Gus Koven

With more than 25 years of experience in the private equity business, Gus has extensive hands-on experience in leveraged buy-outs, as well as early-stage and expansion-stage investing. Additionally, Gus has more than a decade of experience in corporate mergers and acquisitions and business development.

Prior to co-founding Savano, Gus was a General Partner and co-founder of SmithDefieux Capital Partners. Before SmithDefieux he was a Managing Director of Knickerbocker LLC’s private equity investment program, where he managed both direct investments and private equity/venture fund LP commitments. Previously, Gus was General Partner with Edison Ventures, where he led numerous successful growth-stage investments in the software, financial services and business services sectors. Prior to Edison Ventures, Gus was Vice President of Corporate Development at The Chase Manhattan Bank and later became President of the Chase Manhattan Capital Corporation, where he led the highly successful private equity business. Gus started his career in a corporate development role with Union Carbide.

Gus earned his MBA from Columbia University and his BE from Stevens Institute of Technology.