Team Profile: Samantha Taccone, Investor Relations

What do you do at Georgian?

As the newest member of the Investor Relations team, I’m responsible for developing and implementing Georgian’s marketing strategy to both existing and prospective LPs. That includes everything from managing the communications and events we develop for LPs to helping maximize brand visibility through our participation in industry conferences, PR initiatives, and road shows.   

What were you doing prior to joining Georgian?

I started my career in investor relations about a decade ago, initially working for one of the biggest IT and business consulting services firms in the world. After six years in public markets, I transitioned to a healthcare specialist private equity firm where I worked with an array of investors. Along the way, I also earned my Master’s degree in Investor Relations from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.

While I developed a lot of practical expertise from those experiences, what I really came to understand was the value of connecting with LPs on a personal, one-to-one level. Forging those kinds of connections is critical for long-term success and is something I look forward to doing with Georgian’s growing LP base.

What drew you to the role at Georgian?

Beyond the job itself, Georgian has a wonderful reputation and I was eager to be a part of the culture they’ve created here. Everyone’s so good at what they do and brings so much passion to their work, and yet is totally grounded and down to earth. It’s great to be a part of that.

I’m also a big fan of the fact that they have a model to support their companies. Every VC promises value add, but, in my view, Georgian delivers on that promise. The R&D team rolls up its sleeves and goes deep, supporting our companies through their strategic engagements.

In your view, what’s the key to building strong relationships with LPs?

Of course we have to cover our bases and that includes frequent and transparent communication so that LPs always have access to the right information to be able to make sound decisions. But beyond that, there are opportunities to do a lot more. I touched on the importance of building strong personal relationships earlier and I think that is achieved by providing a channel for continuous two-way communication. In doing so, we can gather feedback and ensure that we are helping LPs in the way that they want to be helped. At Georgian, we also have a really great opportunity to share expertise and industry insights with LPs that they can’t get anywhere else, which will be crucial to building strong relationships.

What’s Investor Network and what’s your vision for it?

Investor Network is the program I’ve been brought on to build for our LP community. In the short term, it’s about ramping up the frequency and quality of our communications to LPs, sharing a combination of the updates LPs expect along with the kinds of market insights that most probably aren’t getting from their other GPs. I’m also putting an emphasis on building out a calendar of educational and networking events designed to give LPs meaningful touchpoints with the full Georgian team, each other, and with executives across our portfolio. 

Longer term, we’re working to build a best-in-class LP experience. I’d like to incorporate tech days, open houses, and portfolio company site tours so that LPs can see how different Georgian is. 

LP trust and support is something I take very seriously, and I want to make sure that the Investor Network makes LPs feel like they are a truly valued stakeholder. It’s going to take a lot of work, but with open communication and ongoing feedback, I know we can get it right. 

What do you do when you’re not focused on investor relations?

Outside of work I love the arts, attending concerts or a new exhibition. Spending time in nature is also really important to me, whether that’s hiking or taking long walks in my neighborhood by the lake. Coming from an Italian family, we spend a lot of time together, and that’s usually centered around making and eating great food.