Jim Bland, Booth '06 has over twenty-three years of investing, consulting, finance, M&A, operational, and military leadership experience. He has over 16 years of private equity experience, a majority of that spent as a partner at HCP & Company. His private equity career has focused entirely on investing and fostering growth in lower middle market companies. His responsibilities have included sourcing, evaluating, due diligence, negotiating and closing new investments, as well as working closely with portfolio company management teams to build value post-acquisition.

Prior to his private equity career, Jim worked in an operational role at a Madison Dearborn Partners/Columbia Partners telecommunications portfolio company. He started his business career as a strategy consultant at E&Y and worked in various consulting and management positions at HSBC, North America.

Jim served 8.5 years in the US Army, US Army Reserve and Colorado Army National Guard (Army Space Command), resigning as a Captain. He was commissioned as a field artillery officer working primarily with the Army’s rocket/missile system (MLRS). Jim continues to serve the Department of Defense as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for Illinois. He also serves as a trustee for the Village of Glenview.

Jim received a bachelor of science from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Chicago Booth.