Alex Cass

Head of Investor Relations

Alex joined Ara Partners in 2023 and is the Head of Investor Relations.

Prior to joining Ara, Alex was a Managing Director at Campbell Lutyens in London where he spent ten years in their primary advisory team. During his tenure at CL Alex advised on over $15bn of capital raised across Europe and North America with a principal focus on sustainable infrastructure.

Alex holds a Masters’ in Mathematics and Philosophy from the University of Bristol and is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.

Christina Chen

Decarbonization Associate

Prior to joining Ara, Christina was Senior Decarbonization Consultant at Ramboll, a global engineering and consulting firm, where she worked to develop and verify greenhouse gas inventories, life cycle assessments, and air quality assessments for commercial and government clients. In this role, she specialized in building and implementing custom tracking tools for LCAs and brings extensive expertise in conducting techno-economic and emissions analyses, particularly in the heavy-duty trucking industry, alternative fuels space, and marine port/terminal sectors in the state of California. She is a CARB-accredited LCFS verifier. Prior to Ramboll, she was a Scoville fellow for the Natural Resources Defense Council covering nuclear and state/federal energy policy.

Christina holds an MS in Technology and Policy from MIT, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Yale. When she is not geeking out about transportation decarbonization and urban planning, she enjoys running by the Charles, figure drawing, and all forms of dancing.

Sheun Cheng

Senior Associate, Infrastructure

Sheun Cheng is a Senior Associate at Ara, focusing on the Firm’s Infrastructure Strategy. Prior to joining Ara, Sheun was an Investment Manager at Queensland Investment Corporation, focused on the renewable and energy transition sectors.

Prior to that, Sheun was a Vice President at RBC Capital Markets, where he advised on M&A transactions in the energy and utility sectors. Sheun holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Steve Cherington

Head of Operations

Steve Cherington manages Ara’s operations, investor reporting, and research functions. He has nearly 20 years of experience in private equity operations, research and portfolio management.

Prior to Ara, Steve served as a Director at Intervale Capital and its predecessor, where he was responsible for industrial research and was involved with portfolio management. He previously held several operational roles at MFS Investment Management, where he worked for seven years.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Wheaton College (MA) and a Master of Business Administration, with honors, from Kent Business School in Canterbury, England.

James Chiu

Managing Director, Energy

James plays a critical role in aligning Ara Energy’s infrastructure investments with its aims to decarbonize and enhance sustainability in energy, including thermal power and biofuels. James’ extensive background in energy and finance, with a focus on strategic planning and execution, equips him with unique insights necessary for leading Ara Energy’s multi-faceted initiatives. Specifically, recent roles at Pilot Travel Centers and Castleton Commodities International saw James leading initiatives across business and corporate development, and alternative fuels, setting the stage for impactful contributions at Ara.

In addition to his professional endeavors, James has a Bachelor’s degree from McGill University, where he studied Finance and Chemistry. James’ commitment to sustainability extends to his personal life, where he enjoys activities such as running and hiking and a dedication to a balanced, health-conscious lifestyle.

Floyd Christopher

Head of Finance

Floyd Christopher is involved with all aspects of Ara’s finance operations, including accounting, audit, treasury, tax, and reporting.

Prior to joining Ara in 2023, Floyd served as Vice President of Accounting at Lionstone Investments, a real estate investment management firm that conceptualizes, analyzes, and executes national investment strategies. Prior to Lionstone Investments, Floyd served in various senior finance and accounting roles for Intertek, a leading assurance provider that delivers innovative and bespoke assurance, testing, inspection, and certification solutions to industries. Floyd began his finance career with Hines, a privately owned global real estate investment, development, and management firm.

Floyd received Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in International Business and Accounting from the University of Houston–Downtown and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant. He is a member of the Texas Society of Public Accountants (TSCPA), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

Carissa Clark

Senior Finance Ops Coordinator

Carissa Clark is a Senior Finance Operations Coordinator and is involved with various aspects of Ara’s finance operations team, including AP, AR, treasury, audit, and tax.

Prior to joining Ara in 2023, Carissa was a Finance Operations Manager at Lionstone Investments, a real estate investment management firm that conceptualizes, analyzes, and executes national investment strategies. At Lionstone Investments, her primary focus was treasury, AP, and tax coordination. Prior to Lionstone Investments Carissa spent many years as commercial property manager overseeing many duties including billing, AR, AP, and administrative operations.

