Rainier Partners, a Seattle-based, lower-middle-market private equity firm, hired Dave Shephard as Director of Portfolio Operations in an effort to expand the firm’s ability to accelerate value and growth across the portfolio.       
 
Equipped with over a decade of experience in strategy and operational roles, Shephard is a seasoned leader with a deep track record of expanding business capabilities and executing value creation strategies. Prior to starting at Rainier, Shephard spent six years at Bain & Co., where he managed teams focused on private equity due diligence and strategic challenges for leading companies across consumer, technology, and industrial sectors. Before Bain & Co., Shephard served as a combat arms officer in the U.S Army where we held a wide variety of strategic, operational, and leadership positions.
 
As Rainier’s inaugural Director of Portfolio Operations, Shephard will have an important hand in accelerating Rainier’s portfolio companies' growth strategies, with a focus on comprehensive value creation and partnership. With a targeted and collaborative approach, Shephard will work to enhance and implement strategic, operational, and tactical initiatives within Rainier’s portfolio companies to help drive value creation.
 
“I am proud to be joining Rainier during an exciting time of the firm’s expansion, and I look forward to playing a role in the success of the firm and its portfolio companies,” said Shephard. “Rainier’s relationship-first approach and working hand-in-hand with management teams is in perfect alignment with my leadership style. Rainier is an extraordinary firm, and I am excited to work alongside a world-class team of leaders.”
 
“This is a pivotal moment for Rainier, which underscores our investment in resources for our portfolio companies. As value-added investors, we could not think of anyone better for the job than Dave Shephard,” said Rainier Managing Partner Jon Altman.
 
Alex Rolfe, Managing Partner, continued, “His leadership skills and expertise in driving strategy will be a huge asset to our partner companies. We are excited to welcome Dave to the team.”
 
Rainier Partners is a private equity firm founded in 2020 and based in Seattle, WA, that invests in lower middle-market businesses. Rainier’s principals have deep experience profitably growing businesses in its four focus sectors: business services, financial services, industrial services, and consumer services. Rainier’s approach is to partner with owners and management teams and proactively support them to generate value and accelerate profit growth.