Lauren B. Leichtman, cofounder and co-chairperson of the Executive Committee at Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, helped build one of the most established middle-market private equity firms through a structured investment strategy designed to combine downside protection with long-term value creation. Since cofounding LLCP in 1984 with Arthur Levine, she has played a central role in the firm’s strategic direction, management, and investment activities as it grew into a global platform stewarding about $18.1 billion of institutional capital. Leichtman is also widely recognized as a trailblazer in private equity, with Forbes identifying her as the first woman to build a billion-dollar fortune in the industry.

Arthur E. Levine, cofounder of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, helped build one of the most established middle-market private equity firms by focusing on structured equity, downside protection, and long-term value creation. Since launching LLCP with Lauren Leichtman in 1984, Levine has played a central role in shaping the firm’s differentiated investment strategy, combining debt and equity to back founder-led and family-owned businesses across industries. Known for disciplined capital allocation and a low-profile approach, he helped scale LLCP into a global platform with decades of experience in middle-market investing.

Steven Klinsky is the founder and CEO of New Mountain Capital, a private equity firm that manages over $50 billion in assets and focuses on high-growth, non-cyclical businesses. Before founding his firm in 1999, he was a pioneer in the industry at Goldman Sachs and a general partner at Forstmann Little, where he helped develop the strategy of business-building over financial engineering. Klinsky is also a major figure in education reform, having established the Modern States Education Alliance, which provides free college-level courses and credit to hundreds of thousands of students globally.

Holden Spaht, managing partner at Thoma Bravo, is a leading figure in private equity with a focus on software and technology investments. Since joining the firm in 2005, he has played a key role in building Thoma Bravo into one of the world’s largest and most successful software-focused buyout firms, managing over $130 billion in assets. Spaht has overseen major deals across enterprise software, cybersecurity, and fintech, earning a reputation for his disciplined investment approach and ability to scale technology businesses.