Mergers & Acquisitions names the 2022 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A, including Avante Capital’s Jeri Harman.

Tell us about yourself.

I have over 30 years of financing and M&A experience, involving well over $1 billion in aggregate investments. Prior to founding Avante, I started and led the Los Angeles offices for two multi-billion dollar publicly-traded private equity and mezzanine investment funds – American Capital and more recently Allied Capital, where I was also a member of Allied’s investment committee.

Over the course of my career, I have held (as an active board member or observer) board roles in over 20 private middle-market companies across the U.S. in a variety of industries, including healthcare, business services, consumer products and industrial. I currently sit on the board of NN Inc., a publicly-traded manufacturer of highly engineered components, and Engineered Performance Technologies, a private manufacturer of automotive performance aftermarket products and solutions.

Describe a recent dealmaking accomplishment.

I stepped up to chair the board of NN Inc. I led our fundraising to a record $440mm+ Fund III.

How are you a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)?

I am a frequent public speaker as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion. One example is being featured on the Moments that Made Her podcast in 2021. The podcast features women that hold senior private equity roles and is produced by the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PEWIN).