Anita Balaji
Managing Director, The Carlyle Group
Anita Balaji is a Managing Director with Carlyle U.S. Buyout, focusing on investments in the Consumer & Retail sectors. She is based in New York. Since joining Carlyle, Ms. Balaji has been actively involved with Carlyle’s investments in Acosta, Inc., Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. and The Nature’s Bounty Co. (acquired in partnership with Carlyle Europe Buyout). Prior to joining Carlyle in 2006, Ms. Balaji was with Behrman Capital. Prior to that, Ms. Balaji was with the mergers and acquisitions group at Goldman Sachs, focusing on consumer and retail transactions. Ms. Balaji is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Acosta, Inc. and The Nature’s Bounty Co. Ms. Balaji received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wellesley College with a B.A. in mathematics and chemistry.
Harj Shoan
Managing Director, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Harj Shoan is based in Toronto and leads Private Capital’s Portfolio Management practice, which focuses on value creation planning, value lever acceleration, talent management, board effectiveness, and sharing of best practices across the direct investment portfolio. Prior to joining the Portfolio Management team, Harj was a member of the Consumer & Retail direct investing team in Private Capital, and currently sits on the boards of Arterra Wines Canada, Shearer's Snacks, Traeger Grills, and Munchkin. Harj joined Ontario Teachers’ in 2014 and has nearly two decades of private equity, investment banking and corporate finance experience. He previously worked at Imperial Capital, Morgan Stanley Private Equity (U.K.), Shoppers Drug Mart, and BMO Nesbitt Burns. Harj holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also a CFA charterholder.
Glenn Stevens
Talent Operating Partner, Apollo Global Management, LLC
Glenn Stevens is a Partner, Talent Management at Apollo Global Management focused on management team and board construction for Apollo's portfolio companies. Previously he was the Head of Talent Management at L Catterton, the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world. He has over 20 years of experience in retained executive recruitment and has consulted with some of the world’s leading companies regarding their human capital management issues and strategic growth initiatives. Prior to joining L Catterton, Mr. Stevens was a Partner of Odgers Berndtson’s US business leading the Alternative Investment Practice as well as a senior member of the Financial Officers Practice and the Sports Practice. Prior to joining Odgers Berndtson he worked as a Managing Director at The Gerson Group spearheading the firm’s Alternative Investment recruitment practice. In 2006 he opened the firm’s London office and led the expansion of the European business. Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer of Nobok Ltd., a global sports media company based in London and also worked for A.T. Kearney within the Financial Services Practice. Glenn graduated from Princeton University with an AB in Politics.
Jon Weber
Head of Portfolio Company Management, Blue Mountain Capital Management, LLC
Jon is Head of Portfolio Company Management at BlueMountain Capital Management, where he works with management and boards of companies where the firm is an influential investor. Prior to joining BlueMountain, Jon headed groups at Anchorage Capital Group, Goldman Sachs Special Situations Group and Icahn Enterprises, where he was responsible for operational oversight, governance and value enhancement of portfolio companies. In those capacities, he acted as board chair or member, senior executive, or board-level advisor for dozens of companies in a broad range of industries over 15 years. Roles included President of Icahn Enterprises, L.P. (NYSE-IEP), CEO of Philip Services Corporation and Viskase Companies, and board member of American Railcar Industries, Crescent Communities, Martinrea Honsel, National Energy Group, WestPoint International, WIND Hellas, Xenith Bankshares and XO Communications. Previously, Jon was an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley, and an attorney with Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a board member of Chai Lifeline, an organization dedicated to meeting the needs of seriously ill children. Jon earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and BS and MBA, magna cum laude from Babson College.
Jane Sadowsky
Senior Advisor, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Moelis & Company
Jane Sadowsky is a Senior Advisor at Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC), where she advises on talent initiatives including coaching, training and mentoring for women and other underrepresented groups. She joined the Firm in 2018 as the first head of Diversity & Inclusion. Ms. Sadowsky has extensive experience in the finance industry, having spent 25 years as an investment banker on Wall Street advising power and utility companies, and most recently worked as a leadership coach to C-suite and partner level professional services executives. Ms. Sadowsky retired from Evercore Partners (NYSE: EVR) in 2011 where she was a Senior Managing Director and ran Evercore’s Power & Utility advisory M&A practice. At Evercore, in addition to her core banking and management responsibilities, she was a standing member of Fairness Committee, served as Chief Compliance Officer for one year and was involved in the firm’s diversity and recruiting efforts. Largely for her efforts in mentoring professional women, Ms. Sadowsky was the 2006 recipient of the Wharton Women in Business Award. She joined Evercore in 2006 after six years at Citigroup’s Investment Bank (C) where she was a Managing Director and Co-Head of the North America Power & Utility group. There she also served on numerous firm-wide Compensation, Strategic Planning, Diversity and Recruiting Committees, and was selected as a Young Leader to be mentored by Citigroup’s CEO. Prior to joining Citigroup, Ms. Sadowsky worked as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, which she joined as a post-MBA Associate and earned promotions to Managing Director. In addition to expertise in equity and debt products for both the private and public markets, mergers & acquisitions and complementary corporate advisory work, and complex balance sheet solutions (including debt restructurings and bankruptcy alternatives), Ms. Sadowsky has ample experience in strategic planning, commodities and valuation. She has provided expert testimony in front of several state utility commissions and at the World Court at The Hague. Ms. Sadowsky currently serves as an independent director on the Board and Audit Committee and Chairs the Governance Committee of Yamana Gold, Inc. (AUY) and serves on the Board and Audit Committee of Nexa Resources, (NEXA) and on the Board of privately-held GIG Technologies and PLH Group. She has also served as a member of the Board, Audit and Governance committees of Petrofac (PFAC) and the NYISO. Ms. Sadowsky holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a B.A. in East Asian Studies and International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2014, she earned her leadership coaching qualifications from Columbia University. She maintains her securities licenses (7, 63, 24 and 79).
