AEA Elevate, the professional services-focused growth buyout investment strategy of AEA Investors, announced the expansion of its operating team with the appointments of Preston Hayes as Head of Portfolio M&A and Capital Markets and Kirk Goodman as Head of Portfolio Go-To-Market.
The additions are designed to deepen AEA Elevate’s operating expertise and enhance support for its portfolio companies across technology-enabled business services, healthcare services, and software. The firm said the appointments strengthen its ability to drive value creation as portfolio companies scale and face increasing operational and financial complexity.
Preston Hayes joins with experience across financial strategy, capital markets, and transaction execution. He previously served in the Private Equity Group at Ares Management, where he worked alongside members of the AEA Elevate team on transactional and operational initiatives. More recently, he focused on tech-enabled services investments at Penn Hill Capital. In his new role, Hayes will support portfolio companies on M&A execution and financial planning initiatives.
Kirk Goodman brings experience leading commercial organizations at high-growth, technology-enabled healthcare and business services companies. His background includes overseeing sales and business development efforts and advising companies on growth strategy and sales operations at Boston Consulting Group. At AEA Elevate, Goodman will focus on strengthening go-to-market execution and helping management teams scale commercial functions.
AEA Elevate partners with professional services companies to accelerate growth through technology and artificial intelligence. The strategy provides both control and non-control equity capital and applies a solutions-oriented investment approach tailored to company objectives. It targets businesses in healthcare services, tech-enabled business services, and software, working alongside management teams to drive long-term value creation.
The team leverages its SLATE Framework to enhance unit economics and service delivery through digital transformation, aiming to translate growth ambitions into technology-enabled outcomes.
AEA Investors was founded in 1968 by the Rockefeller, Mellon, and Harriman family interests and S.G. Warburg & Co. as a private investment vehicle for a select group of industrial family offices. And now the firm manages approximately $18 billion of invested and committed capital across leveraged buyouts of middle market and small businesses, growth capital, and private debt investments.
KEY QUOTES
“The AEA Elevate platform is designed to help our partner companies accelerate growth and strengthen their competitive advantages. We are excited to add Preston and Kirk to our team, expanding the support we can bring to our portfolio companies. They are both a strong cultural fit for AEA Elevate and how we partner with businesses.”
Ravi Sarin, Partner at AEA Elevate
“We have established a repeatable value creation playbook that supports growth and measurable results across our portfolio companies. Preston and Kirk deepen this capability in areas that have become increasingly important as businesses mature, further strengthening our ability to partner with management teams to accelerate growth and scale leading businesses.”
Jason Friedrichs, Partner, Portfolio Growth at AEA Elevate
“AEA Elevate has built a strong reputation for its consistent and effective approach to partnering with management teams. I am thrilled to join this best-in-class group and support portfolio companies on M&A execution and financial planning as they manage heightened financial and operational complexity.”
Preston Hayes, Head of Portfolio M&A and Capital Markets at AEA Elevate
“I am excited to join AEA Elevate and closely partner with its impressive team and portfolio companies. As someone who has spent his career building and leading commercial organizations at growing businesses, I look forward to working alongside management teams to strengthen go-to-market execution as they scale and compete in increasingly demanding markets.”
Kirk Goodman, Head of Portfolio Go-To-Market at AEA Elevate
