Our team is comprised of highly experienced investment professionals who have spent their careers operating, advising and investing across the key sub-sectors of the financial services industry.

Olivier Sarkozy is the Founder and Managing Partner of Further Global and serves as the Chairman of the Investment Committee.

Prior to founding Further Global, from 2008 to June 2016, Olivier was a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group and head of Carlyle Global Financial Services and acted as Fund Head for Carlyle Global Financial Services Funds I and II. Olivier focused on investing in management buyouts, growth capital opportunities and strategic minority investments in financial services.

Prior to joining Carlyle, Olivier was Global Co-Head of the Financial Institutions Group at UBS Investment Bank. He joined UBS in January of 2003, after spending 11 years at Credit Suisse First Boston (“CSFB”), where he was a Managing Director in the Financial Institutions Group. While at UBS, he worked on many of the largest mergers in the U.S. financial industry, including, amongst others, advising Sallie Mae in its attempted $25 billion take-private transaction and subsequent recapitalization, Mellon on its $17 billion merger of equals with The Bank of New York, Charles Schwab on its sale of US Trust to Bank of America, MBNA on its $36 billon sale to Bank of America, Wachovia in its $14 billion acquisition of Southtrust, National Commerce in its $7 billion sale to Suntrust and Regions Financial in its $6 billion merger of equals with Union Planters. While at CSFB, Olivier advised Wachovia in its merger of equals with First Union and concurrent defense against a competing hostile proposal from Suntrust, Dime Bancorp in its merger with Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo in its merger with Norwest and Wells Fargo in its successful hostile acquisition of First Interstate. In addition, while at UBS, Olivier was involved in a number of important equity capital raising transactions, including CIBC’s $2.9 billion recapitalization and Sallie Mae in its $3.0 billion recapitalization. While at UBS, he also acted as lead advisor in a number of other notable transactions, including Dime Bancorp’s private placement of preferred and other equity securities to Warburg Pincus, as part of their successful defense against a hostile tender offer from North Fork and the recapitalization of Glendale Federal Bank, which at the time was the largest recapitalization in U.S. history.

Olivier currently serves on the boards of Celink, LegalShield, Kroll, AAI FG Holdco, L.P., E78 Partners, The Progeny Group and Phaidon International. Olivier previously served on the boards of Bank United, Bank of Butterfield, TCW Group, Payment Alliance International and DBRS, amongst others.

Olivier received his Masters in Medieval History (with Honors) from St. Andrews University, Scotland.

Susan Ciccarone is a Partner of Further Global and serves as a member of the Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Further Global, Susan was Chief Financial Officer (since 2012) and Chief Operating Officer (since 2014) of Emerging Global Advisors (“EGA”), an emerging markets asset management company. Susan was responsible for financial reporting, strategic planning, portfolio management and operations, human resources and investor relations for EGA. In addition, she led the sale of the company to Columbia Threadneedle Investments in 2016. Susan was previously a Managing Director in Goldman Sachs’ Financial Institutions Group, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital raising for financial institutions, and prior to that she was a senior banker in UBS’ Financial Institutions Group. Earlier in her career, Susan was a senior auditor in Ernst and Young’s hedge fund practice and a manager in the Derivative Products Finance Group at Morgan Stanley.

Susan currently serves on the boards of Celink, Coaction Specialty Insurance and E78 Partners.

Susan is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Villanova University with a B.S. in Accountancy, and received her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric Leathers is a Partner and the CIO of Further Global and chairs the firm's Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Further Global, Eric was a Partner at TPG Capital ("TPG") and led the firm’s investment efforts in the financial services sector. He has over 25 years of experience investing across the sector, including in the areas of insurance, asset management, specialty finance and depository institutions. Prior to joining TPG in 2012, Eric was a Managing Director and Partner with Pine Brook Partners, where he shared responsibility for the management of the firm’s financial services investment activities. Prior to joining Pine Brook, he was a Partner at Capital Z Financial Services Partners and was responsible for sourcing and structuring investments within the financial services industry. Eric began his career in the investment banking division of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions for financial institutions.

Eric currently serves on the board of US Claims, Coaction Specialty Insurance, AAI FG Holdco, L.P., Fidelis MGU, and Armanino. Eric has also previously served as a director of numerous privately held and publicly traded companies.

Eric is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of Business and a B.A. in History from the College of Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the Advisory Board for the Wharton AI and Analytics Initiative and is a Senior Fellow of the Harris Alternative Investments Program at the Wharton School of Business. 

