Director – Private Equity with the DFW Association for Corporate Growth. Originally from Ft. Worth, Eliot roots for the Aggies, enjoys the outdoors, took up tennis to protect his knees from soccer injuries, and can play tunes on several stringed instruments. He lives in Dallas with his wife and their four children.

Eliot holds an M.B.A. with distinction from Harvard Business School, and a B.B.A. in Finance with honors from Texas A&M University.

Michael Psaros is a Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP ("KPS") and a member of its Investment and Management Committees. KPS is a leading global private equity firm with approximately $19.4B (as of 6/30/25) of assets under management focused on making controlling equity investments in global manufacturing and industrial companies across an array of industries. KPS generates investment returns by structurally improving the strategic position, competitiveness and profitability of its portfolio companies. The KPS Funds' portfolio companies generate aggregate annual revenues of approximately $21.6B and operate 211 manufacturing facilities in 21 countries (as of 6/30/25 pro forma for recent acquisitions and exits).

Mr. Psaros currently serves on the Board of Directors of 14 KPS portfolio companies and as Chairman of six. He previously served on the Board of 35 former KPS portfolio companies. Prior to joining its predecessor in 1991 and co-founding KPS in 1997, he was an investment banker with Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.

He received a B.S.B.A. in Finance from Georgetown University and attended Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan.

The Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University, named for and endowed by the Psaros family in 2022, provides non-partisan, unbiased expertise to guide policy and practice. The Center leverages the strength of Georgetown's McDonough School of Business, distinguished faculty and leadership in finance and public policy to convene leaders across the private sector, global capital markets, legislators and regulators to solve problems for the common good.

Mr. Psaros served on Georgetown University's Board of Directors and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Executive Board of Advisors at McDonough School of Business. Mr. Psaros received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Honorus Causa, from Georgetown University in May 2025. Mr. Psaros created "The Michael and Robin Psaros Endowed Chair in Business Administration" at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business in 2013 and "The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Endowed Orthodox Chaplaincy, Endowed by the Michael Psaros Family" in 2021.

Mr. Psaros is the Vice Chairman of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero in New York City. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and is an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and serves on its National Council. He serves on the Board of Trustees of The Leadership 100 Endowment and the Executive Board of The Hellenic Initiative. Mr. Psaros was honored by the Hellenic Republic (Greece), the International Foundation for Greece and the Hellenic Post for his exceptional business achievements and philanthropy. The Hellenic Post placed Mr. Psaros on a limited-edition postage stamp now in circulation throughout Greece.

Michael Psaros, Commencement Speech, Georgetown University:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5U-9gVrfXto

Parker 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.

Tim is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Angeles Equity Partners. Tim is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the firm's investment activities.

Prior to co-founding Angeles Equity Partners in 2014, Tim co-led the Industrials vertical at The Gores Group with Jordan Katz. Tim was responsible for leading due diligence efforts, driving operational transformation and providing portfolio company oversight. During his tenure at Gores, Tim served as the Chairman and/or Chief Executive Officer of numerous portfolio companies, and was a member of both the Management and Investment Committees. Prior to Gores, Tim spent two years at Gateway, where he was responsible for the revenue and margin performance of Services, Software, and Enterprise Products in the Professional Business Unit. Prior to Gateway, Tim spent more than five years at Bain & Company, where he led numerous strategy, M&A and operational improvement engagements for corporate and private equity clients. Before that, Tim served in various sales leadership and transformation positions at AT&T and began his career with IBM.

Tim received a B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University and an M.B.A. with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle is the Founder and Managing Partner of Clearhaven Partners, which she founded in 2019 to build a private equity firm grounded in focus and shared values. She sets the firm's strategy and direction and chairs Clearhaven's Investment Committee. Under her leadership, Clearhaven manages more than $1 billion in AUM across multiple funds, investing in growth-oriented software and technology businesses. Michelle is responsible for firm leadership, investment origination, execution, and portfolio management.

