Fenway Partners Team
The members of our investment team have worked together at Fenway for a number of years and share a strong results-oriented culture that promotes collaboration. Our investment team represents a wide array of skills and experiences. Prior to joining Fenway, the members of our team worked in private equity, investment banking and consulting. Being able to draw on a wide range of knowledge and experience contributes significantly to our shared success.
Peter Lamm
Peter Lamm is the co-founder and managing partner of Fenway Partners, with over 30 years of private equity investing experience. Mr. Lamm received a BA in English Literature from Boston University and earned a Masters’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia University. Mr. Lamm is Chairman of the Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and has served on the board since 2005.
Previously, Mr. Lamm was a Managing Director of Butler Capital Corporation (BCC) and a General Partner of the investment partnerships managed by BCC from 1982 to 1994. Mr. Lamm led the direct investing activities at BCC from 1988 to 1994 and served on the boards for several companies in the BCC portfolio including Golden State Foods, School Supply Company, and Walls Industries. Prior to joining Butler Capital, Mr. Lamm was a co-founder of Photoquick of America, Inc. Mr. Lamm currently serves on the boards of Easton-Bell Sports, Fastfrate, and Preferred Freezer.
Gregg Smart
Gregg Smart is a Managing Director at Fenway Partners, having joined in 1999. Mr. Smart is involved in all aspects of the private equity firm’s activities and has served on a number of portfolio company boards. Prior to Fenway, he was a Managing Director with Merrill Lynch & Co. in the investment banking division in New York City from 1986 to 1999. He started in the leverage finance group and subsequently moved into corporate finance where he worked on transactions across a variety of sectors, including industrial, consumer, and retail. For a period of time, he served on the firm’s leverage transaction and equity capital commitment committees and was the co-team leader for recruiting at The Wharton School and team leader for undergraduate recruiting for the investment banking division. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Mr. Smart worked for three years with First Union National Bank in Charlotte, NC.
Gregg Smart graduated from Davidson College and received an MBA at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Smart currently serves on the boards of American Achievement, SunTek, Preferred Freezer, and RoadLink Workforce Solutions.
Walter Wiacek
Walter Wiacek joined Fenway Partners in 2007 and is Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, responsible for all accounting, financial, investor, and tax reporting. Mr. Wiacek received a B.S. in Business Administration from Bryant University. Mr. Wiacek is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Connecticut Society of CPAs.
Previously, Mr. Wiacek was the Chief Financial Officer of Jupiter Partners, a middle-market private equity firm with $600 million in assets under management. Prior to Jupiter Partners, Mr. Wiacek was also engaged in several financial consulting projects for a variety of clients in the financial services industry and had 15 years of senior-level corporate finance experience for a variety of start-ups, restructuring, and high growth companies.
Jacqueline Balfour
Jacqueline Balfour joined Fenway Partners in 1997 as a receptionist and now operates as Executive Assistant and Office Manager. Ms. Balfour began her career working as a course manager of a local Golf Course in Western New York before moving on to New York City. Jacqueline (Jack) is an integral part of Fenway’s team.