Derek Lemke-von Ammon Joins FTVentures as Partner
Nationally Known Private Equity Investor Adds Expertise to Expanding Firm
- Founding Partner and Former Director of Private Equity for Thomas Weisel Partners
- Former Partner and Director of Private Equity for Montgomery Securities
Thursday, August 26, 2004
San Francisco, CA - Derek Lemke-von Ammon, 46, has joined FTVentures as a Partner. Beginning September 1, he will be responsible for the firms unique business development efforts with its strategic investors. The growing San Francisco-based firm, which also has a New York office, provides venture through late-stage growth capital to software and business services companies.
Lemke-von Ammon most recently was the Director of Private Equity of Thomas Weisel Partners and a member of that firms five-person Executive Committee. He was also one of the founders of Thomas Weisel Partners, which was established in 1998.
Lemke-von Ammon has been actively engaged in the private equity sector as an investor and an advisor for more than 19 years. Prior to founding Thomas Weisel Partners, he had been with Montgomery Securities for 10 years, where he was a Senior Managing Director and Director of Private Equity. Lemke-von Ammon was also with Dain Bosworth Incorporated and with Bogle & Gates as a corporate and securities attorney.
In his role at FTVentures, Lemke-von Ammon will work closely with the firms institutional Limited Partners, which are among the worlds largest financial institutions. He will also oversee FTVResources, the firms research-based platform for delivering value to its investors and portfolio companies, and for creating proprietary insights to drive FTVentures investment activities.
Ive long held the view that the private equity market is maturing and that having a group of smart professionals is a necessary but not sufficient requirement for success. FTVentures network provides a unique competitive advantage, a window on technological and business process innovation inside of 38 of the worlds leading financial institutions said Lemke-von Ammon. Those relationships are also valuable when it comes to convincing a management team focused on the financial services marketplace that FTVentures is their best choice for a financial partner.
We have known Derek for more than 15 years and are delighted that in joining FTVentures he is rejoining several former colleagues from his Montgomery years to take on this vital role in our firm, said Jim Hale, managing partner. The relationships we have with our strategic investors are central to our successful strategy, and through these relationships we add significant value to our portfolio companies. With Derek now on board, the strength of our team has been further increased.
Lemke-von Ammon holds a B.A. degree from Pomona College, a J.D. degree from Northwestern University School of Law and he has completed the Executive Program at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business.
About FTVentures
FTVentures (www.ftventures.com) is a private equity firm providing venture through late stage growth capital to software and business services companies. The firms unmatched global financial services partner networkincluding nine of the top ten U.S. banksprovides FTVentures with a unique vantage point into the business-driven IT and operating challenges of global enterprises. FTVentures leverages insights from these connections as it identifies, analyzes and invests in software and business services companies. Founded in 1998, FTVentures currently has $623 million under management and is an active equity investor in privately held software and services companies focused on organic growth, as well as in companies pursuing build-outs, recapitalizations and spin-out ventures. The firm has offices in San Francisco and New York.
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