Meet Our Team

The Invus team has a background in strategy, operations and consulting. But the most important common denominator across the team is our passion for business. We operate as a collaborative and inclusive team, where ideas, impact and teamwork shine. We continue to look for team members who share our values and want to help leaders transform their industries.

One of the major benefits of our evergreen structure is that we don’t need to raise new funds and manage investor relations across multiple funds. This frees up a significant amount of our team’s time, allowing us to focus on our mission empowering entrepreneurs and executives to transform their industries.

Our relationship with owner-managers is not confined to formal board meetings. We enjoy an open dialogue with our owner-managers and frequently interact with them as they seek our advice on issues facing their businesses. This allows them to move rapidly without red tape. On select strategic projects, owner-managers can also call on us, where we can deploy one or more of our team members to be part of a project–specific task force to more deeply assist management with a new initiative or acquisition.

Raymond Debbane, President and CEO

Ray is based in the New York office and is the President and CEO of Invus as well as the CEO of Artal Group. Prior to forming Invus in 1985, Ray was a manager for The Boston Consulting Group in Paris. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, an MS in Food Science and Technology from the University of California, Davis and a BS in Agricultural Sciences and Agricultural Engineering from the American University of Beirut. He is currently the Chairman of Action Against Hunger — USA and a Trustee Emeritus of Connecticut College.

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Christopher Sobecki, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Chris joined Invus in 1989 as a Managing Director. He is based in the Jackson, WY office. Prior to joining Invus, Chris worked as an engineer for the Eastman Kodak Company. He received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also holds a BS in engineering from Purdue University.

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Philippe Amouyal, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Philippe joined Invus in 1999 as a Managing Director. He is based in the Miami office. Prior to joining Invus, Philippe spent fifteen years at The Boston Consulting Group in Paris and Boston, where he was a Vice President and Director and led the global electronics and software practice from 1991 on. He holds an MS in Engineering and a DEA in Management from Ecole Centrale de Paris and was a Research Fellow at the Center for Policy Alternatives of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Jonas Fajgenbaum, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Jonas is a Managing Director based in the New York office and focuses on private equity investments. He joined Invus in 1996. Prior to joining Invus, Jonas was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York, where he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including consumer products, healthcare, oil and gas, and financial services. Jonas graduated with a BS from The Wharton School and a BA in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Aflalo Guimarães, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Aflalo is a Managing Director based in the New York office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 1998. Prior to joining Invus, Aflalo was at Marakon Associates whereas a manager he led strategic consulting engagements for large multinational companies in a wide range of industries including financial services, retail and consumer products. Previously he worked at the Federal Reserve. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics and Political Science from Yale University.

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Evren Bilimer, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Evren is a Managing Director based in the New York office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 2002. Prior to joining Invus, Evren was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York, where he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including financial services, media and entertainment and retail. Evren graduated summa cum laude from Yale University double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Economics.

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Benjamin Felt, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Ben is a Managing Director based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2009. Prior to joining Invus, Ben was a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Chicago, where he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including consumer products, industrial goods, and financial services. Ben graduated with a BA in Economics from Yale University.

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Justin Barstein, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Justin is a Managing Director based in the New York office and focuses on investments in private companies. Prior to joining Invus in 2011, Justin was a management consultant at Bain & Company in Dallas, where he worked in a wide range of industries including industrials, media, technology, airlines, and consumer products. Justin graduated with a BA in Finance and Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

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Clare Joyce, Managing Director, Private Equity, United States

Clare is a Managing Director based in the New York office. She joined Invus in 2015. Prior to joining Invus, Clare was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Stamford, where she served clients in a wide range of industries including travel, financial services, healthcare, and media. Clare graduated with first class honors from the University of Oxford in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

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Michael Dubin, Director, Private Equity, United States

Michael is a Director based in the New York office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 2018. Prior to joining Invus, Michael was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Stamford, where he served clients in a wide range of industries including media and entertainment, technology, and healthcare. Michael graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a BA in English Literature.

