J.P. Morgan Private Capital Expands Team with Senior Hires
MWN-AI** Summary
J.P. Morgan Private Capital has announced significant expansions to its team with the hiring of Rand Araskog and Eric Ghernati as Partners. This move is a strategic response to the evolving dynamics of capital markets, where companies are remaining private longer before going public. The trend has seen the median age for U.S. tech companies at IPO increase from five years in 1999 to fourteen years in 2024. Concurrently, global private market assets surged 20-fold to approximately $20 trillion, compelling firms to adapt to the increasingly blurred lines between public and private investments.
Both Araskog and Ghernati bring a wealth of experience to their new roles. Araskog previously served as a Managing Director at Permira, where he was integral to the firm’s $4 billion growth fund and has a diverse background that spans public equities and private equity investments. Ghernati has been with J.P. Morgan since 2020, focusing on technology strategies across various market caps and co-managing the firm’s U.S. Tech Leaders Strategy. His prior experience includes a significant tenure at Lord Abbett.
Patrick McGoldrick, Managing Partner at J.P. Morgan Private Capital, noted that the firm is well-positioned to leverage these hires to develop innovative investment strategies in response to market trends. Similarly, Jed Laskowitz, Global Head of Private Markets, emphasized the growing client interest in the convergence of public and private equity, which Araskog and Ghernati's backgrounds are well-suited to address.
Overall, J.P. Morgan Private Capital's team expansion reflects a commitment to adapting investment approaches and harnessing opportunities within the rapidly shifting landscape of growth investing.
MWN-AI** Analysis
J.P. Morgan Private Capital's recent expansion, with the addition of Rand Araskog and Eric Ghernati, signals a strategic pivot to capitalize on the shifting landscape of private and public markets. This development is particularly relevant as companies increasingly delay their IPOs, demonstrating a market trend that offers substantial investment opportunities for savvy investors.
The average age of technology companies at IPO has escalated significantly, an indication that these firms are choosing to harness private funding longer, thereby increasing their valuations before going public. With private market assets ballooning to $20 trillion, J.P. Morgan aims to leverage this shift by focusing on growth opportunities in private equity, especially in the technology sector—a segment experiencing explosive growth with over 800 private firms now valued at more than $1 billion.
Investors should take note of J.P. Morgan's commitment to unlocking value across the investment continuum. The combination of Araskog's extensive experience from Permira and Ghernati's background in U.S. equity strategies equips the firm with a robust toolkit to develop differentiated growth strategies, particularly in high-performing sectors like technology.
As these two partners position J.P. Morgan to blend public and private equity strategies, investors would be prudent to consider allocations that reflect this integration. The emphasis on high-growth companies attests to the potential for significant returns as these firms mature, potentially giving investors an edge by engaging with investments that are typically less available to the average market player.
In summary, as J.P. Morgan Private Capital continues to scale its operations, investors should remain vigilant for entry points in innovative sectors that may benefit from the seamless transition between public and private investments. This evolution could herald opportunities that align with long-term growth strategies in an increasingly complex market landscape.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
PR Newswire
Rand Araskog joins as Partner from Permira
Eric Ghernati transitions to Partner role from J.P. Morgan Asset Management U.S. Equity Group
NEW YORK, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Private Capital, the venture and growth equity investment arm within J.P. Morgan Asset Management, today announced the appointments of Rand Araskog and Eric Ghernati as Partners focused on investing in leading growth companies.
The team's expansion comes in response to a fundamental shift in capital markets. Companies are staying private for longer, with the median age at IPO of U.S. tech companies nearly tripling from five years in 1999 to fourteen years in 20241. Over the same period, global private market assets have expanded 20-fold to $20 trillion2. This evolution has blurred the traditional boundary between public and private markets. There are now over 800 private technology companies valued above $1 billion, together representing nearly $4 trillion of aggregate value3. J.P. Morgan Private Capital seeks to capitalize on these secular growth trends across the platform.
Paris Heymann, Managing Partner, Technology Investing, J.P. Morgan Private Capital: "We're thrilled to have Rand and Eric join the Private Capital team. Their deep investment expertise across public and private markets will help us continue to support high-growth companies at scale."
