Jesse Watson

Jesse Watson founded Virgo Investment Group in 2009 and is Virgo’s Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer.  He is responsible for the firm’s investment strategies, oversees the overall management of the firm, and is a member of the Virgo Investment Committee.   

Prior to Virgo, Jesse was a senior investment professional at Eton Park Capital Management where he focused on credit, distressed, special situations and asset-based investing. Jesse joined Eton Park through a merger with R6 Capital Management, where he was a co-founder, partner and portfolio manager. Prior to joining R6 Capital, Jesse was a senior investment professional at Silver Point Capital. Jesse worked on the public trading desk and also assisted in the build out of the firm’s middle-market, private investment business, where he worked with several Virgo team members. Prior to Silver Point, Jesse was an Associate with Clayton, Dubilier and Rice and an Analyst with Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, the leveraged buyout principal investment division of Morgan Stanley.

Jesse earned his BA from the Johns Hopkins University with highest honors, graduating at the top of his class with Phi Beta Kappa distinction.  Jesse also studied at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and was a guest of the Japanese Ministry of Finance in Tokyo for a seminar on fiscal and monetary policy where he published a conference paper on private equity in Japan.

Mark Perez

Mark is a Founding Partner and Head of Industrials and Aviation. He has over twenty years of experience in various investing, operational, and regulatory roles within the industrials sector, including aviation, chemicals and energy/materials. Prior to joining Virgo, Mark worked in the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs where he was a member of the firm’s Global Natural Resources group. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, he held strategic marketing and assistant project management positions at ChemPoint, the specialty chemical distribution subsidiary of Univar, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Office of Science and Technology), respectively. Mark earned his BS in chemical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and received an MBA with finance specialization from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business, graduating with honors as a Stern Scholar.  Mark is a member of the Virgo investment committee.  

Gary Krauthamer

Gary is a Partner at Virgo focused on building strategic sourcing relationships, cultivating the Operating Partner Network and building an information edge in investment due diligence.  Prior to joining Virgo, Gary was Partners with Jesse Watson at R6 Capital, and later worked together at Eton Park. Krauthamer & Associates acts as a strategic opportunity sourcing partner for Virgo.  Gary founded Krauthamer & Associates in 1971 and has personally completed more than 1,000 search assignments throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Over the last thirty years, Gary has worked extensively within and across the public and private sectors and has developed a diverse client base that includes the aerospace industry, the federal government, entrepreneurial organizations, middle-market entities and large multi-national Fortune 100 corporations. He is a member of various committees of the American Public Transportation Association and serves on the Board of Governors of the Wings Club.  He was formerly the Chairman of the Omega Institute and is a member of the Social Venture Network. Gary graduated from the American University's Kogod School of Business with a degree in finance.

* Founding member, partner of the GP, and non-W2 employees of Virgo Investment Group LLC

Todd Dorfman

Todd is a Partner at Virgo focused on evolving prospective management teams and collaborating with our investment partners to transform and grow Virgo’s portfolio companies. Prior to joining Virgo, Todd was Partners with Jesse Watson at R6 Capital, and later worked together at Eton Park. Krauthamer & Associates acts as a strategic opportunity sourcing partner for Virgo. Todd has been a part of Krauthamer & Associates since 1993 and a principal as of 1997. Todd has recruited for public and private sector clients throughout a variety of industries including financial and professional services, real estate, technology, manufacturing, distribution and healthcare. Todd’s prior experience includes several years in real estate finance, development and dispositions, first at LaSalle Partners, a global provider of comprehensive real estate and investment management services, and subsequently at Oxford Realty, a national multi-family real estate developer and asset manager.  Todd has been a member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and is a member of the Turnaround Management Association. Todd graduated with honors from the University of Michigan with a concentration in economics.

* Founding member, partner of the GP, and non-W2 employees of Virgo Investment Group LLC

Scott Guthrie

Scott is a Partner and co-leader of the Virgo Growth Equity team focused on the Media/Entertainment and Wellness investment verticals. In addition, Scott sits on the Spica Alpha Post Investment Committee providing oversight and leadership on Virgos portfolio companies performance, implementing best in class operational SOP.  Scott has extensive general management, sales, business development, marketing and operations successes in startup to Fortune 500 companies within film (Paramount, Disney), interactive software (MTV, THQ), consumer packaged goods (SodaStream, Pepsi) and emerging technology (Jambo Enterprises) categories. In addition, Scott has worked as a board member or an independent advisor to several companies in entertainment, interactive software, food and beverage categories and industry advisory associations. Scott graduated from Bishops University in Canada with a B.A. in Business and Economics. 

Melissa Toma Ryan

Melissa is a Managing Director and Head of Business Development & Investor Relations at Virgo. She has over 20 years of experience in financial services across sales, capital raising and origination. Prior to Virgo, Melissa was Co-Head of Americas Capital Services at Credit Suisse and played a key role in growing their team’s investor platform across the US, working closely with clients to build and expand their businesses, and originating new business for their prime platform globally. Prior to her 10+ year career at Credit Suisse, she was Director of Investor Relations for BAM Capital and an Associate at Lehman Brothers in Capital introductions. She also spent three years at Merrill Lynch in Taxable Debt Marketing and Fixed Income Origination. She began her career at Bristol Myers-Squibb as a business analyst. Melissa earned her BA from Gettysburg College and MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Brian Wade

Brian is a Managing Director at Virgo, focusing on originating, executing and managing investments in the media, technology and healthcare industries.  Prior to joining Virgo, Brian was an associate with TA Associates, where he managed origination and transaction execution for investments in the technology and business services industries. Prior to TA Associates, Brian was an analyst with Wells Fargo Securities in the Technology, Media and Telecom Group, where he advised companies on capital raising and M&A transactions. Brian earned his BS in Business Administration, with University Honors, from Carnegie Mellon University.

