Sar Mountain Capital, a specialized investment manager focused exclusively on the large and underserved U.S. lower-middle market, announced that longtime personal investor across multiple Star Mountain funds Mary D'Souza has now also become a Star Mountain Senior Advisor.
D'Souza will leverage her relationships and experience to add value to Star Mountain's comprehensive deal origination platform across the U.S.
D'Souza has 25 years of private equity, private credit, fund investing, commercial and investment banking and C-level operational experience through various senior roles including at GE Capital, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and Four M Investments. She is currently the CFO and a Board Member of a pharmaceutical company.
D'Souza spent nearly a decade as a Managing Director at GE Capital in the years leading up to the 2008/2009 global financial crisis where she structured over 125 senior and junior debt financings representing over $13 billion in transaction volume. Ms. D'Souza also launched the junior debt initiative at GE Capital, building it into one of the leading players in the second lien / mezzanine lending market.
She started her career as an investment banker at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson (since acquired by Commerzbank) in 1995. Post GE Capital, she was the Chief Investment Officer of a large New York family office responsible for direct investments in private equity and private credit transactions as well as fund investments across a variety of asset classes, including in the U.S. lower middle-market.
D'Souza received an MBA from Pace University and completed GE's Accelerated Leadership Performance Course. She received a BA from St. Xavier's College.
D'Souza is currently a Board Member of Community Access, a New York-based non-profit that provides a range of housing, job skills, and employment placement to those who have a history of mental illness.
"Mary brings valuable transaction and industry expertise and I am proud she has joined our 35+ person advisory committee across the U.S. who often add value in origination, underwriting insights and with our portfolio companies," said Brett Hickey, Founder & CEO of Star Mountain. "As a longtime personal investor in multiple Star Mountain funds and someone who has become a friend, we are honored that Mary is further aligning herself to help us bring large market expertise to the U.S. lower middle-market."