Prior to founding Clearhaven, Michelle was a member of the investment teams at Thoma Bravo and Riverside Partners; at Riverside she served as a General Partner and member of the Investment Committee. She began her career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley. Michelle holds an MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School and a BBA, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame. She also studied at l'Université Catholique de l'Ouest in Angers, France, and taught at Erakommertzkolledz in Tallinn, Estonia. Michelle has been recognized by The Wall Street Journalas one of private equity's most influential women and by Buyouts as one of ten "Rock Stars of Private Equity's Future." She serves on the Advisory Board of 51 Vets.

Michelle lives in the Greater Boston area with her husband, two children, and their golden retriever. Michelle is a Christian, a music lover, and a proud alumna of the St. Charles, Illinois state champion dance team (go Saints!). She's also a novice fly fisher, having recently discovered an unexpected passion for the sport.

As a Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Russ brings an entrepreneurial spirit and a wealth of financial and operational expertise to Transom. He thrives on solving complex problems, and has earned a reputation as a responsive, proactive leader, investor, and business-builder. Russ manages Transom day-to-day, plays an active role in new investment evaluation & execution and with portfolio companies, and is a member of the investment committee.

Prior to forming Transom, Russ was a Junior Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on operational transformations across several industries and worked in the firm's Private Equity Practice. Prior to McKinsey, Russ was a product developer at Microsoft and an investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston, where he executed corporate finance transactions for technology companies.

Russ graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and holds an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Russ is an active member of the Young Presidents' Organization, Santa Monica Bay Chapter.

Episode 183 of the Private Equity Fast Pitch features Sean MacIver, Managing Director with KeyBanc Capital Markets. He has over 15 years of experience advising both private equity and corporate clientele across the debt capital markets. Sean currently spends most of his time working collaboratively with his industry partners within the Industrial & Business Services, Building Products, and Aerospace & Defense sub-verticals, but also has industry agnostic coverage of KeyCorp's Colorado and Southern California Commercial Banking markets.

Sean has led and executed over 250 unique financings over his career, raising well north of $100BN in capital for both middle market and large corporate clients. For Sean it isn't just about executing transactions—it's about forging longstanding trusted partnerships that will endure the test of time (and various market conditions for that matter).

Sean is a graduate of the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University of Ohio and earned his MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Outside of the office (or airport) you will find Sean spending time his with family (Sarah, Charlie, Teddy + Stevie), working on his sub-par golf game, or headlining at CORUS45, a Cleveland-based high-intensity pilates studio.

The opinions expressed by the KeyBanc Capital Markets speaker are not necessarily those of KeyBanc Capital Markets, or any of its affiliates. Any opinions expressed are provided for informational purposes only, does not constitute research, legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, or investment advice, and should not be regarded as a recommendation or a solicitation.

Kristin Johnson

Managing Director, Business Development

Kristin Johnson is a Managing Director of ACP, where she leads the firm's Business Development efforts. Prior to ACP, Kristin was a Principal in the fundraising group at TPG Capital, where she helped raise capital for the firm and manage investor relations. Previously, Kristin was a Managing Director in Morgan Stanley's corporate finance department, focused on working with private equity clients, for 10 years. Kristin began her career as a Consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton, focused on marketing-intensive clients. Kristin received an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Math and Economics from Pomona College.

Matthew Sparks, Managing Director, is a senior leader on the private equity team at Northleaf Capital Partners. Matthew leads the firm's North American secondaries strategy and also plays a key role in managing its Canadian fund investment portfolio.

With more than 15 years at Northleaf, he brings deep expertise in evaluating complex deals, building trusted GP relationships, and navigating the fast-evolving secondaries market.

He's been recognized as a Next Gen Leader by Secondaries Investor and awarded the Emerging Leader Award by The Private Capital Markets Association of Canada as "One to Watch" — a reflection of his thoughtful approach to investing and long-term perspective in a dynamic market.

Before joining Northleaf, Matthew started his career at Monitor Group, where he worked across industries on strategy, M&A, and integration. He holds an H.B.A. with distinction from the Ivey Business School and is a member of Northleaf's Private Equity Investment Committee.