Max Baumrin is a Partner of Further Global and serves as a member of the Investment Committee.

Prior to joining Further Global, Max was an investment professional in The Carlyle Group’s Global Financial Services private equity practice, where he focused on buyouts, privatizations, recapitalizations and strategic minority investments within the financial services sector globally. After joining Carlyle in 2012, Max was actively involved in the execution and management of many of Carlyle’s investments across various sub-sectors including asset management, business services, insurance brokerage, financial technology, capital markets, depository and specialty finance.

Prior to joining Carlyle, Max was at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where he was a Senior Analyst on the U.S. Value Equity Team, which was responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of strategies with over $30 billion in AUM.

Max currently serves on the boards of Phaidon International, The Progeny Group, E78 Partners, and US Claims and is also actively involved in Further Global's investments in Celink, LegalShield, Kroll and AA Ireland.

Max received his B.S. in Business Administration from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Marc Abousleiman is a Vice President at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Marc was an investment professional at The Raine Group.

He currently serves on the board of Celink.

Marc graduated with distinction from Harvard Business School and with honors from Harvard College, where he received his B.A. in Computer Science with a secondary field in Economics.

Adam Farrell is a Vice President at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Adam was an Analyst at Moelis & Company in New York. While at Moelis, he worked on M&A and restructuring transactions across a variety of industries.

Adam graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, receiving his B.S. in Business Administration with a German minor.

Luke Hoffman is a Senior Associate at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Luke was an investment banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Wells Fargo.

Luke graduated from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, receiving his B.B.A. in Finance & Accounting.

Kyle Faddis is a Senior Associate at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Kyle was an investment banking Analyst at AGC Partners.

Kyle graduated from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, receiving his B.S. in Finance with a concentration in Computer Science.

Olivia Machado is an Associate at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Olivia was an investment banking Analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at Wells Fargo.

Olivia graduated from the Wake Forest University School of Business, receiving her B.S. in Finance.

David Fernandez is an Associate at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, David was an investment banking Analyst in the Global M&A team at Barclays.

David graduated from the Herbert Business School at the University of Miami, receiving his B.A. in Finance.

PJ Rossi is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, from 2010 to 2016, PJ was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Simple Alternatives, a registered investment advisor in the liquid alternatives space. In this role, PJ oversaw the day-to-day business and trading operations of the firm including accounting, finance, administration, and operating policies & procedures. PJ was also a member of the investment committee. Previously, PJ was the Director of Finance/Business Operations for TH Lee Putnam Ventures, the $1.1 billion venture capital arm of Thomas H. Lee Partners and Putnam Investments. Over his 16-year career at TH Lee Putnam Ventures, PJ conducted a number of workouts, the financial due-diligence of potential portfolio companies, as well as developing financial plans for the firm. PJ was also responsible for the TH Lee Putnam Ventures’ administration. Prior to TH Lee Putnam Ventures, PJ was Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at GE Capital where he was responsible for the strategic planning functions of GE Equity, which had $3.1 billion in assets under management. As a member of the GE Equity investment committee, PJ evaluated potential portfolio companies. 

PJ holds a BBA and an MBA from Iona College.

Kevin Muller is a Director of Finance and Operations at Further Global.

Prior to joining Further Global, Kevin worked for BR+A Consulting Engineers.

Kevin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, receiving his B.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics with a Mathematics minor.

Richard Venn is an Advisor to Further Global* and serves as a non-voting member of the Investment Committee.

Richard held a 40-year career with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ("CIBC") where he led CIBC's investment banking and merchant banking operations while also serving as strategic advisor to two of the previous CEOs. Richard served for seven years as the Chairman and CEO of CIBC's Canadian dealer and led CIBC's Corporate Development Group for more than a decade. He was instrumental in the formation of CIBC Mellon and CIBC FirstCaribbean and served as a board member with those companies for many years.

Richard currently serves as a board observer at LegalShield. Richard previously served on the boards of Payment Alliance International, Element Fleet Management, The Bank of Butterfield, DBRS, Global Payments and more than 10 other companies. He also currently serves on the Foundation Board of Mount Sinai Hospital and on the board of the United Jewish Federation of Toronto. Richard was previously Chair of the United Way of Greater Toronto.

Richard received a BASc (Engineering Science) from the University of Toronto and completed his MBA at Harvard (Scholarship).

