Ara Partners Group (Ara Partners), a Houston-based private equity firm specialising in industrial decarbonisation investments, has expanded its senior management team with the promotion of Johanna Schmidtke to Managing Director. Schmidtke joined Ara Partners in 2018 as a Principal.
“We’re delighted to announce Johanna’s promotion,” says Troy Thacker, Managing Partner of Ara Partners. “Since joining the firm in 2018, she has made major contributions to our efforts to build a strong portfolio of companies that contribute to the decarbonisation of the industrial economy.”
“As a firm, we benefit greatly from Johanna’s investment acumen, technical knowledge, and industry relationships,” adds Charles Cherington, Managing Partner of Ara Partners. “Johanna will continue to play a key role in identifying and executing on opportunities that generate attractive returns while reducing the carbon footprint of essential industries.”
Schmidtke has over a decade of experience in investments and innovation in advanced materials and energy efficiency. Prior to joining Ara Partners, Schmidtke was an Investment Director at Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (“SAEV”), the corporate venturing subsidiary of Saudi Aramco. Schmidtke also held prior roles at First Solar, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lux Research, and the University of Texas at Austin. Schmidtke holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge and a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona.