Nick Connors

Director of EMEA, Investor Relations

Nick Connors is the Director of EMEA Investor Relations at Ara, bringing over 20 years of investment and capital-raising experience. He focuses on expanding the firm’s investor network and building long-term relationships across the region.

Before joining Ara Partners, Nick founded TORC Capital, a boutique placement agent specializing in capital raising across Europe and the Middle East. Prior to that, he represented Itaú Asset Management, where he worked with institutional investors in the UK and continental Europe.

Earlier in his career, Nick was part of the UK Institutional Sales team at HSBC Global Asset Management. He also spent time at Pioneer Alternative Investments within their fund of hedge funds business. His experience includes working at a global macro hedge fund in New York and holding roles at Merrill Lynch, Société Générale, and GE.

Nick earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Business Management from the Dublin Institute of Technology. From a farming background in Ireland, he is now based in London with his wife and two children. Outside of work and family life, Nick is a passionate rugby fan.

Luis Pais Correia

Senior Operating Partner

Luis Pais Correia is a Senior Operating Partner at Ara, where he is primarily focused on operational and technical matters. He has more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive, managing multi-billion revenue businesses.

Prior to joining Ara, Luis co-founded Aksiom Group in 2017.  He has been a board member and a shareholder of px Group Ltd since 2014.  Luis serves as the Chairman of Anesco Holdings Ltd and Aloxe Holding B.V. and as a board member of Petainer Ltd. He is also Chairman of Jernbro Industrial Services AB and is a member of the Advisory board of Getec, a leading German Energy Efficiency company owned by institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset Management. Luis has been a senior manager in the energy industry for over 25 years. Prior to Aksiom, Luis was a Director and Manager at Dalkia (a company co-owned by Veolia Environnement and EDF) for more than 15 years. He was CEO of several Dalkia subsidiaries including Dalkia NAMEA (North-Atlantic, Middle East, Asia-Pacific) and a Board Director for the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, US, Canada, GCC, China and Australia. He was directly responsible for $2.5 billion in annual revenue and 15,000 employees.

Luis received a PhD in civil engineering from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland and is a chartered engineer from IST Lisbon.

Dayna Cousins

Administrative Assistant

Before joining Ara, Dayna was the Office Coordinator at Korro Bio, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in RNA editing technologies.

She holds both Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from Boston University, with concentrations in performance and theatre education. During her final year of study, she was the acting Director of Admissions for the School of Theatre, where she advanced organizational restructuring efforts and DEI initiatives.

She spends most of her time outdoors with her family & corgi and supporting the arts in Boston.

Les Cox

QHSSE Director

Les Cox is a global QHSSE professional with expertise in risk management, regulatory compliance, and sustainability across energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications. As QHSSE Director at Ara Partners, he leads health and safety initiatives, advancing a beyond-zero approach with sustainable practices.

Previously, he held leadership roles at Kent, Kentech and IHS Towers, including directing the integration of Kentech and Kent to create a global energy business driving the energy transition. Holding a postgraduate qualification in OHS Sciences from Edith Cowan University, Les combines technical expertise and a collaborative approach to align safety, leadership and culture with true value creation where organizations, their people and the planet can realize the opportunity to thrive.

Tammy Crenwelge

Office Manager

Prior to joining Ara Partners, Tammy Crenwelge was the owner of two successful businesses, Le Bone Pet Spa and Zenobia’s Catering. Throughout her career she was also a manager for The Chocolate Bar, Baylor College of Medicine and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Tammy received a Bachelor of Science degree in fashion merchandising with a minor in business. She is an avid animal advocate volunteering her time with several shelters and rescue groups fostering the “Tiny but Fierce” population who are medically or socially challenged. Formerly she served on the board of HOPE, a 501c(3) having been secretary, vice president and president throughout the years she was a member.

Nina Croock

Associate

Nina Croock is an Associate at Ara, where she is focused on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, as well as transaction execution and portfolio company management.

Prior to joining Ara, Nina was an Associate at Partners Group in the infrastructure team, working on private equity investments across the infrastructure sector.

Nina received a joint Master’s in Management from the Yale School of Management and HEC Paris. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Nottingham.

