Denning & Company LLC a FINRA registered firm, headquartered in San Francisco was formed in 2001 to serve the private equity fundraising needs of both veteran General Partners seeking to broaden their Limited Partner base, as well as the next generation of Private Equity Managers.
Prior to founding Denning & Company, Paul was previously at Hambrecht & Quist, as Managing Director of the Private Equity Market Group in San Francisco and integrated into the Private Fund Group as co-head following the Chase Manhattan acquisition in 1999, and subsequently, the merger with J.P. Morgan in 2001. Before, Paul had been a Managing Director at Robertson, Stephens & Company, a Limited Partner at Montgomery Securities and a Principal at Sutro & Company.
Paul has been involved in the investment banking industry for over 35 years and served 7 years, pro bono, as a Trustee and Commissioner of the City and County of San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System, a $15 billion Public Pension plan.
He is a frequent speaker at private equity conferences worldwide and has published several industry publications including: “How to Sell Restricted Securities, a Guide to Rule 144” and “Stock Distribution, a Guide for Venture Capitalists.” He inaugurated and hosted The Annual Private Equity CFO conference in San Francisco, Hong Kong and London from 1990-2001.
Paul graduated with honors from the University of Akron, Ohio and later received his Masters Degree in Public Finance. He served in the U.S. Navy as an officer and carrier based aviator from 1966 to 1970.
Jill joined Denning & Company in July of 2002. As President, she is responsible for all aspects of private equity advisory services. Prior to joining Denning & Company, Jill was a senior member of the Partners Group at Whitney & Company responsible for working with the firm’s institutional Limited Partners worldwide across multiple investment areas including Private Equity, Private Debt (mezzanine), Public Equity (hedge funds), and Public Debt (structured products).
Prior to joining Whitney, Jill was Vice President in the Private Equity Market Group with Paul from 1996-2000 at Hambrecht & Quist (later, JP Morgan H&Q) and was responsible for origination and placement of private equity partnerships worldwide. Prior to joining H&Q, Jill worked at PaineWebber as an Institutional Equities Trader, advising large international money managers. She also worked as a Global Commodities Trader for a Washington, D.C.-based trading company and specialized in counter-trade activity for Asian, European, Russian and United States clients.
Jill graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs and East Asian Studies, and an M.B.A. in International Finance from The George Washington University. Jill currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Private Equity Women Investor Network (PE WIN).
David facilitates fund origination and distribution at Denning and Company. He brings experience raising capital for Private Equity, Real Estate and Hedge Funds covering an investor base in broader Europe and the Middle East.
Prior to joining the firm, David was Head of Client Services and Marketing at Wermuth Asset Management, responsible for fundraising and investor relations across several Russia-focused, alternative asset funds. David also was Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Delta Private Equity Partners, a leading US-government backed private equity manager focused on investment opportunities in Russia.
David attended the University of California at Berkeley where he graduated with a BA in the Practice of Art receiving a Certificate of Excellence for his studies. He also studied at Middlebury College’s Davis School of Russian, Moscow State University and speaks some Russian. David played Division One soccer at the University of California at Berkeley and continues his passion for the game recreationally.
Hazel joined Denning & Company in April 2017 as an Executive Assistant to the CEO, Paul Denning. She is responsible for coordinating travel arrangements, conferences and events, preparing for client meetings, and keeping the office running efficiently. Hazel is also responsible for ensuring Denning & Company General Partner and Limited Partner clients’ requests are responded to quickly and completely. Hazel holds the CAIA Fundamentals of Alternative Investment Certificate.
Prior, Hazel spent several years with the international consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, where she assisted four Managing Directors and two Senior Directors within the Global Forensic Dispute and Public Sector units. In that capacity, she worked on significant public sector projects as well as multi-million-dollar litigation matters for which she conducted industry research, built financial models, and managed document control.
Hazel moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Kansas City. She holds an MBA from San Francisco State University, and additionally holds a Certificate in Business Ethics and Compliance from San Francisco State University. Hazel also holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences/pre-Veterinary Medicine with a minor in French from Kansas State University. She is also a yoga instructor, E-RYT 500 Certified, and has been teaching since 2006.
