Wealth management
10 operating partners
These ten operating partners hold an Operating Partner title, including variants such as Chief Operating Partner and Operating Partner & Chief ESG Officer. Readers can learn how operating partners work with portfolio company leaders on growth, operations and leadership decisions after an investment.
Professionals to explore
01—10Chris Cassidy
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Mainsail Partners
Operating Partner at Mainsail Partners since 2012; the profile describes Mainsail as a San Francisco-based growth equity firm that invests in bootstrapped software companies. He was Vice President at Mainsail Partners (2010–2012) and Board Member at SentryOne (2018–2020), FieldRoutes, A ServiceTitan Company (2018–2020) and Ncontracts (2016–2020).
Garry Fielding
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Francisco Partners Operating Executives
Operating Partner at Francisco Partners Operating Executives since 2024; the profile says he partners with founders, CEOs and executives to help technology-enabled companies scale through growth, transformation and leadership inflection points. Former roles there are Senior Operating Advisor (2021–2023) and Operating Advisor (2018–2021).
George Abd
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Arsenal Capital Partners
Operating Partner at Arsenal Capital Partners since 2016, a firm the profile says makes buyout investments in lower middle market specialty industrials and healthcare companies. At Spartech LLC he was CEO and President (2017–2019), President and CEO (2005–2007) and Executive Vice President Color and Specialty Compounds (2000–2005); he also lists Advisory Board at Chemline since 2013.
Jeff Epstein
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Bessemer Venture Partners
Operating Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners since 2011; the profile says he specializes in marketplaces and B2B software companies. He also lists Chair, Board Of Directors at Twilio (since 2017), Member Board of Directors at Autodesk (since 2025) and at AvePoint (since 2021), and Lecturer, Department of Management Science & Engineering and Graduate School of Business at Stanford University (since 2014).
Joe Chernov
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Battery Ventures
Operating Partner at Battery Ventures since 2025, where his headline says he specializes in B2B marketing; he was also Executive in Residence at Battery Ventures (2025). Other roles include Chief Marketing Officer at Pendo.io (2020–2024), Advisor at Pendo.io (2024–2025) and Advisor at Cube since 2021.
John Knapp
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Partner · Graham Partners
Chief Operating Partner at Graham Partners since 2025, where the profile says he leads portfolio operations, partnering with investment teams and portfolio company leaders to accelerate growth and harness technology. Former Boston Consulting Group (BCG) roles are Managing Director and Senior Partner (2024–2025), Managing Director & Partner (2018–2024), Principal (2014–2018) and Project Leader (2012–2014).
Paul Melchiorre
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Stripes
Operating Partner at Stripes since 2019; his headline also names him author of Selling the Cloud, and the profile describes Stripes as a global growth investor. He lists Board Member at Paradox (since 2021), Board Observer at Dataiku (since 2020), Board Member at Legion Technologies (since 2020) and Advisor Network Member at MissionOG (since 2014).
Phil Bussey
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner & Chief ESG Officer · Carrick Capital Partners
Operating Partner & Chief ESG Officer at Carrick Capital Partners since 2020; the profile says he directs portfolio-wide operational evaluations and enhancements as a member of the Operations Committee, including improvements to organizational designs, business processes and go-to-market capabilities. Other roles include Operating Partner & Program Director at Vista Equity Partners (2010–2015) and Founder & CEO at FLQ Operations Consulting (2015–2020).
Sam Wholley
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · Lightspeed
Operating Partner at Lightspeed since 2025 and Partner at Lightspeed from 2021 to 2025; the profile describes Lightspeed Venture Partners as a multi-stage venture capital firm. He also lists Managing Partner at Riviera Partners for 2012–2021 and again since 2025, and Member, Board Of Trustees at Chanticleer since 2022.
Tom Stephens
LinkedInExperience: Operating Partner · BV Investment Partners
Operating Partner at BV Investment Partners since 2021; the profile says he is a member of the Board of Directors at a number of BV portfolio companies. Former roles are Vice President Corporate Strategy at Cognizant (2016–2021), Sr. Vice President at Attivio (2013–2016), Managing Director, Co-Head, Consulting Practice at Bulger Partners (2010–2013) and Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company (2007–2010).
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's functional focus, such as marketing, technology, operations or general management, to the problem your company or portfolio faces. Ask early whether they work mainly with venture-backed startups or with buyout-stage companies, since the playbooks differ.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you decide where to spend your time across portfolio companies?
- 02What does a good first 100 days look like between an operating partner and a new portfolio company CEO?
- 03Which operating improvements have moved company value the most in your experience?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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