Renny Smith

Managing Partner

Renny Smith has almost two decades of experience in private equity investing in growth buy-outs and growth equity. Renny joined Thomas H. Lee Partners in 1990 and was one of the partners responsible for investing Thomas H. Lee Equity Funds II, III and IV. Some of the investments he was responsible for include Finlay Fine Jewelry, Thermoscan, Rayovac and Eye Care Centers of America. Prior to joining Thomas H. Lee Partners, he was a corporate finance generalist in the Investment Banking Division of Merrill Lynch & Co. Renny currently serves on the boards of Aspen Marketing Services, Parago Inc. and 4R Systems.

As a partner at Thomas H. Lee Partners for a decade and as a Co-Founder of TH Lee Putnam Ventures (“THLPV”) in 1999, Renny has produced approximately a 3x return on approximately $500MM of invested capital with nearly a 30% gross career IRR over eleven deals.

Renny is a member of Wesleyan University's Board of Trustees. He also sits on the Board of Wesleyan University’s Portfolio Sub-Committee. Renny is the Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and is a former Co-Chairman of Tuck's MBA Advisory Board.

Renny received an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and graduated cum laude from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Economics.