Paladin Capital Group

Brenda Chia is Chief of Capital Development at Paladin Capital Group and has been part of the firm's management team since 2012, focusing on capital formation and relationships with institutional investors, investment platforms, and family offices. Before Paladin, she held senior roles at The Boston Consulting Group and Accenture across Singapore, London, Wellington, and Boston. She serves as Board Co-Chair and founding President of the Association of Asian American Investment Managers (AAAIM), holds a BS from the National University of Singapore and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Ciaran Martin is a Managing Director at Paladin Capital Group and a Professor of Practice in Public Management at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government. He was the founding Chief Executive of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ), where he served for over six years and led changes to the UK's cyber security approach. Before GCHQ, he was a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury working on national security, intelligence, and constitutional affairs, and he holds a first class degree from the University of Oxford.

E. Kenneth Pentimonti is a Managing Director at Paladin Capital Group, where he sources, negotiates, and monitors investment opportunities. Before Paladin, he spent six years as an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase and Hambrecht & Quist, executing equity offerings, M&A deals, and private equity investments, and earlier worked as a consultant and auditor at Arthur Andersen & Co. in San Francisco. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Anderson School at UCLA.

Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minihan is the only venture investor to have led both the DIA and NSA, bringing rare dual-agency insight that reshaped national-security investing toward infrastructure defense and resilience.

Mark Maloney uniquely combines Managing Director and CCO duties—holding ultimate fiduciary authority—focuses on cybersecurity and e-commerce, checks $100K–$5M; previously worked in the U.S. House and managed an $8B portfolio.

Mourad Yesayan is a stage-agnostic cybersecurity and digital resilience investor who focuses on AI-security intersections (e.g., CalypsoAI), actively educates founders on fundraising and shapes ecosystem collaboration and trends.

Nazo Moosa has around 20 years of experience investing in enterprise software and deep technologies. She was part of the founding team of The Carlyle Group's European technology fund, later served as Managing Partner launching Europe's first dedicated cybersecurity fund, and was Managing Partner at EIP, a multi-stage fund with $3 billion in assets under management. She joined Paladin Capital Group as Managing Director to lead its European activities after serving as a Senior Advisor since 2017, and holds a Bachelor's in International Economics from UCLA and an MBA from Columbia University.

Paul Conley is a Venture Partner at Vertical Venture Partners with a background as a builder, entrepreneur, and founder. He entered venture capital in 2007 and has spent much of his career working at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and biology. He focuses on backing technical founders addressing hard problems in high-tech, hard-tech, and deep-tech.

Jamil Jaffer is a Venture Partner and Strategic Advisor at Paladin Capital Group, supporting the firm's investments across its themes. He founded and serves as Executive Director of the National Security Institute at George Mason University Law School and previously was SVP for Strategy, Partnerships & Corporate Development at IronNet Cybersecurity. Earlier he held senior national security roles in the federal government, and he clerked for Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and Judge Edith H. Jones.

Keith Mason is a Venture Partner at Paladin Capital Group with over three decades of experience across public and private finance, government, law, and infrastructure development. He holds senior advisory roles at Oaktree Capital Transportation Infrastructure Capital Partners and CapZone Investments, previously served as chair of the Georgia Ports Authority, and was a partner at law firm Dentons where he built its government affairs practice. His earlier career includes serving as Chief of Staff to Georgia Governor Zell Miller and as Deputy Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs under President Bill Clinton. He is a University of Georgia law and business graduate.

Peter O'Keefe is a Venture Partner at Paladin Capital Group and a Partner at Forbes-Tate, a Washington, DC public affairs firm, with experience in venture capital, policy, and political strategy. He has served in the Clinton White House as a liaison to the business community, worked on numerous political campaigns, and held the position of National Treasurer for the Democratic Governors Association from 2014 to 2018. O'Keefe holds degrees from Marist College and the London School of Economics, and serves on the boards of Marist University and Climeworks.

