BUILDERS OF THE ECOSYSTEM: THERESE ESPERDY

Therese Esperdy (SOM ’89), Member of our General Partner, currently serves on our Board of Managers and Investment Committee.  It’s been the thrill of the deal for Therese, ever since she became an investment banker.  She has had a remarkable career on Wall Street, beginning at Lehman Brothers and later holding a variety of positions at JP Morgan.  There, she served as Head of Global Debt Capital Markets, Co-Head of Banking for Asia Pacific, Head of Investment Banking, and Global Chairwoman of the Financial Institutions Group.  Therese now serves as a Director of National Grid and chairs its Finance Committee.  She is also a Director of Imperial Brands, LLC.

Therese has stayed connected to Yale in a tangible way for a long time, having actively recruited at the School of Management for Lehman Brothers and later for JP Morgan Chase.  She has been involved in SOM symposiums and conferences, and, having spent time in Asia and London, has helped bring Yale alums together from across the globe.

To BIG, Therese brings her international personal network and invaluable expertise, having touched nearly every sector throughout her career. “I've been very interested in and excited by the number of health and science start-ups coming out of Yale and our portfolio to date is a testament to those opportunities - Ancera, Tummy Zen, Allergy Amulet and Wellinks,” Therese describes.  Currently, BIG is in the process of investing in our first non-US investment and energy sector company which was introduced by Therese, and, according to her, “a good example of the broad connectivity and benefits of our Yale network.”