Ari David

Principal

Ari David is a Principal at Ara and is involved with all aspects of the firm’s investment process.

Prior to joining Ara, Ari was a Vice President at AUA Private Equity where he was responsible for origination, structuring, due diligence, execution and monitoring of investments in the consumer and food sectors. He was a board member of Epi Breads, Profectus Beauty, Westminster Pet Products, and Gourmet Culinary Partners. Prior to joining AUA, he was with J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Ari holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Tufts University, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the Varsity Baseball team. He received a Master of Business Administration from the Columbia Business School.

Alexander Davis

Senior Decarbonization Associate

Alex is a Senior Decarbonization Associate at Ara Partners.

Prior to joining Ara, Alex was Decarbonization Strategy & Risk Manager at Air Liquide, a world leader in industrial gases, where he owned the North American cluster carbon roadmap, oversaw carbon reporting, and acted as a Subject Matter Expert on product carbon footprint. Alex also worked on the design and execution of low carbon offers in the US. Additionally, he held roles at Air Liquide in Operations Control and Strategic Development.

Alex graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan with a BSE in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Multidisciplinary Design. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his wife, spending time outside hiking and skiing, and watching college football.

Colin Dicke

Head of Human Resources

Colin Dicke joined Ara Partners in 2023 as Head of Human Resources. He brings over 15 years of human resources experience in financial services and has led many strategic initiatives around growth, organizational change, and leadership development.

Prior to joining Ara, Colin worked at Wellington Management for 12 years where he ran a team aligned to multiple functions of the organization. He was instrumental in leading many strategic initiatives as Wellington grew and evolved through multiple structural changes. Prior to Wellington, Colin formed the foundation of his human resource experience working with Hanover Insurance Group’s commercial line businesses and, prior to that, Fidelity Investments’ Institutional Products Group and as a member of Fidelity’s internal HR consulting team.

Colin graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Sociology. He also has a Master’s in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Outside of work, Colin loves traveling with his wife and daughter and can be found hiking in the White Mountains or rowing on the Charles River.

Matthew Dunn

Principal, Energy

Matthew is a Principal at Ara, bringing focused expertise to the firm’s investment strategy in the evolving energy market.

Previously, as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Pilot Company, he spearheaded significant transactions, including a pioneering nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure program. His career path includes roles at Castleton Commodities International, where he focused on power asset investments from both Houston and London offices, and Mercuria Energy Trading, where he served as an associate in the principal investments group. Matthew’s professional journey began at Goldman Sachs.

At Ara, Matthew leverages his extensive background to identify and cultivate opportunities aligned with the firm’s mission to invest and innovate in sectors in need of decarbonization such as thermal power, biofuels, and retail energy distribution.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Matthew holds a B.A. in History. When he’s not navigating the complexities of energy markets, you can find him engrossed in a good book, continuing his long time passion for rowing, or cherishing moments with his wife and two children.

Shaan Eckstein

Associate

Shaan Eckstein is an Associate at Ara, focused on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities as well as transaction execution and portfolio company management.

Prior to joining Ara, Shaan was an Investment Banking Analyst in the Global Healthcare Group at Jefferies, advising public and private healthcare companies on M&A, debt, and equity transactions.

Shaan graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a BA in International Relations.

Victoria Fradette

Humanity Development Leader, Portfolio Services

Victoria Fradette is a member of the Ara Portfolio Services team as Humanity Development Leader based in Houston, TX. Her focus in her role is to provide best in class Human Resources related support to Ara’s portfolio of companies. Prior to joining Ara, Victoria worked at Kent for four years as a Senior HR Business Partner where she was responsible for building the HR program for the organization in the USA and Canada. Before joining Kent, Victoria worked for SGS for eight years in several HR roles in Fort McMurray, AB, Tulsa, OK and Houston, TX.

Victoria holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Regina and a Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina in Human Resource Management. She has also completed her Leadership Coaching Certification through Rice University.

Dhrumil Gandhi

Operations Analyst

Prior to joining Ara, Dhrumil worked as a Real Estate Analyst on the Underwriting team at DLP Capital, where he evaluated and advised on debt and equity transactions across Single and Multi-Family asset classes, playing a key role in their overall execution.

Dhrumil holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics as well as a Business Foundations Certificate from the University of Texas at Austin.