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David Nielsen, Director, Private Equity, United States

David is a Director based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2019. Prior to joining Invus, David was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Houston, where he served clients in a wide range of industries including technology, retail, industrial products, and agriculture. David graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin in Business Honors, Finance, and Chinese.

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Jared Smith, Manager, Data Strategy and Analytics, Private Equity, United States

Jared is a Manager based in the New York office and is responsible for developing the firm’s data strategy and advanced data analytics capabilities. He joined Invus in 2018. Prior to joining Invus, Jared served in the US Army as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, with four deployments to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Jared graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA in History.

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Michal Kolakowski, Senior Associate, Private Equity, United States

Michal is a Senior Associate based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2020 after graduating summa cum laude with a BS from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Invus, he interned at Bain and Company, as well as startups in Spain and India.

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Matias Ferandel, Senior Associate, Private Equity, United States

Matias is a Senior Associate based in the New York office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 2022. Prior to joining Invus, Matias was a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in New York, where he served clients in a wide range of industries including consumer products, private equity and aerospace and defense. Matias graduated from Harvard University with a BA in Economics.

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Samantha Speer, Associate, Private Equity, United States

Samantha is an Associate based in the New York office. She joined Invus in 2023. Prior to joining Invus, Samantha was a management consultant with Bain & Company in Houston, where she served clients in a range of industries including private equity, energy, and consumer products. Samantha graduated summa cum laude with first honors from Vanderbilt University School of Engineering with a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics.

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Arda Sonmez, Associate, Private Equity, United States

Arda is an Associate based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2024. Prior to joining Invus, Arda was a management consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Chicago, where he served clients in a wide range of industries including private equity, quick service restaurants, consumer electronics, technology and sports. Arda graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BS in Aerospace Engineering.

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Joanna Wrobel, Associate, Private Equity, United States

Joanna is an Associate based in the New York office. She joined Invus in 2024. Prior to joining Invus, Joanna was a management consultant with Bain & Co in New York, where she advised clients across private equity, food & beverage, and healthcare sectors. At Bain, Joanna was also a key member of the flagship GenAI team. Her previous experience includes roles at The Blackstone Group and a fitness startup. Joanna graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA with distinction in Ethics, Politics, and Economics.

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Charlie Lefkowicz, Analyst, Private Equity, United States

Charlie is an Analyst based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2023. Prior to joining Invus, he was a summer associate at EY-Parthenon and completed internships in strategy, human resources, and marketing. Charlie graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations.

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Ava Stills, Analyst, Private Equity, United States

Ava is an Analyst based in the New York office. She joined Invus in 2023 after graduating from Stanford University with a BS in Computer Science. Prior to joining Invus, Ava interned at McKinsey & Company, Google, and Virtu Financial.

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Luc Ta-Ngoc, Managing Director, Private Equity, Europe

Luc is a Managing Director based in the Paris office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 1999. Prior to joining Invus, Luc was a manager at The Boston Consulting Group in Paris and New York, where he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including consumer goods, food and non-food retail (hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, specialty retail), building materials and pharmaceuticals. He graduated from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) in Paris.

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Mario Kaloustian, Managing Director, Private Equity, Europe

Mario is a Managing Director based in the Paris office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 2008. Prior to joining Invus, Mario was Principal at Greenwich Consulting in Paris, a strategy and management consultancy focused on telecoms and media, where he led strategic consulting engagements for major European companies. Previously he was a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. He graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications and has an MBA from INSEAD.

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Benedetto Staccia, Managing Director, Private Equity, Europe

Ben is a Managing Director based in the Paris office and focuses on investments in private companies. He joined Invus in 2008. Previously, Ben was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Italy, where he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including telecommunications, energy, technology, and financial services. Ben received an MBA from Harvard Business School and also holds a MS in Electrical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and a MS in Engineering from Ecole Centrale de Paris.

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Victor Doussineau, Director, Private Equity, Europe

Victor is a Director based in the Paris office. He focuses on investments in private companies. Prior to joining Invus in 2016, Victor was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group in Paris, working with clients in a wide range of industries including financial institutions, retail, consumer and industrial goods. He is a graduate of HEC Paris and also holds an MSc in Economic and Social Sciences from the Bocconi University in Milan.

