FOUNDERS

Before Spirus, Dan Fuller was the Chief Operating Officer of RC Energy, LLC, an affiliate of the private equity fund Ranch Capital, LLC. While at RC Energy, Mr. Fuller managed the review and due diligence of over 600 investment opportunities, advised a number of emergent technologies in strategic business development, and managed the operational review and optimization of an ethanol production company. Prior to joining RC Energy, Mr. Fuller performed due diligence and advisory work on renewable fuels and technology transactions for private equity firms. Prior to consulting, Mr. Fuller worked in Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division where he worked in both corporate finance and M&A advisory in technology, gaming, financial services, and healthcare sectors. Mr. Fuller received a B.S. degree in Geosciences from Princeton University.

Taylor Smith has worked on Spirus engagements in the clean energy, consumer, professional services, healthcare, financial services, media and technology sectors. Before co-founding Spirus, Mr. Smith was an investment professional at The Carlyle Group, a leading global private equity fund. While at Carlyle, Mr. Smith focused on buyout investment opportunities in the consumer and retail sectors. Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Smith worked in Morgan Stanley’s investment banking division where he focused on M&A advisory in the technology sector. Mr. Smith received a B.S.E. degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University.

Before co-founding The Spirus Group, Javier Starkand was an investment professional at JPMorgan Partners (now CCMP Capital), a premier private equity firm with $12 billion invested in over 380 buyout and growth equity transactions. Prior to joining JPMorgan Partners, Mr. Starkand was a member of Morgan Stanley’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice where he focused on the technology sector.  Mr. Starkand holds a B.S. in Economics at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in French Studies from The School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.