Vennette Ho, Financo

When it comes to investing in beauty and personal care brands, Vennette Ho is your go-to source. With more than 13 years of investment banking experience in the retail and consumer sectors, she currently leads the beauty and personal care practice for New York-based M&A advisory firm Financo Inc.

Ho focuses on M&A and raising private capital for growing, middle-market companies—especially those brands and businesses that “empower or enrich the lives of female consumers.” Some of her most notable transactions include IT Cosmetics’ sale to L’Oréal; Bain Capital’s investment in Sundial Brands; private equity firm General Atlantic’s purchase of Too Faced, and Kate Somerville’s sale to Unilever.

Prior to joining Financo in 2004, Ho was an equity research analyst at asset management firm Lazard, where she covered the retail and apparel industries. She began her career in the Bloomingdales Executive Merchandising Program.

Ho sits on the board of governors of Cosmetic Executive Women and, in 2015, she was recognized by Women’s Wear Daily as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Beauty.

Ho attended Brown University for a B.A. degree in Economics and received her master’s degree in business management from Columbia Business School.