Robert Knake is a strategic advisor at Paladin Capital Group focused on cybersecurity. He served as the first Deputy National Cyber Director for Strategy and Budget in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (2022-2023), where he helped establish the office and led development of the National Cybersecurity Strategy, and earlier was Director for Cybersecurity Policy at the National Security Council (2011-2015). He has advised companies and private equity firms on cybersecurity, held fellowships at the Council on Foreign Relations and Harvard's Belfer Center, taught at Georgetown University, and co-authored two books on cybersecurity; he holds a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School and undergraduate degrees from Connecticut College.

Tim Richardson is a Venture Partner at Paladin Capital Group with a background as a founder, executive, and board member across multiple technology companies. He founded and served as a senior executive of Liquid Robotics (acquired by Boeing in 2016), was President and CEO of Micro Linear Corporation (acquired by Sirenza Microdevices), and co-founded VeriFiber Technologies (acquired by Bandwidth 9). He currently serves on the board of the public semiconductor company IXYS Corporation.

William Reinisch is a Venture Partner at Paladin Capital Group, handling investment activities out of the firm's New York office with a focus on high-tech industry strategy and investments. He is the CEO and founder of XIV River and an Adjunct Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology. His prior roles include Vice President of Strategy and Technology at Motorola, Senior Vice President of operations and engineering at Magnolia Broadband, and leading the global technology organization at Multilink Technology Corporation; he holds an MBA from Fordham University and a B.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Alexander Krespi is an Investment Associate at Paladin Capital Group. He previously made investments at Nauta Capital, a European B2B seed and Series A fund, where he focused on software infrastructure and deeptech and backed several cybersecurity companies. Before working in venture, he was an early employee at the q-commerce company getir, joining at Series A and overseeing European expansion and post-merger integrations, and earlier worked in strategy consulting at Monitor Deloitte. He holds a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy & Economics from the University of Oxford.

Charlie Wilson joined Paladin Capital Group in 2026 as its first Director of AI and Data Analytics, where he leads development of AI and analytics tools for investment research, portfolio monitoring, and internal operations. He previously spent thirteen years at Thornburg Investment Management, most recently as Managing Director and Portfolio Manager for emerging markets and international equity strategies, and earlier served as the firm's first Director of Research; before that he was a Partner and Senior Equity Analyst at Marsico Capital Management. His background is in earth sciences, with a Ph.D. in Geophysics from the University of Colorado Boulder, a B.S. in Geology from the University of Arizona, postdoctoral research at Stanford and Columbia, and applied data science training at MIT and an in-progress M.S. in Analytics at Georgia Tech.

Former U.S. National Cyber Director serving as a senior strategic advisor to Paladin; honored with the INSA William Oliver Baker Award.

Christopher Steed is a cyber-focused managing director who, since 2008, architected national security and cyber strategy and multi-stage investment approaches, combining Merrill Lynch ultra-high-net-worth banking experience and CAIA credentials.

Ed Albrigo is the Chief Operating Officer of Paladin Capital Group, which he joined in December 2020, where he focuses on the firm's business processes, organization, and strategic direction. He previously served as CEO of the Center for Innovative Technology in Virginia, where he oversaw a seed-stage venture fund and strategic investments in areas including cybersecurity, IoT, autonomous systems, and life sciences, and earlier held roles as COO of The Hilltop Companies and in senior management at Freddie Mac. He holds bachelor's degrees from the University of Rochester and the University of Maryland and an MBA from San Diego State University.

Florence Mottay is a software engineer by training who works in information security and IT governance, helping Paladin evaluate cybersecurity investments and supporting its European portfolio companies expanding globally. She is Vice President and Group Chief Information Security Officer at Zalando, and previously served as Senior Vice President of Information Security and Global CISO at Ahold Delhaize in the Netherlands. Earlier she spent about ten years in information security roles at IOActive, Cigital, and Security Innovation.

