Blackstone hires Jennifer Morgan to lead tech transformation in portfolio companies
Investment giant Blackstone has named Jennifer Morgan – formerly co-CEO of SAP and an Accenture consultant – as its first global head of portfolio transformation and talent.
Morgan brings more than 25 years of technology sector leadership experience to the newly created role. She will head a team in Blackstone’s portfolio operations group, helping the firm’s more than 200 portfolio companies drive growth through digital transformation and attract the talent needed to realize those initiatives. The firm’s portfolio companies have approximately half a million employees.
New York-based Blackstone is the world’s largest private equity firm by capital commitments. Some of its investments this year include a $4.7 billion majority stake in Ancestry.com and the $2.3 billion acquisition of Takeda Consumer Healthcare.
The company’s other business arms include real estate investment, alternative asset management for institutional investors, and credit (loans and bonds, partnering with distressed companies). Blackstone has $584 billion in assets under management.
“We are committed to building a premier portfolio operations group that can help our companies reach their full potential,” Joe Baratta, global head of Blackstone Private Equity, said. “Driving transformational growth and attracting the best talent from a variety of backgrounds to our companies are essential elements for success. Jennifer is an outstanding technology executive and leader who will help us deliver on our mission for our companies, their employees, and our investors.”
Morgan previously served as co-CEO of SAP, the world leader in enterprise resource planning software. She held several other leadership positions at SAP during her 16-year tenure at the German firm, including serving as a member of its executive board. Prior to joining SAP, Morgan worked in business development at CRM vendor Siebel Systems (now Oracle).
She started her career at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), where she spent seven years as a client manager. Morgan holds a BA in business administration from James Madison University.
“I’m excited to join Blackstone’s incredibly talented team and lead its efforts to accelerate innovation and growth across its portfolio companies,” Morgan said. “Technology will continue to reshape and create new business models in every industry, representing an enormous opportunity for value creation for Blackstone companies and investors. I look forward to bringing my global technology experience and making a difference together with the Blackstone team.”
