NextGen Growth Partners Adds Member to Executive Team

Jim Bland joins NGP as Partner

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NextGen Growth Partners (“NGP”), a leading private equity firm that partners with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence and management teams to invest in sustainable, growing companies, announced today that Jim Bland will assume a leadership position as partner at the growing firm, specifically focused on NGP’s new investment and portfolio company efforts.

"Jim brings an immediate positive impact to our team and business,” Brian O’Connor, NGP Founder and Managing Partner, said. “His extensive investing and operating experience, ability to lead others and care for the legacy of the businesses we invest in are evident in everything he does. We are thrilled to welcome Jim as a Partner at NGP and are excited about all he brings in our early days of investing out of NGP Fund II and well beyond.”

Bland joins NGP with nearly 17 years of private equity investment experience. Most of his private equity career was spent with HCP & Company where he was a partner responsible for sourcing, evaluating, structuring, and negotiating transactions along with portfolio management across two institutional funds. He has also spent time with a multi-family office and, prior to his private equity career, he worked at Ernst & Young and HSBC. Bland started his career as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army where he continues to serve as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Illinois, a three-star general protocol appointed position. Bland earned his B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

"I'm thrilled to join Brian and the NGP team,” Bland said. “NGP has developed a sterling reputation in the private equity community, specifically through their unique ‘entrepreneurship through acquisition’ approach to investing and has developed a highly effective and differentiated approach to private equity investing. NGP is the go-to equity partner for entrepreneurs who wish to acquire and operate middle-market companies. NGP has demonstrated they have the best approach to source both talented entrepreneurs and quality companies. I look forward to sustaining and building upon the current success to ensure NGP is the most logical partner for an owner who desires to transition their company to a talented entrepreneur-operator.”

Bland joins the firm at an exciting time, as NGP begins to invest out of their sophomore fund and look to expand their team significantly. NGP is hiring for open positions both at the firm level and across their portfolio of companies. Specifically, they seek to add another senior-level investment professional, a Director of Portfolio Operations, and several Entrepreneurs-in-Residence to the team. Details on all positions can be found on NGP’s website: www.nextgengp.com/careers.

“Jim is joining at a very exciting time,” said Ron Wexler, NGP’s Director of Business and Talent Development. “His leadership track record will prove invaluable as the team expands in size and capability. This is surely a monumental event for both Jim and all of us at the firm.”

About NextGen Growth Partners

Headquartered in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, NextGen Growth Partners is a private equity firm that partners with the best and brightest entrepreneurial talent to acquire, operate and grow lower middle market businesses across a variety of industries. The team has a strong track record of creating value through growth and operational improvement in middle market businesses.

For more information on NGP and its investment approach, please visit www.nextgengp.com.