Kyle Limberg

Kyle is a Managing Director at Virgo focused on portfolio and asset management, investment valuation, and fund operations. Prior to joining Virgo, Kyle spent three years at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP providing assurance and advisory services for early stage venture capital firms and pre-IPO software companies, as well as privately held, smart energy and commercial real estate companies. While at Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP, Kyle managed financial statement assurance engagements with a specialization in structuring and accounting for complex equity, investment valuation, revenue recognition and target acquisition due diligence.  Kyle is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in California. Kyle graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Accountancy from the University of San Diego.

Anthony Lubiano

Anthony was previously Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Lateral Investment Management (Lateral) from 2017 to 2019 and was responsible for Lateral’s compliance program as a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) with the SEC, as well as financial reporting for funds with over $350 million in AUM.  Prior to Lateral, he was Vice President of Finance at Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts (KKR) from 2011 to 2017 where he oversaw fund financial reporting for the firms direct lending, mezzanine and illiquid credit strategies, which account for $6 billion in AUM. Prior to joining KKR, he was Fund Controller for 9 years at the venture capital firm, Vantage Point Capital Partners (VPCP) and was responsible for financial reporting on funds with AUM of $4.5 billion. Prior to VPCP, he was senior accountant at a regional CPA firm, Novogradac & Company. Anthony Lubiano is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California (inactive Status). He holds a B.A. (Accounting) from San Francisco State University.

Chris Mezzavilla

Chris’ day-to-day responsibilities include Investor Relations, the marketing and brand development of Virgo and the Firm's underlying portfolio companies.  Prior to joining Virgo, Chris was Client Services Coordinator at Herb Thomas and Associates, a private fiduciary firm in the Bay Area.  Previously, he was an Account Executive at Cumulus Media originating sponsorship partnerships between businesses and the San Francisco Giants, Forty-Niners, and Golden State Warriors.  Chris brings experience in marketing and operations to Virgo.  Chris earned his BS from Saint Mary’s College of California studying Business Administration with a focus on Marketing.

Sean Kersten

Sean was previously Assistant Controller at HGGC from 2020 to 2021 where he was responsible for HGGC’s financial reporting and compliance. Prior to HGGC, he was Fund Accounting Manager at Vista Equity Partners (Vista) from 2016 to 2020, during which time he managed all financial reporting for several fund families within Vista’s $55 billion AUM. Prior to Vista, Sean began his career at Deloitte & Touche and departed as a manager within their audit practice. Sean is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California (inactive) and holds a B.A. in Economics/Accounting with a Mathematics minor from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Mitch Carter

Mitch is a senior associate at Virgo focusing on portfolio management and deal underwriting. Prior to joining Virgo, Mitch was a Senior Associate at Green Street Advisors, a real estate focused advisory firm where he focused on capital markets and portfolio strategy. Prior to Green Street Advisors, Mitch was an M&A analyst at boutique investment bank, W Partners Group.  Mitch has a BS in Finance from California State University – San Marcos and an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Leo Pratt

Leo is an associate at Virgo focusing on portfolio monitoring and deal underwriting.  Prior to joining Virgo, Leo was an investment banking analyst with Wells Fargo in its Technology, Media, and Telecom group.  At Wells Fargo, he was the lead analyst on more than ten transactions ranging from $500mm-11bn supporting M&A, recapitalizations, share repurchases, and working capital needs for software, semiconductor, and media companies.  Leo has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Eugene Wong

Eugene was previously a Tax Manager at Brookfield Asset Management (Brookfield) from 2021 to 2022 where he was responsible for tax compliance for Brookfield’s United States real estate portfolio. Prior to Brookfield, Eugene was at PricewaterhouseCoopers within its asset and wealth management tax practice from 2015 to 2021 and departed as a Tax Manager. Eugene is an active Certified Public Accountant in the State of California and holds a Master of Accountancy from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics with a Minor in Statistics from the University of California – Davis

Abdul Bellal

Abdul Bellal is a Staff Accountant at Virgo. Prior to joining the firm, he was an accountant at Hellman & Friedman LLC, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, providing treasury expertise, management company bookkeeping, and ERP implementation experience. He started his career at FAME Charter School, providing full-cycle accounting, payroll, and operations support. Abdul earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management Economics with a concentration in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is a CPA Candidate, on track to complete licensure in 2019.

Patricia Murphy

Patricia (Pat) brings over 25 years of experience as an Executive Administrator who has provided service to multiple industries – Insurance (Transamerica Life Companies) and Healthcare (DaVita Inc. & HealthCare Partners).  Her areas of support have included meeting and convention planning,  overseeing corporate sponsored charitable programs, and travel support.  Her expertise and experience has also expanded beyond domestic to international.   Pat’s strengths are being service minded and customer oriented which has enabled her to provide meaningful support to C-Suite level executives.