AVALT, a Boston-based private investment firm, is pleased to announce that James Scola has joined the firm as a Partner and member of the Investment Committee in its newly formed Professional & Tech Services vertical. Mr. Scola will help to co-lead AVALT’s middle market investments in the sector, which will complement AVALT’s existing and highly successful Commercial & Industrial Services vertical strategy.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome James to AVALT,” said Ian Reynolds, a co-founding Partner at AVALT. “The build-out of our Professional & Tech Services vertical represents an exciting step forward for AVALT as we continue to find more ways to match our patient, long-term capital with great companies to form enduring partnerships in support of growth. We look forward to James’s contributions as he joins us in bringing this proven and disciplined approach to additional sectors and businesses.”
The Professional & Tech Services vertical will focus on supporting growth-oriented businesses in a variety of end markets within the knowledge economy. These include IT services & technology enablement, professional advisory services (including financial services), as well as vertical market data and software.
Mr. Scola brings more than 16 years of private equity and investment banking experience, joining AVALT from Abry Partners, where he was a Partner and co-led the firm’s Financial Services & Technology buyouts team. In that role, he was responsible for sourcing and leading control stake and growth investments in retirement services, wealth & asset management, risk & compliance services, insurance, and vertical software/tech-enabled services, and was also closely involved with recruiting and developing talent for the firm. Mr. Scola previously served in the investment banking division of Credit Suisse. Mr. Scola holds a BA in Economics, summa cum laude, from Providence College.
"AVALT has built a truly differentiated investment approach for founders and management teams seeking a partner to scale, and I’m excited to join the firm at a time of strategic expansion," said Scola. "The firm’s long-term, hands-on commitment to building businesses the right way aligns perfectly with my investment philosophy. I welcome the opportunity to co-lead our efforts in the Professional & Tech Services space and work closely with my colleagues and our management teams to drive true value creation."
“James’s addition to the team comes at an exciting time, as we advance to implement our long-term growth strategy for AVALT,” said Marko Kivisto, a Partner and co-founder of AVALT. “We remain thoroughly committed to being highly supportive of the businesses in which we invest, helping them scale to becoming category leaders, and the addition of James will help us to accelerate our pace in an effort to expand the number of companies we can support with our platform.”
About AVALT
AVALT is a Boston-based private investment firm that partners with middle-market businesses to create long-term value. With a team of experienced investors and operators, AVALT focuses on building exceptional companies in Commercial & Industrial Services and Professional & Tech Services industries. AVALT builds truly collaborative partnerships with management teams, lending their decades of private equity and industry experience to drive growth and positive change in these businesses. Unlike traditional private equity firms, AVALT invests only its own capital, allowing for a flexible, long-term investment horizon. To learn more, please visit www.avalt.com.
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