PE Tech Report

NEWSLETTER

Like this article?

Sign up to our free newsletter

Vista Equity Partners adds three industry veterans to value creation team

Vista Equity Partners (Vista), a global investment firm focused exclusively on enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses, today announced it has expanded its value creation and operational leadership team. 

The firm has named three industry veterans as senior operating leaders: Craig Hayman, Operating Advisor for Vista’s Flagship Fund; Angela Pecoraro, Operating Managing Director who will further extend the firm’s commitment to integrating ESG practices across its private equity funds and throughout the investment lifecycle of its portfolio of companies; and Dirk Wakeham, Operating Managing Director for Vista’s Foundation Fund.

Each brings experience from across Vista’s ecosystem as well as the wider technology industry, focused on driving operational excellence, product innovation and sustainable growth across Vista’s private equity funds. As a part of Vista’s Value Creation Team, these executives will collaborate with investment teams and portfolio company CEOs and their management teams to execute strategic value creation priorities in support of each company’s investment thesis. The new appointments build upon Vista’s continuous investments in talent and infrastructure to scale expertise, accelerate growth and build enduring market value for its companies.

“The addition of Craig, Angela and Dirk brings top-notch operational acumen and leadership to increase and enhance support for our private equity strategy and our portfolio of enterprise software industry leaders,” says Nadeem Syed, Senior Managing Director and Head of Value Creation, Vista Equity Partners. “Craig has an excellent track record of scaling technology companies, and Dirk and Angela have both been at the forefront of creating sustainable growth across the Vista ecosystem for many years, bringing a wealth of firsthand knowledge to support our value creation strategy and insights for our management teams on how to lead successful transformations. Each of Craig, Angela and Dirk’s individual expertise, leadership, industry relationships and strategic operating insights will have a positive impact on our founders, CEOs, management teams and portfolio companies. We are thrilled to welcome them to the Vista family.”

Hayman brings over 25 years’ experience in the software sector. He most recently led industrial software firm AVEVA as CEO through a period of transformational growth from 2018 to July 2021, including several high-profile acquisitions. He previously served as COO of software firm PTC from 2015 to 2018, and prior to that served as President of eBay Enterprise. He also managed software as a service (SaaS) and industry solutions with IBM from 2010 to 2014, where he led the acquisition of more than a dozen companies.

Pecoraro has spent most of her 20-year career at Vista companies, most recently as CEO of Advicent (now part of InvestCloud), a financial planning technology company, where she also served as President and COO as well as Senior Vice President. Before Advicent, Angela held numerous key roles at Vista-backed insurtech software company Zywave for over a decade. Throughout her career, Angela held several senior and executive leadership roles across the businesses, including go to market, product strategy, technology, customer support and services.

Wakeham has 35 years’ experience across SaaS, enterprise software and product technology. He served as CEO of Zego, a property management software platform supported by Vista, prior to its 2021 acquisition by Global Payments Inc. In 2017, Vista partnered with PayLease, a proptech solution for property managers that acquired Zego in 2019, taking on the target’s identity. Wakeham led PayLease and Zego throughout this time, navigating both transitions. Wakeham currently sits on the boards of Updater and Anyone Home. He has also served as Managing Director of Westlake Ventures, a provider of consulting and advisory services, and has served on the boards of several other technology companies.

Like this article? Sign up to our free newsletter

MOST POPULAR

FURTHER READING

Featured