Thompson Dean (Avista)

The co-managing partner and CEO of Avista Capital Partners, Thompson Dean draws on nearly three decades of finance and private equity experience with such firms as Goldman Sachs. He was one of the early hires at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, where for over a decade he oversaw various funds as managing partner, as well as chairman of several investment committees. Subsequently, in 2005, Thompson Dean co-founded Avista, spinning off the private equity firm from DLJMB.

A graduate of Harvard Business School, Thompson Dean now leads Avista in controlling the middle market by growing its investments in the industrial, health care, and communication sectors. Under Thompson Dean’s guidance, the company has altered its structure in recent years, resulting in the energy team to raise an independent fund.

The firm’s current investments are based throughout the United States, along with several portfolio companies in Euorope. In addition to investing capital, Avista supports companies’ management so that they can pursue further growth through strategic planning and acquisitions.