Executive Chairman and Managing Director Greg Warnock to Transition Role of Chief Executive Officer of Mercato Partners to Joe Kaiser

Joe Kaiser, a Managing Director and Investment Committee member, will now lead the Firm's day-to-day operations.

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercato Partners ("the Firm") announced today that Mr. Greg Warnock, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, has transitioned his Chief Executive Officer role to Mr. Joe Kaiser, a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee, effective August 19, 2024. For both Mr. Warnock and Mr. Kaiser their primary focus continues to be generating Limited Partner returns as Managing Directors and Investment Committee members, including sourcing, investing, overseeing, and harvesting investments.

"It has been challenging yet fulfilling to find success leading Mercato Partners as Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO for the nearly two decades since the Firm's inception," said Mr. Warnock. "I am pleased to now lead as the Firm's full-time Executive Chairman and more heavily focus on strategy and team mentorship, in addition to my leadership of the investment practice. Joe's appointment as CEO offers new opportunities for growth and development, and working with him in his new role signifies another step in my long-standing plan to ensure leadership continuity. He and I look forward to leading Mercato in innovating, thriving, and delivering strong results consistent with our 18-year history."

Mr. Warnock's plan to delegate the Firm's administrative and operational responsibilities is thoughtfully designed to secure the Firm's continued strong performance. In his new role, Kaiser will assume the additional responsibilities of overseeing the Firm's operations, personnel management, and budgeting. Together, he and Mr. Warnock will inform the vision for future fundraises and portfolio construction, ensuring that Mercato remains at the forefront of the growth equity landscape.

"I have the utmost confidence in Joe to lead the day-to-day operations of Mercato as the Firm's CEO," continued Mr. Warnock. "Over more than 8 years of working together, he has demonstrated the essential talent of identifying promising investments, building trust with founders, and adding value to portfolio companies. As a capable Managing Director, Joe has enhanced our investment process and reimagined our value-add efforts. I see him further evolving our internal practices, and positively influencing the firm's culture through this authentic and unique brand of leadership."

"Mercato has a time-tested strategy and a proven investment track record. We are a performance-focused investor with a robust pipeline of transformational and innovative companies," said Mr. Kaiser. "These attributes rang true when I joined the Firm, and they will assuredly remain true moving forward. As I consider the wealth of opportunity in front of us, I could not be more excited to serve as Mercato's next CEO, and to continue working alongside Greg, benefiting from his 35 years of investing experience. Above all, however, I am excited to be leading our strong, purpose-built team, and I am confident that we will continue to deliver industry-leading returns."

About Mercato Partners

Founded in 2007, Mercato Partners is an established leader in growth equity, dedicated to driving industry-leading results by partnering with entrepreneurs building category-leading companies outside of the traditional venture-rich technology hubs. With a mission to be a founder's first call, Mercato's investment approach is enriched by its focused efforts on providing portfolio companies access to a highly curated network of world-class service providers, advisors, independent board members, and corporate development leaders. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the firm has $1.1B in total growth assets under management. Notable past investments include Central Logic, Cradlepoint, DOMO, Ephesoft, Fusion-IO, Galileo Financial Technologies, SaltStack, Skullcandy, and Venafi.

For more information, please visit mercatopartners.com.

SOURCE Mercato Partners