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Louis Loze, Director, Private Equity, Europe

Louis is a Director based in the Paris office. He focuses on investments in private companies. Prior to joining Invus in 2018, Louis was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group in Paris, working with corporate and private equity clients in a wide range of industries including financial institutions, energy, infrastructure, luxury, consumer and industrial goods. He is a graduate of ESCP Europe and also holds a double Bachelor's degree in Law & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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Corentin Le Garo, Associate, Private Equity, Europe

Corentin is an Associate based in the Paris office. He focuses on investments in private companies. Prior to joining Invus in 2024, Corentin was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Paris, working with corporate and private equity clients in a wide range of industries including retail, consumer and industrial goods, technology, and financial services. He is a graduate of HEC Paris and holds a Master in Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris.

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Francis Cukierman, Managing Director, Private Equity, Asia

Francis is a Managing Director based in the Hong Kong office. He focuses on investments in high growth private consumer companies in Asia. He joined Invus in 1993 and led several consumer and retail investments in Europe. Prior to joining Invus he was a partner at The Boston Consulting Group in Paris. In his ten years at BCG, he worked with clients in a wide range of industries including consumer goods, food and non-food retail. He graduated from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and has an MBA from INSEAD.

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Veronica Yingying Li, Director, Private Equity, Asia

Veronica is a Director based in the Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Invus in 2018, she was an investment associate at Partners Group in Singapore, focusing on private equity and private debt investments. Prior to that, she was a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group in Shanghai. Veronica is a graduate from Peking University and has an MBA from Columbia Business School where she studied in the Value Investing Program.

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Jimmy Wu, Director, Private Equity, Asia

Jimmy is a Director based in the Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Invus in 2019, Jimmy was an associate director at Zebra Global Capital in Beijing, a private equity firm focused on retail and technology investments. Previously, Jimmy was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in Beijing, where he worked with internet consumer, advanced industries, and healthcare clients on growth strategy, operations, and cross-border M&A projects. Jimmy holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA with distinction in Economics from Cornell University.

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Khalil Barrage, Managing Director, Public Equity, United States

Khalil is a Managing Director based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2003 and set up the Public Equity group, of which he is in charge globally. Prior to joining Invus, Khalil was a portfolio manager with The Olayan Group, New York in charge of its US equity group. Khalil follows a value discipline in selecting securities, focusing on out of favor stocks that are trading below their intrinsic value. Khalil holds a BA from the American University of Beirut. He is a board member of the Children of Armenia Fund and of Solving Kids’ Cancer.

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Jon Luick, Chief Operating Officer, Public Equity, United States

Jon is the Chief Operating Officer of the Public Equity group based in New York. He joined Invus in 2024 from Noble Path Asset Management LP, an equity-focused hedge fund firm, where he served as the Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer. Prior to joining Noble Path in 2019, Jon was the Head Trader at Marble Arch Investments and a Trader on the equity derivatives desk at MF Global. Before joining the investment management industry, Jon practiced law at Herrick, Feinstein LLP from 2007 to 2010, where he focused on counseling investment firms and Fortune 500 companies in federal and state court litigation. In 2008, Jon took leave from Herrick to serve as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in the District of New Jersey. From 2002 to 2006, Jon worked as an economic policy advisor in the U.S. Senate. He earned a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2007 and an AB in Politics and a certificate in Political Economy from Princeton University in 2001.  

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Robert Mikesell, Principal, Public Equity, United States

Robert is a Principal based in the New York office. He is a trader for the Public Equity group in New York, in charge of our execution desk. Prior to joining Invus in 2003, Robert was a trader for Credit Suisse First Boston in their Capital Markets Group focusing on corporate buybacks, tenders, VC distributions, and derivatives. Robert graduated from Franklin & Marshall College where he majored in Economics and minored in Business.

