FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN
Patrick Ropella is an entrepreneur and executive leader with over 35 years of experience founding and running a successful, globally-leading executive search firm. His career has been centered on business assessment and value creation for Fortune 500, and mid-market private equity backed companies. He has helped build and foster the growth of numerous major global companies, including Origin Materials, General Electric, DOW, BASF, Georgia Pacific, SONY, Nike, Clorox, Pfizer, PPG, Revlon, Baxter Labs, T.E. Connectivity Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Shell, Sherwin Williams, among others.
Having taken a step back from his role as CEO of Ropella Executive Search, Patrick has founded and is the current acting CEO of Ropella Equity Ventures (REV). REV connects A-player, transformational leaders (backable CEOs), and their financial sponsors (VC, PE & FO investors) to create an investment thesis through Venture Visions® and generates proprietary deal flow through Venture Accelerators®, maximizing acquisition success.
He is also a published author whose C-suite and investor insights are featured in a long list of industry publications worldwide.
COO
Eric is COO for Ropella Equity Ventures and is responsible for consulting extensively with business owners on management, operational and strategic challenges, and financial issues. He uses a hands-on approach to support clients and focuses most of his time on proactive planning, analysis, and client communication. In addition to REV, Eric serves as Ropella's COO, developing best-in-class organizational strategies. He leverages his deep recruiting expertise to introduce world-class talent to industry-leading organizations. Eric is passionate about driving sustainability and growth through cultural and personality assessments. He holds an MBA from the University of West Florida, is certified in Hogan Assessment's Advanced course and graduated from Cornell University's Advanced Program for Executive Search and Leadership Consulting.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Christian is a Managing Director at Ropella Equity Ventures (REV) and is responsible for the firm's operations, including corporate finance, strategic transactions, risk management, and conflict resolution. He oversees REV investment opportunities and is involved in all phases of REV's growth. Christian Hogue also serves as The Ropella Group's Vice President of Client Partnership Development and Marketing. Christian has built a world-class team of Client Partnership Managers and Directors, which has created sustained rapid growth in Ropella's partner programs. He has also scaled the firm's go-to-market channels and strategic partnerships. Christian graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of West Florida, where he earned an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.