Blackstone Announces Len Laufer, a Leader in Data Science and Technology across the Financial Services Industry, as Senior Advisor
New York, April 26, 2022 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced the appointment of Len Laufer, a pioneer in data science and long-time executive across the financial services industry, as a senior advisor. He will advise across Blackstone’s businesses, with a focus on Blackstone Growth (BXG), the firm’s growth equity investing platform.
Mr. Laufer brings a rare combination of experience as both a successful entrepreneur and Fortune 100 leader across industries. In 1997, he founded Argus Information and Advisory Services and grew the company over the next 15 years into a leading provider of information and analytical solutions to the payments industry. After selling the business in 2012, Mr. Laufer went on to lead JPMorgan Chase’s machine learning and data science efforts as Head of Intelligent Solutions. Most recently, he served as CEO of Cerberus Technology Solutions, the operating subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management, which focused on the use of technology, data and artificial intelligence in investment activities and at the firm’s portfolio companies. Mr. Laufer also served as Co-Chairman of the Board for Alberstons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, until 2021.
Vini Letteri, Senior Managing Director and Head of Financial Services for Blackstone Growth, said: “Len’s breadth of experience and first-hand understanding of the challenges of scaling a business will be invaluable to our portfolio companies and their founders. All companies, regardless of their industry, are looking to better use technology to improve their business and protect against disruption. Len’s knowledge will be a real benefit as they face these challenges.”
Len Laufer added: “I applaud Blackstone’s emphasis on the importance of data and technology as both an investing theme and as an operational imperative for the companies across its portfolio. I look forward to working with the BXG team and others across the firm in these efforts.”
Mr. Laufer graduated cum laude with honors from Harvard College with an AB in Social Studies, and earned an MBA from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $915 billion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact
Tom Clements
(646) 482-6088
Thomas.Clements@blackstone.com
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Ben von Schulz joined Avedon in 2016 and re-joined in 2020 after a year at ECM Equity Capital. Prior, ben worked at the Debt Advisory Group of DC Advisory and at the Investment Banking Division of Canaccord Genuity. Ben holds a Master of Global Management from Queen’s University, Canada and a M.Sc. in Finance from Maastricht University.
Willem van de Veer joined Avedon Amsterdam in 2019. He previously worked for 3 years at Volpi Capital, a London-based private equity firm focused on tech-enabled services. Prior to this he spent almost 4 years at Gupta Strategists, the leading healthcare strategy consultancy. Before, he was a medical doctor practicing Surgery in Amsterdam. Willem holds a medical degree and PhD in molecular biology from the VU University Amsterdam, and an MBA from London Business School.
Leo Hartwich joined Avedon in 2018 following an internship and is now part of the Düsseldorf office. Before that, he worked in the Finance & Treasury department of Adidas Group for two and a half years and gained experience in the Corporate Finance department of Fresenius SE. Leo holds a Master of Finance (M.Sc.) from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Sebastian van den Berg joined the Avedon team in Amsterdam in 2020. Prior, he worked as an Associate in the Consumer, Retail & Healthcare – and the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs. Sebastian holds a MSc in Quantitative Finance from the Erasmus University Rotterdam.