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Nadim Razzouk, Principal, Public Equity, United States

Nadim is a Principal based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2021. Prior to joining Invus, Nadim co-founded Victoire Finance Capital LLC in 1996, a long short hedge fund that targeted absolute returns with reduced market correlation. In 2004, Nadim co-founded Victoire Brazil Investimentos, an independent investment management company based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, specializing in equity portfolio management for institutional and private investors. In 2016, Nadim co-founded Piolet Capital, an event driven hedge fund. Nadim holds a BA from Syracuse University.

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Georgios Theophanous, Director, Public Equity, United States

Georgios is a Director based in the New York office. Prior to joining Invus in 2013, Georgios was an associate at Vector Capital in San Francisco, a middle-market private equity firm focused on technology investments. Previously, Georgios was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in Palo Alto, where he worked with technology, industrial goods, and financial services clients on growth strategy, operations, and mergers & acquisitions projects. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University.

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Brittany Sacks, Director, Public Equity, United States

Brittany is a Director based in the New York office. Prior to joining Invus in 2017, Brittany was a Senior Associate in Equity Research at J.P. Morgan, covering biotech. Previously, Brittany was a Senior Analyst in Business Development at Pfizer, where she worked on mergers & acquisitions, collaborations, and licensing opportunities across several therapeutic areas. Brittany graduated with a BS in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University.

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Sunny Shah, MD, Director, Public Equity, United States

Sunny is a Director based in the New York office. He focuses on both public and private biotech companies at all stages of development and across a variety of therapeutic areas. Prior to joining Invus in 2020, he was an academic Cardiologist on the full-time faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he also completed his Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency and obtained his MD from New York University School of Medicine, where he also conducted basic science and clinical research. He was a Presidential Honors Scholar and graduated with a BA in Biology and Pre-Business studies from New York University.

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Brian Aronson, Vice President, Public Equity, United States

Brian is a Vice President based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2024 to manage the U.S. Equity Capital Markets program after nearly 10 years at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Brian was most recently responsible for the origination of Equity Capital Markets offerings across IPOs, follow-ons, blocks, and other nuanced structures. Prior to joining the origination team, Brian was a member of the Equity Syndicate team within Equity Capital Markets, focusing on equity syndications across all underwritten equity and equity-linked offerings. He began his career at Goldman Sachs within the Sales & Trading Division. Brian graduated with a BS in Business & Economics from Lehigh University in 2015.

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Louccas Bou Jaoude, Analyst, Public Equity, United States

Louccas is an Analyst based in the New York office.  Louccas holds a Master of Finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated as a Dean’s fellow.  He was a full-merit scholar at the American University of Beirut and graduated with a double major, with high distinction, in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics, and minors in Economics and History.  

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Isaac Sassoon, Analyst, Public Equity, United States

Isaac is an Analyst based in the New York office. Prior to joining Invus in 2023, he was a Senior Consultant at LifeSci Consulting, where he worked with several small-to-large biopharmaceutical companies on development and commercialization strategy. Isaac holds a BA in Economics/Pre-Med from Cornell University, in addition to a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on immunology and oncology. During his time at Penn, he worked as a research assistant at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies (CCI), where he conducted IND-enabling research on novel CAR-T therapies.

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Julien Miara, Managing Director, Public Equity, Europe

Julien is a Managing Director based in the Paris office. He joined Invus in 2010 as an analyst in the Public Equity group, covering a number of sectors including Biotechnology, Technology (Software and Semiconductors) and Autos. In 2018, Julien was promoted to lead the team in Europe. Previously, Julien worked in investment banking at BNP Paribas in Paris and Société Générale in New York, as well as in management consulting. Julien received his Master of Management from EDHEC Business School in Lille (France) in 2009.

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Antoine Barouky, Venture Partner, Europe

Antoine is a Venture Partner collaborating with the public and private healthcare teams across geographies. Prior to joining Invus in 2023, Antoine was a founding member of the executive teams at several US companies in Europe, building and leading businesses for thirteen years including Alnylam, Shire, Cubist, and Forest Laboratories. Previously, he spent twelve years at Stallergenes in various leadership roles including SVP, Business and Corporate Development. Antoine holds an MS in Biotechnology Engineering from Institut National des Sciences Appliques de Lyon and a Masters in Finance from HEC Paris.

