MEI-MEI TUAN, Managing Partner and Founder
As an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, BankAmerica and BankAustria, Mei-Mei led domestic and international transactions in project finance, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, syndications and sale leasebacks. Mei-Mei’s operating experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at two nationally prominent non-profit organizations: the Sierra Club Foundation and the San Francisco Food Bank.
Prior to founding Notch Partners, Mei-Mei ran a thriving independent consulting practice, completing assignments for over twenty clients, including several private equity-backed companies, private equity funds, and large corporations. Her current client relationships represent a range of industries including media, apparel, consumer products, publishing, medical technology, telecommunications, and enterprise software.
Mei-Mei is a frequent speaker at events and on panels which promote and support women business leaders and managers. She is an active board member of the New Jersey Women’s Forum, the Wellesley College Alumnae Association, the Harvard Business School Asian Alumnae Association, the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council, the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) and the Mid-Manhattan Performing Arts Foundation. In 2008, Mei-Mei was selected by NJBIZ as one of the “Best 50 Women in Business” in New Jersey.
Mei-Mei is fluent in Chinese and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Wellesley College. She also holds a music degree from the Juilliard School of Music.
ANDREW THOMPSON, Managing Partner and Founder
Prior to founding Notch Partners, Andy was Managing Director of Primedia Ventures, where he co-managed two private equity investment funds. Through investments in 17 private companies, the firm generated top-quartile returns. In that capacity, he served on several boards of directors, providing strategic oversight and helping to build top-caliber management teams for the portfolio companies. Previously, he was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company. Andy has been a co-founder or early employee of three successful startup businesses. He was a member of the initial team at Andromedia, Inc., a private equity-backed software startup which sold to Macromedia, Inc. in a 9-figure transaction netting outsized returns for the private equity investment group, including UBS Capital, JK&B Capital, Draper International and Platinum Ventures.
His functional expertise spans strategic planning, private equity investment, and sales & marketing. His executive relationships cover a broad range of industrial and business-to-business fields including business process outsourcing, commercial banking, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, enterprise software, and telecommunications.
Andy is a frequent speaker to senior executive audiences, addressing the topics of career transition and executive relationships with private equity buyout investors. He is on the board of trustees for New Jersey SEEDS, an academic and leadership program for high-achieving, low-income youth. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Dartmouth College.
JOIE GREGOR, Senior Advisor
In 2009, Joie Gregor became a senior advisor to Notch Partners. Also that year she joined the board of ConAgra Foods where she serves as a member of the Human Resources and Nominating and Governance Committees. Prior to her current advisory and board work, Ms. Gregor served in the G. W. Bush Administration as the Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel, a role she assumed in October 2007.
Before joining the President’s senior staff, Ms. Gregor had served as Vice Chairman of the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, Inc. beginning in 2002. After joining as a Partner in 1993, she served in a number of senior leadership roles, including President, North America, the firm’s largest business unit. She also served as Managing Partner of the New York office, and as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.
Prior to her work in executive search, Ms. Gregor was with the IBM Corporation, where she held a variety of leadership positions of increasing responsibility over a 13-year period. These included management assignments in market development, finance and planning, product strategy, sales and service, and global account management. In addition, she served as the Executive Assistant to the President of the National Marketing Division and later as the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Finance and Planning.
Ms. Gregor holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado and an M.A. from Case Western Reserve University, where she serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and the Chairman of the Compensation Committee. She is also a member of the Executive Committee. In addition, Ms. Gregor was the first female IBM Sloan Fellow at Stanford University, where she received an M.S. in Management.
BETH BRANAGAN
Beth fills multiple research and office management roles at Notch Partners, in addition to providing support to the founders. Prior to Notch, Beth was a researcher with the Latin American Emerging Markets group at BNP Paribas. Beth began her career in Paris with a French communications firm. She is fluent in Portuguese and French, and holds a BA in Public Communications and Economics from The American University.
ROGER CHEN
Prior to joining Notch Partners, Roger served as Director of Executive Search at Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. where he executed senior-level executive searches across the company’s business and functional organizations. Earlier, he was a consultant at Heidrick & Struggles International, a premier retained executive search firm, for nearly 10 years. There he executed general management, Board, and functional leadership searches for clients spanning a range of industries. His networks include Fortune 500 companies and private equity portfolio companies. He began his retained executive search career with a boutique firm focusing on financial services, consumer products and technology verticals. Roger earned a Finance degree from Rutgers University School of Business and began his professional career as a Financial Analyst at Citibank NA.
JUDY COLLINS
Judy joined Notch Partners in 2005 where she focuses on a variety of industrial and consumer related projects. She has extensive contacts in building materials, water/electrical infrastructure, and distribution/logistics. Prior to joining Notch, Judy served in operating roles at Flying Minds and Barnes & Noble. She started her career at Citibank in private banking. She holds an MPPM from Yale University and a BA from Wellesley College.
SCOTT GUNTHER
Prior to joining Notch Partners, Scott was an associate on Gerson Lehrman Group’s (GLG) private equity team. While at GLG, he spent time co-managing some of GLG’s private equity relationships as well as assisting in new business development. Scott has worked with a diverse group of sponsors in both size and strategy, including middle-market funds, global asset managers, and mezzanine lenders. He holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
GREGORY LIPARI
Prior to joining Notch Partners, Greg spent three years working as an analyst in Citigroup’s Corporate and Investment Bank. While at Citi, he was responsible for developing financial solutions for corporate clients including capital structure advisory, bank debt arrangement, balance sheet management and acquisition/project finance. Greg has significant exposure to the aviation, industrial, offshore, and technology sectors, among others, and he has worked with clients of varying sizes ranging from pre-revenue to $30B in total sales. He holds a BA in Marketing with a Finance minor from The College of New Jersey.
MONIE RYDER
Prior to joining Notch Partners, Monie spent over 15 years in the private sector, serving as executive assistant to C-level executives, largely within the telecommunication industry. She has worked at Bay Networks (acquired by Nortel), Flarion Technologies, and FiberTower Corporation (merged with First Avenue Networks). She began her career in Washington, D.C., where she served as Assistant Director, Presidential Appointments and Scheduling for the President of the United States, and in similar roles for the Vice President and for a US Senator. Later, she served as Deputy Associate Director of Presidential Personnel. Monie attended Katharine Gibbs School and Wheaton College.
TIM SULLIVAN
Prior to joining Notch Partners, Tim was a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Argus Capital Partners LLC, where he advised middle market companies and made principal investments sourced through a broad network of high net worth partners. Prior to founding Argus Capital, Tim was a senior investment banker in the M&A Group with Goldman Sachs focusing on serving Goldman’s private equity client base. Previously, he was an investment banker in the M&A Group at Citigroup. Tim started his professional career as a lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell, where he focused on M&A transactions, as well as general corporate and securities law work. He holds a JD from St. John’s University School of Law and a BA from Fordham University.