Raquel Palmer of KPS Capital named to 2020 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A

Describe a recent accomplishment.
2019 was my 25th at KPS and my first as one of the firm’s managing partners. KPS completed an unprecedented fundraise, in which we raised a total of $7 billion: Fund V ($6 billion) and Mid-Cap Fund ($1 billion). I led KPS’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Howden, a carve-out of the air and gas handling products and services business of Colfax Corp. This is one of the largest acquisitions in our firm’s history. We also made great progress with DexKo, which has completed 11 acquisitions since we acquired the business in 2017, taking it to over $1.6 billion in revenue.

Tell us more about you.
I joined the board of the Opportunity Network, an organization that provides programs to support historically underrepresented students across New York City on their paths to and through college and into their chosen careers. OppNet’s work and the difference it makes in the lives of its students and their families is very meaningful to me personally. As a Mexican American woman and the first person in my family to graduate from college, I know firsthand how difficult it is to navigate the unknown of college and later access a career without connections or resources.