Brings deep experience in technology leadership, AI, and private equity value creation
BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, disruptive companies, today announced that Leland Lockhart joined the firm as Head of AI, further advancing the firm’s ongoing commitment to embedding AI capabilities across its portfolio. In this role, Lockhart will work with portfolio company management teams to drive AI strategy, innovation, and efficiencies across all functional areas to build long-term value creation.
Lockhart brings over 15 years of experience in leveraging data science, AI, and machine learning to drive transformational growth. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Vista Equity Partners. Previously, Lockhart held senior technical roles at Kershner Trading Group, a proprietary trading and technology firm; XOR Data Exchange, a data exchange, aggregation, and analytics company; and Kasasa, a financial technology and marketing services company. He has also contributed to global AI governance through his work on the Business Roundtable AI Working Group and the World Economic Forum’s AI Governance Alliance, both of which bring together leaders from business, policy, and academia to advance responsible and ethical approaches to artificial intelligence. Lockhart also holds a U.S. patent in identity data security.
This strategic hire highlights Great Hill’s meaningful investments in its Growth Team over the past year, including adding seasoned leaders in technology, financial services, and healthcare, and functional experts aligned to key areas of Great Hill’s value creation playbook such as revenue operations, talent, and AI enablement.
“We’re thrilled to have Leland on board at a time when AI is fundamentally reshaping the technology landscape and broader economy, reflecting an evolution we have been actively underwriting and building into our value creation framework for several years,” said Mike Thompson, Managing Director, Head of Growth Team. “AI integration is a core pillar of Great Hill’s growth strategy, and Leland’s technology leadership, strategic vision, and deep track record of leveraging AI and machine learning to drive revenue growth, innovate new products, and enable operational efficiencies is proving instrumental as our portfolio companies navigate this period of rapid transformation.”
“I’m excited to continue partnering with Great Hill’s portfolio company leaders to unlock the transformative potential of AI as we seek to accelerate growth and build defensible platforms for the long-term,” said Lockhart. “The firm’s deep commitment to supporting high-growth companies, combined with the caliber of entrepreneurs and operators in its portfolio, creates the ideal environment to thoughtfully and responsibly deploy AI at scale. I look forward to continuing to work alongside management teams to embed AI into practical, high-impact business functions.”
Lockhart holds a PhD in Quantitative Methods, an MA in Program Evaluation, and a BS in Psychology, all from The University of Texas at Austin.
About Great Hill Partners
Founded in 1998, Great Hill Partners is a private equity firm targeting investments of $100 million to $750 million in high-growth companies across the software, financial services, healthcare, consumer, and business services sectors. With offices in Boston and London, Great Hill has raised funds with over $19 billion in commitments and invested in more than 100 companies since 1998, establishing an extensive track record of building long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs and providing flexible resources to help middle-market companies scale. Great Hill has been recognized for its industry leadership, ranking in the top 15 of HEC Paris-Dow Jones’ Mid-Market and Large Buyout Performance Ranking lists for five consecutive years (2021–2025). For more information, including a list of all Great Hill investments, please visit www.greathillpartners.com.
Disclaimer: Great Hill Partners did not provide any compensation to HEC Paris-Dow Jones to be considered for any of these rankings.
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