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Olivier Gueymard, Director, Public Equity, Europe

Olivier is a Director based in the Paris office. He joined Invus in 2013 as an analyst covering a number of sectors including Technology (Payments, Foodtech, CleanTech, E-commerce and Software), Consumer, Aerospace and Defense. Prior to joining, Olivier was an intern in investment banking at Lazard-Natixis in Paris, in equity research at Natixis in London and at a hedge fund in Paris. Olivier graduated with a Master of Management from Toulouse Business School in France.

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Etienne Daher, Senior Associate, Public Equity, Europe

Etienne is a Senior Associate based in the Paris office. Prior to joining Invus in 2024, he was a Senior Analyst at Aescap, a public equity investment company focused on biotech. Previously, Etienne worked as Chief of Staff at the biotech company, Sensorion, and as Startup Manager for healthcare companies at Bpifrance, the French Sovereign Wealth Fund. He holds a PharmD from Université Grenoble Alpes and a Master in Strategy and Management of International Business from ESSEC Business School in France.

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Salim Salam, Director, Public Equity, Asia

Salim is a Director based in the Hong Kong office and is part of the Public Equity group in Asia. He focuses on the capital markets and Japan investments. Prior to joining Invus in 2024, Salim worked in the equity capital markets in London and Hong Kong, including fifteen years at Nomura and most recently nine years at Mizuho where he ran the international equity syndicate desk. Salim started his career in New York in aircraft leasing and financing at American Express Bank. Salim holds a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

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Bohan Xue, Associate, Public Equity, Asia

Bohan Xue is an Associate based in the Hong Kong office. Prior to joining Invus Asia in 2023, Bohan managed marketing agencies for seven years. Bohan holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics and Politics from Sheffield University.

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David Van Zandt, Global General Counsel

David is the group-wide Global General Counsel based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2020 after serving as a consultant to Invus and Artal since 1985. Prior to joining Invus full-time, David was the President for ten years of The New School University in New York, the home of Parsons School of Design, where he moved the university toward a central focus on design, broadly conceived, and social science. Prior to that, David served for fifteen years as dean and ten years as a faculty member for the Northwestern University School of Law, an associate with Davis Polk & Wardwell, and as a law clerk to Southern District of New York Judge Pierre N. Leval (now on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals) and to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun. David holds an AB from Princeton University, a JD from Yale Law School, and a PhD in sociology from the London School of Economics.

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Philip Bafundo, Chief Financial Officer

Phil is the Chief Financial Officer based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2012. Prior to joining Invus, Phil held several senior financial positions at asset management subsidiaries of Société Genéralé in New York and began his career at PwC. Phil graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Accounting from St. John’s University and is a CFA Charterholder and Certified Public Accountant.

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Arshaad Yar, Chief Information Officer

Arshaad is the Chief Information Officer based in the New York office. He joined Invus in 2005. Prior to joining Invus, Arshaad was a technology consultant, where he served clients in a wide range of industries including healthcare, financial services, real estate, technology, engineering, ecommerce, arts, and media. Arshaad holds a BS in Computer Science from St. John’s University and completed an executive program in Cybersecurity Leadership at Carnegie Mellon University.

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Invus Opportunities

Invus Opportunities (“Invus Opps”) is a sister team of Invus. Invus Opps is focused on partnering with market-leading management teams and investors in private transactions globally. With its differentiated heritage and capital base, Invus Opps brings a complementary dimension to growing companies and investor groups seeking to create lasting value. Invus Opps both leads rounds of financing and co-invests in syndicated financings and currently manages over $2 billion of assets.

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Invus Financial Advisors (IFA)

In 2006, Invus Financial Advisors, LLC (“IFA”) was spun off from The Invus Group, led by its CIO, Leslie Lake. Leslie has been managing a public equity long/short fund of funds strategy since 1994 for Invus with a particular expertise and focus in emerging/early-stage hedge fund managers. She is joined by Gretchen Piller, Viktor Ula, Carmen Taton, Rachel Merluza and Lila Brown.

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