Legion Partners Team
Prior to founding Legion Partners, Mr. Kiper worked for Shamrock Capital Advisors, the alternative investment vehicle of the Disney family, where he served as Portfolio Manager of the Shamrock Activist Value Fund, a concentrated, long-only, activist fund with $1 billion of assets under management. While at Shamrock, Mr. Kiper led proxy contests that resulted in the election of multiple directors and the passing of a variety of governance-related shareholder proposals. Prior to Shamrock, Mr. Kiper founded and operated the Ridgestone Small Cap Value Fund, a small-cap targeted activist fund in association with Ridgestone Corporation. Mr. Kiper began his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young, where he primarily focused on the financial services industry. Mr. Kiper is a former director of Reddy Ice Holdings. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Christopher S. Kiper
Chief Investment Officer
Ted White
Managing Director
Mr. White is co-founder and a Managing Director of Legion Partners Asset Management. Prior to founding Legion Partners, Mr. White most recently served in various functions with Knight Vinke Asset Management, a European-based activist fund manager. Positions included Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for finance, operations, legal, marketing and client service functions. He is a former Deputy Director of the Council of Institutional Investors (CII), where responsibilities included policy development and implementation. Previous to Knight Vinke, Mr. White was a Portfolio Manager, Director of Corporate Governance, for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (“CalPERS”), where he was responsible for all components of its Governance Program, including $3 billion in active management, policy development and implementation, proxy voting and focused engagement activities. Prior to CalPERS, Mr. White was an Investment Officer – Deputy State Treasurer at the California State Treasurer’s Office, where his duties included fixed income portfolio analysis and trading, among other responsibilities. Mr. White is a former member of the Council of Institutional Investors Corporate Governance Advisory Council. Mr. White served as Co-Chairman of the Executive Remuneration Committee of the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) until December 2014 and is a former member of the Standing Advisory Group for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Mr. White earned an MBA from California State University in Sacramento with a concentration in finance. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Christopher S. Kiper
Managing Director
Prior to founding Legion Partners, Mr. Kiper worked for Shamrock Capital Advisors, the alternative investment vehicle of the Disney family, where he served as Portfolio Manager of the Shamrock Activist Value Fund, a concentrated, long-only, activist fund with $1 billion of assets under management. While at Shamrock, Mr. Kiper led proxy contests that resulted in the election of multiple directors and the passing of a variety of governance-related shareholder proposals. Prior to Shamrock, Mr. Kiper founded and operated the Ridgestone Small Cap Value Fund, a small-cap targeted activist fund in association with Ridgestone Corporation. Mr. Kiper began his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young, where he primarily focused on the financial services industry. Mr. Kiper is a former director of Reddy Ice Holdings. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Maria Pacheco
Accounting and Operations Manager
Prior to joining Legion Partners in 2018, Ms. Pacheco was a senior accountant at Makaira Partners, LLC. Prior to Makaira Partners, she was a fund accountant at Hedge Solutions, an LA based fund administration firm. Previously, Ms. Pacheco was an auditor with Rothstein Kass, focusing on the financial services industry. Ms. Pacheco graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration degree in finance.
Prior to joining Legion Partners in early 2018, Mr. Gupta was a member of the founding team at Finchwood Capital, a concentrated, long/short equity hedge fund, where he served as a Senior Analyst primarily focused on the technology, media and telecommunications industries. Prior to Finchwood, he was an Analyst at Balyasny Asset Management, a $13 billion long/short equity hedge fund, where he focused on the technology, media and telecommunications industries. Before Balyasny, Mr. Gupta was an Associate at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) as a member of the special situations and private debt investment teams. He began his career as an investment banker with UBS, where he primarily focused on the technology industry. Mr. Gupta earned a BS in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated Beta Alpha Psi.
Sagar Gupta
Senior Analyst
Sagar Gupta
Senior Analyst
Prior to joining Legion Partners in early 2018, Mr. Gupta was a member of the founding team at Finchwood Capital, a concentrated, long/short equity hedge fund, where he served as a Senior Analyst primarily focused on the technology, media and telecommunications industries. Prior to Finchwood, he was an Analyst at Balyasny Asset Management, a $13 billion long/short equity hedge fund, where he focused on the technology, media and telecommunications industries. Before Balyasny, Mr. Gupta was an Associate at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) as a member of the special situations and private debt investment teams. He began his career as an investment banker with UBS, where he primarily focused on the technology industry. Mr. Gupta earned a BS in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated Beta Alpha Psi.
Susan Xu
Analyst
Prior to joining Legion Partners, Ms. Xu was an Associate at Deutsche Bank as a member of the Global Industrials Group, where she primarily focused on the chemicals and paper & packaging industries. Ms. Xu earned a B.A. in Economics and a double degree in Sociology from Peking University. She is also a Silver Scholar and Forte Fellow at Yale School of Management.
Prior to joining Legion Partners as COO, Mr. Katz was co-founder and COO of Compass North Advisors and the sole founder and managing partner of K&P Capital, both long/short equity hedge funds. Previous to founding K&P, Mr. Katz was CFO and VP of Finance & Administration at WaterHealth International, a socially conscious, for-profit water purification company focused on developing countries. Prior to WaterHealth, he was a senior analyst at Ivory Capital, a $2 billion long/short equity hedge fund. Before Ivory, Mr. Katz was Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions in the Technology Group at Montgomery and Co. Previously, he was a Senior Associate Consultant for Bain & Company before being appointed Director of Financial Planning and Analysis with Jostens Learning Corporation, a Bain Capital portfolio company focused on educational software development. Mr. Katz graduated magna cum laude with a BA in economics and mathematics from Dartmouth College, with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He later received an MBA from the Anderson School of Business as a Carter Fellow. He serves as Treasurer on the Board of the Venice, California Boys and Girls Club.
David A Katz
Chief Operating Officer
Maria Pacheco
Accounting and Operations Manager
Prior to joining Legion Partners in 2018, Ms. Pacheco was a senior accountant at Makaira Partners, LLC. Prior to Makaira Partners, she was a fund accountant at Hedge Solutions, an LA based fund administration firm. Previously, Ms. Pacheco was an auditor with Rothstein Kass, focusing on the financial services industry. Ms. Pacheco graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration degree in finance.
Susan Xu
Analyst
Prior to joining Legion Partners, Ms. Xu was an Associate at Deutsche Bank as a member of the Global Industrials Group, where she primarily focused on the chemicals and paper & packaging industries. Ms. Xu earned a B.A. in Economics and a double degree in Sociology from Peking University. She is also a Silver Scholar and Forte Fellow at Yale School of Management.