Dan is a capital investor in Tercera and a Managing Director at Trilantic Capital Partners, a private equity firm that invests in a range of sectors across North America and Europe and manages aggregate capital commitments of $6 billion. He works closely with the Tercera leadership team on growth and infrastructure strategies, and applies his diverse experience across industries to help curate a community of talent to help Tercera’s portfolio companies succeed.

What makes you tick personally?

Challenges, doing/being involved in lots of different things, and my family. All of those things keep me on my toes, and I think I need to feel that way every day! I like my role for that reason too– I love the fact that on any given day I get to meet different entrepreneurs, in different types of businesses, and each one is different. Every day is challenging and new and interesting.

Why are you so passionate about helping founders?

The real answer? I’m secretly envious of them! I think it takes a ton of guts (that I don’t have!) to be an entrepreneur. But there’s no more important role. I studied military history in college, and the lesson I remember is it’s the individual leaders, their decisions and the culture they come from or created that makes the difference. I want to help entrepreneurs succeed by growing as leaders, building great cultures, and making good strategic decisions.

What is a company you really admire and why?

LEGO. They make awesome toys that make people happy. Plus, they have an analog product that has stayed relevant in a digital age, and that’s impressive.