William Dawson

The recipient of a BS in accounting from St. Francis College in New York and an MBA in management from Harvard Business School, William Dawson began his career as an analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) Securities Corporation in 1986. In 1991, he was promoted to managing director of DLJ Merchant Banking. He spent nine years in this capacity and subsequently served one year as managing director of Whitney & Co. in Stamford, Connecticut. William Dawson joined a middle-market private equity firm in New York City in 2001 and has served as its chief executive officer since 2014.

In addition to providing executive oversight for the firm, he serves on its investment committee. He has been a board member of several public and private companies and has facilitated multiple acquisitions, recapitalizations, and restructurings throughout his career.

Beyond his professional pursuits, he is an ardent supporter of Harvard Business School. He has provided funding for the HBS Fund for Leadership and Innovation, and he presented a gift at his 25th reunion to establish an MBA Program Innovation Fund in his name.