About
Vennette has over 15 years of investment banking experience, and she spearheads Financo’s industry-leading, global Beauty & Personal Care practice. She focuses on M&A and equity capital raises for young, rapidly growing companies. Vennette was named by Mergers & Acquisitions Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A, and by Women’s Wear Daily as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty. Forbes and CircleUp have also recognized Vennette for their annual Consumer Catalyst Awards, which honors top dealmakers and influencers in the consumer industry for emerging brands.
Prior to joining Financo, Vennette worked at Lazard in Equity Research and at Bloomingdale’s in Merchandising. She received a BA with honors from Brown University and an MBA with honors from Columbia Business School. Vennette is a member of the Board of Governors of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW). She also serves on the board of Children’s Academy, a non-profit K-12 school for children with special needs.
What drives your passion for Beauty & Personal Care?
It is an amazingly dynamic industry, driven by constant change and innovation. Founders and entrepreneurs have the potential to profoundly change the world in a short period of time. Just being around such wonderful people and ideas is both exhilarating and inspiring!
What differentiates Financo within Consumer & Retail?
Financo is well-known for its deep sector expertise and world-class execution. But I would say our secret weapon is that everyone at our company cares deeply about the work we do. It’s more than a job for us, and as a result, we are relentless in our quest to maximize value for our clients.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
When I was younger, my dad always told me that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. All of the successful companies we work with have capitalized on identified opportunities – whether it be a product white space, an unaddressed consumer need or a demographic/psychographic shift. This mantra is also highly relevant in M&A, where no two transactions are the same. A successful transaction is about being prepared, nimble and ready to go when the opportunity is right, and sometimes is about CREATING the opportunity itself.
Where can we find you when you’re outside the office?
Running script lines with my husband as he prepares for auditions (he’s an actor), or singing and dancing with my kids. My family is full of big, diverse personalities, who keep me grounded and laughing all of the time!
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