Francois Ruether is a Vice President at Paladin Capital Group, which he joined in January 2020. He was previously a Venture Partner at Global Founders Capital, where he worked on AI/machine learning and advanced technologies, and earlier held roles in investment banking at BNP Paribas, private equity at Hillgate Capital, and corporate strategy at ThyssenKrupp. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.B.A. from Imperial College London and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from ETH Zurich.

Leads the Paladin Global Institute, which publishes tech and cyber policy research including the AI Tech Stack framework and the Governance Layer primer.

Mitch Cooney is a Vice President at Paladin Capital Group, where he works on sourcing, executing, and monitoring investments and facilitating co-investment processes for portfolio companies. He previously was an Associate at StepStone Group, working in the research department of its venture capital and growth equity sector, and earlier an Analyst at Greenspring Associates, a fund-of-funds acquired by StepStone in 2021. He holds a B.S. in Finance and Information Systems from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Rich Earley is a CEO, entrepreneur, and investor who serves as CEO, Chairman & Founder of Sciath Ai, Inc., Chairman of Sciath Group, and Managing Partner & Co-Founder of Dunrath Capital, a venture firm focused on dual-use technologies with the SBA as its largest limited partner. He previously co-founded and led Arxan Technologies (acquired by TA Associates) and Arxan Defense Systems (acquired by Microsemi), and served as President of Synergy Software. He holds an MBA from Benedictine University and a BA from the University of Notre Dame, where he also teaches venture capital and go-to-market courses.

Richard "Dick" Clarke has worked in cyber security, national security, and crisis management. He served ten consecutive years in the White House across three administrations (Bush, Clinton, Bush) in roles including Special Assistant to the President for Global Affairs, National Coordinator for Security and Counter-terrorism, and as the first "Cyber Czar," and also held positions as Assistant Secretary of State and in State Department intelligence. He has been an author of ten books, a Harvard Kennedy School faculty member, an ABC News commentator, chair of the Middle East Institute, CEO of the cyber security consultancy Good Harbor, and a board member of public and private companies. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sir David Omand was the first UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator, responsible to the Prime Minister for the intelligence community, national counter-terrorism strategy, and homeland security, and served seven years on the Joint Intelligence Committee. He was previously Permanent Secretary of the Home Office (1997–2000), Director of GCHQ, and held senior roles in the Ministry of Defence, including Deputy Under Secretary of State for Policy and Principal Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary. Since 2005–2006 he has been a visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King's College.

Tom Clute is a Principal on the investment team at Paladin Capital Group, where he focuses on identifying, evaluating, and executing investments. He joined the firm as an Analyst in 2010. He holds a Master's in Management from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor's degree from Duke University.

Tyler Steed is a Senior Associate on the deal team at Paladin Capital Group, which he joined in October 2020. He previously worked as an Analyst in Paladin's New York office, was a sales representative at real estate technology startup Hightower, and worked in grassroots fundraising on the Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Campaign. He holds an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Public Policy from Duke University.

Jan Tighe is a retired US Navy Vice Admiral who served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and as the 66th Director of Naval Intelligence before retiring in 2018. A career cryptologist specializing in Signals Intelligence and Cyber Operations, she previously commanded U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and U.S. 10th Fleet, and led the Naval Postgraduate School. She holds a doctorate in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the Naval Postgraduate School and is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

John Vernon is an attorney and strategic advisor who works with startups and investors on corporate strategy, fundraising, and operations. His experience spans finance, politics, and law, with particular focus on due diligence in cybersecurity and AI sectors, as well as technology implementation for organizational efficiency. He has advised on venture deals, supported business development efforts generating over $1 million in client revenue, and implemented automation initiatives that improved operational timelines.

Philip Eliot is a Venture Partner at Rock Health Capital who invests in early-stage digital health companies. He has served as a board member for companies ranging from pre-revenue through those acquired for over $200 million, and maintains an angel investment and advisory practice focused on ventures with social impact in environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and socioeconomic mobility.