Our Founders

Gregory D. Smith  |  CEO & Co-Founder

Greg Smith has three decades of in-depth global aerospace experience across commercial, defense, space, and security as well as extensive corporate leadership experience. Greg has top-level government security clearance as a result of his current and previous roles.

He previously served as The Boeing Company’s Chief Financial Officer and EVP of Finance, Enterprise Operations and Services until his retirement in 2021. In addition to his role as CFO, he was responsible for Boeing’s global financing arm, Boeing Capital Corp., as well as Boeing Ventures, and corporate development and strategy. In response to Covid-19, Greg’s role was expanded to oversee the company’s enterprise manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality, and program management functions.

In 2020, Greg served as interim Boeing President and CEO. During the Covid-19 crisis, he also led a $25 billion bond offering, which was the largest non-M&A bond offering in US history.

Greg joined Boeing in 2008. He previously served as VP, Global Investor Relations at Raytheon Technologies. Prior to Raytheon, he held key leadership roles in supply chain, factory operations, finance, and program management.

Greg serves as Chairman of the Board of American Airlines and as a director of Intel Corporation, Sierra Nevada Space Corporation, Sugar23, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation, and Northwestern Memorial Healthcare.

George A. Peinado  |  President & Co-Founder

George Peinado has over 25 years of private equity investment experience, having invested in large, middle market, and small companies through majority and minority structures. Over the last 12 years, he has deployed his own capital across numerous companies with $2-10 million in revenue. George serves as a director for several of his investments, including Tasc Performance, Simple Mills, Savory Spice, and Bubbies. Other recent investments include Four Kites, Ship Bob, Liquid Death, and Cresco Labs.

George was previously a Managing Director of Madison Dearborn Partners. He was part of the Basic Industries and Consumer Teams, deploying approximately $1.8 billion in capital across four transactions. While at Madison Dearborn Partners, he was a director of Pierre Foods, Wm. Bolthouse Farms, The Yankee Candle Company, and CDW Corporation. 

Prior to Madison Dearborn, George was a Principal at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, an affiliate of Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette, and a Principal at Credit Suisse First Boston. He began his career at Morgan Stanley in New York and Trammell Crow Ventures in Dallas.

George also serves as a director of The Foundation for Fighting Blindness and was formerly on the boards of The Chicago Botanic Garden and the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University.