Mr. Araskog has extensive experience investing in technology companies across public equities, growth equity, and buyout private equity. Most recently, he was a Managing Director at Permira, where he helped build out a dedicated strategy, systems, and team for the Firm's $4B growth fund and led successful public long-only investments. Prior to Permira, he was a Long/Short and Growth Equity Analyst at Coatue, responsible for investments across enterprise software, hardware, and frontier technologies.
Mr. Ghernati has been with J.P. Morgan Asset Management since 2020, most recently in the U.S. Equity Group where he was responsible for tech strategies across all market caps, including J.P. Morgan Mid Cap Growth and Small Cap Growth. He was also a co-portfolio manager for the J.P. Morgan U.S. Tech Leaders Strategy, including its active ETF vehicle, JTEK, and the US Equity Focus fund. Mr. Ghernati has also overseen the group's selective pre-IPO and private investments. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Mr. Ghernati spent six years at Lord Abbett, where he covered the technology sector for the growth, value, and core strategies.
Patrick McGoldrick, Managing Partner, J.P. Morgan Private Capital: "We see substantial opportunity to continue scaling the Private Capital platform. Rand and Eric will enable us to develop unique strategies across the growth investing continuum as we strive to partner with the world's most innovative companies."
Jed Laskowitz, Global Head of Private Markets and Customized Solutions: "With companies staying private longer, we are seeing an explosion of client interest in the convergence of public and private equity. Rand and Eric's extensive experience across growth markets will be instrumental in delivering differentiated solutions to our clients."
Biographies
Rand Araskog is a Partner for J.P. Morgan Private Capital. He has extensive experience investing in technology companies across public equities, growth equity, and buyout private equity. Most recently, he was a Managing Director at Permira, where he helped build out a dedicated strategy, systems, and team for the Firm's $4B growth fund and led successful public long-only investments. Prior to Permira, he was a Long/Short and Growth Equity Analyst at Coatue, responsible for investments across enterprise software, hardware, and frontier technologies. He began his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs. Rand holds a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Eric Ghernati is a Partner for J.P. Morgan Private Capital. Mr. Ghernati has been with J.P. Morgan Asset Management since 2020, most recently in the U.S. Equity Group where he was responsible for tech strategies across all market caps, including J.P. Morgan Mid Cap Growth and Small Cap Growth. He was also a co-portfolio manager for the J.P. Morgan U.S. Tech Leaders Strategy, including its active ETF vehicle, JTEK, and the US Equity Focus fund. Mr. Ghernati has also overseen the group's selective pre-IPO and private investments. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Mr. Ghernati spent six years at Lord Abbett, where he covered the technology sector for the growth, value, and core strategies. Earlier in his career, Eric worked for 15 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a research analyst covering a variety of industries within the technology sector. Eric holds a B.S. in Finance from San Francisco State University.
1Source: Jay R. Ritter, as of January 2025 |
2Source: Prequin, 2025 |
3J.P. Morgan Asset Management, Guide to Alternatives, 4Q 2025 |
About J.P. Morgan Asset Management
J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $4.2 trillion (as of 12/31/2025), is a global leader in investment management. J.P. Morgan Asset Management's clients include institutions, retail investors and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity and liquidity. For more information, visit: www.jpmorgan.com/am
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America ("U.S."), with operations worldwide. JPMorganChase had $4.4 trillion in assets and $362 billion in stockholders' equity (as of 12/31/2025). The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.
SOURCE J.P. Morgan Asset Management
FAQ**
How do the new appointments of Rand Araskog and Eric Ghernati at J.P. Morgan Private Capital reflect JP Morgan Chase & Co. JPM's strategy to adapt to companies staying private longer before going public?
With Rand Araskog's and Eric Ghernati's diverse backgrounds, how does J.P. Morgan Private Capital intend to leverage their expertise to enhance JP Morgan Chase & Co. JPM's growth equity investments?
Considering the evolution of global private market assets, how will J.P. Morgan Private Capital's expansion support JP Morgan Chase & Co. JPM in navigating the blurred lines between public and private markets?
What specific strategies does J.P. Morgan Private Capital plan to implement to capitalize on the opportunities within the burgeoning private equity landscape, as highlighted by JP Morgan Chase & Co. JPM's recent team expansion?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM).
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