* Note: While not an employee of Further Global, Richard works with us to perform due diligence, investor relations, and other activities. Richard is an employee of REV Advisory Ltd.

Geoffrey Beattie is a Senior Advisor to Further Global.*

Mr. Beattie served as a partner in the Toronto law firm Torys LLP before joining The Woodbridge Company Limited, where he served as president from 1998 through December 2012. The Woodridge Company Limited is a privately held investment holding company for the Thomson family of Canada and the majority shareholder of Thomson Reuters Corporation (TSX:TRI), where Mr. Beattie served as deputy chairman from 2000 through May 2013 and director from 1998 through May 2013.

He has served as chief executive officer of Generation Capital since September 2013, and he has served as chairman of Relay Ventures since June 2013. He also currently serves as lead director of Baker Hughes Co. (NYSE:BKR) and a member of the board of directors of Maple Leaf Foods Inc. (TSX:MFI) and Fiera Capital Corporation (TSX:FSZ). In addition to his board memberships, Mr. Beattie is a trustee of the University Health Network in Toronto. Mr. Beattie previously served on the boards of General Electric Co (NYSE:GE), Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY) (where he served as the charman of the Risk Committee), Acasta Enterprises (TSX:AEF), DBRS, Inc. and GE Capital.

Mr. Beattie received a law degree from the University of Western Ontario.

* Note: Senior Advisors, while not employees of Further Global, work with us to identify, validate and operate investment opportunities.

Paul R. Garcia is a Senior Advisor to Further Global.*

Mr. Garcia served on the board of Payment Alliance International.

Mr. Garcia became Chief Executive Officer of NDC’s Atlanta-based eCommerce line of business in June 1999. NDC eCommerce began operating as Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN) on December 11, 2000, and the new company spun off from NDC on February 1, 2001. During his 14-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Global Payments grew substantially. The company is now a Fortune 500 company.

Mr. Garcia has served on a number of boards of directors, including the Global, U.S. and Latin American Boards of MasterCard International and the Electronic Transactions Association. Mr. Garcia also previously served on the boards of The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, Intrado (formerly West Corporation) and Global Payments. Mr. Garcia also served with Atlanta’s former Mayor, Hon. Kasim Reed on the Atlanta Committee for Progress, a group of business leaders seeking solutions to critical issues facing the city of Atlanta. Mr. Garcia also served on the executive committee of the Metropolitan Atlanta Chamber of Commerce for five years.

Currently, Mr. Garcia serves on the board of Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE:TFC) (formerly BB&T Corporation / SunTrust Banks, Inc.). He was appointed by the Governor of Georgia to serve on the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission. He is also a Trustee and Vice Chair of the Woodruff Arts Center, and a Life Trustee and former Chairman of Pace Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Garcia was honored as 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® in Financial Services for Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee, and named “one of the best CEOs in America” five times by Institutional Investor. Mr. Garcia was also recognized by the Electronic Transactions Association as the recipient of the 2008-2009 Distinguished Payments Professional Award and by the Technology Association of Georgia as the recipient of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Garcia holds a B.A. from Ithaca College. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Carol, and they have six children.

* Note: Senior Advisors, while not employees of Further Global, work with us to identify, validate and operate investment opportunities.

Barclay Simmons is a Senior Advisor to Further Global.*

Mr. Simmons is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rose Investment Limited, a Bermuda-based advisory business focused on financial services and corporate restructuring. Barclay was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs in NY, and then for thirteen years, Chief Executive Officer of Bermuda commercial law firm ASW Law Limited. He was previously Lead Director and then Chairman of the Board of the Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited, where he served from 2011 to 2017, during its ownership by private equity to after its IPO on the NYSE.  He led the co-investment in the bank on the behalf of the Bermuda Pension Fund.

Mr. Simmons previously served as a director at FIL Limited and currently serves as a director at Eight Roads Limited, respectively the international public and private investing platforms of Fidelity. Barclay served on the board of the Bermuda Monetary Authority for nine years, and as Chairman of its investment committee, and has spent 14 years as a member, and now Chairman, of the Public Funds Investment Committee, responsible for Bermuda’s pension funds.

Mr. Simmons attended the University of Kent at Canterbury (LLB (Hons)), the Inns of Court School of Law (Barrister), the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (TACC) and Harvard Business School (MBA).

* Note: Senior Advisors, while not employees of Further Global, work with us to identify, validate and operate investment opportunities.