Alpine Investors Names Mark Strauch as President and Promotes Three to Partnership and Four to Principal

SAN FRANCISCO – Alpine Investors (“Alpine”), a Certified B Corp people-driven private equity firm committed to building enduring software and services companies, has announced Mark Strauch as President and promoted three professionals to Partner and four professionals to Principal.

Mark Strauch, a Founding Partner and co-leader of the firm’s Investing team, has been named Alpine’s President. Mark will help lead the firm through its continued growth and scaling, while continuing his current duties as one of Alpine’s Founding Partners and member of the Investment Committee.

“I’m honored to have contributed to building one of the most accomplished and unique private equity firms of our generation,” said Mark. “We’re committed to performance as investors and to fostering inspired organizational culture as business builders. Working alongside our exceptional team at Alpine has been immensely rewarding for me, and I am excited to continue the work.”

Mark has served in several CEO roles for venture and PE-backed businesses and has over 30 years of experience in building businesses. Over the last decade, Mark’s leadership at Alpine has contributed to the firm’s exponential growth and solidified its position as an industry leader, expanding the team to over 150 people. Mark also is a co-founder and chairman of Alpine Software Group (ASG), the firm’s affiliate software platform that buys, builds, and operates vertical SaaS businesses.

“Alpine has become well-known for our unique talent-centric model. As we continue to grow, we’ll naturally encounter new opportunities and challenges, but one thing that won’t change is our commitment to the people-driven culture and values that define Alpine,” said Mark. “Our north star remains the same: build the highest-performing private equity firm of our generation, be the best place to work for top talent, and be a force for social good in the world.”

In addition to Mark, the firm has also promoted several other leaders at the top of the organization, including the promotion of April Smith, Haley Van Cleve, and John Wanglin to Partner as well as the promotion of Erin Ruck, Leslie Foard, Patrick Eble, and Will Chance to Principal.

“We’ve always believed that people are what make companies thrive, and we’re so grateful to these senior leaders who will continue shaping Alpine as a world-class firm. We are tremendously proud of April, Haley, John, Erin, Leslie, Patrick, and Will for their outstanding drive and commitment,” said Graham Weaver, Founder and CEO of Alpine Investors. “At Alpine, we are committed to hiring and investing in talented leaders who will help build our firm for the long term. We are thrilled to work alongside our colleagues in their new roles and look forward to their continued contributions to our success.”

Alpine’s newly promoted Partners include:

April Smith: April joined Alpine in 2020 to lead its Fundraising and Investor Relations team. April has been instrumental in building Alpine’s Fundraising and Investor Relations function and is responsible for managing relationships with existing and prospective investors. Since joining Alpine in 2020, she has helped grow the firm’s AUM from roughly $3 billion to $16 billion as of October 20, 2023. April has led successful flagship fund and continuation vehicle fundraises, including Alpine’s most recent oversubscribed Fund IX and its $3.4 billion continuation fund transaction to extend its ownership of Apex Service Partners. She graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship: Business Economics.

Haley Van Cleve: Haley joined Alpine in 2016 as a member of its Investing team. She executes investments in and helps support companies across Alpine’s software and services industries. Since joining Alpine, Haley has closed more than 30 deals and served on the board of six Alpine portfolio companies. She was also instrumental in the formation of Alpine Software Group (ASG), Alpine’s affiliate software platform that buys, builds, and operates leading vertical SaaS businesses. Haley plays a key leadership role in Alpine’s investing team, helping scale the team from six to over 50 people since joining Alpine. She graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Engineering.

John Wanglin: John joined Alpine in 2016 as a member of its Investing team. He sources, executes, and supports companies across Alpine’s software and services industries. John played a pivotal role in establishing Alpine’s sourcing function, including building its team to over 30 individuals and strengthening relationships with intermediaries and business owners. Since joining Alpine, John has closed over 20 deals, served on the board of six companies, and helped spearhead Alpine’s investments in the education sector. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Psychology.

Alpine’s newly promoted Principals include:

Erin Ruck: Erin joined Alpine Operations Group in 2021 as a member of the Playbook team responsible for organic growth value creation levers within Alpine’s portfolio. Erin leads the Go-to-Market Practice, helping portfolio companies scale demand and accelerate revenue. Since joining, Erin has led over 75 engagements across Alpine’s portfolio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Yale University.

Leslie Foard: Leslie joined Alpine in 2019 as a member of the People and Firm Operations team. Leslie leads employee experience and brand awareness for Alpine, encompassing marketing, internal talent recruitment, DE&I, human resources, employee development, and the firm’s PeopleFirst operating strategy. Leslie has been instrumental in enhancing the employee experience by implementing mentorship programs, introducing new strategic programs, establishing new offices, creating the firm’s DE&I strategy and committee, and leading all-firm off-sites to reflect, innovate, and connect with Alpine’s extensive team of professionals. Leslie graduated from Stanford with a Bachelor of Arts in Science, Technology & Society and a minor in Urban Studies. She also holds a master’s degree in Management from Durham University in England.

Patrick Eble: Patrick joined Alpine in 2018 as a member of the Investing team. He executes investments in and helps support companies across Alpine’s software and services industries. Patrick has closed numerous software transactions, serves on the board of three software companies, and has been instrumental in establishing Alpine’s sourcing function including sourcing over $1 billion in enterprise value over the last six years. He received a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

Will Chance, Playbook CEO: Will joined Alpine in 2018 as a member of the Investing team. Will now leads Alpine’s Playbook team within Alpine Operations Group and is responsible for building infrastructure to scale Alpine’s investing strategy and grow businesses organically post-acquisition. Prior to leading the Playbook team, Will was a member of Alpine’s investing team and partnered with Alpine portfolio company executives on post-acquisition value-creation initiatives. Will graduated with Honors from Princeton University, where he studied applied mathematics and computer science.

About Alpine Investors

Alpine Investors is a people-driven private equity firm committed to building enduring companies by working with, learning from, and developing exceptional people. Alpine specializes in investments in the software and services industries. Alpine’s PeopleFirst strategy includes a talent program that allows Alpine to bring leadership to situations where additional or new management is needed post-transaction. Alpine has $16 billion in assets under management and has three offices in San Francisco, New York, and Salt Lake City. For more information, visit www.alpineinvestors.com and https://alpineinvestors.com/terms-conditions/ for full disclaimers including, but not limited to, third-party statements and certifications and Alpine Operations Group.