Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has appointed Avid Larizadeh-Duggan OBE as Managing Director of the Teachers’ Innovation Platform, EMEA.
Larizadeh-Duggan will be leading Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s focus on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in leading-edge technology companies in the region.
Larizadeh-Duggan’s career in technology spans more than 20 years as an international investor, founder, board member, chief operating officer and product manager. Most recently she was the COO of Kobalt Music Group, Google Venture’s first European investment and a leading music services company with clients including the likes of Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Diplo.
She previously cofounded and was COO of the fashion e-commerce website Bottica.com, which was sold to Wolf & Badger. Avid has also been a General Partner at Google Ventures, an Associate at Accel and a Product Manager at tech firms including Skype and eBay.
Larizadeh-Duggan holds a BSc and MSc in Engineering from Stanford where she was a Mayfield Fellow and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She was recognized with an OBE in 2019 for her her work and services to the economy, business and education.
Teachers’ Innovation Platform (TIP) was established in 2019 and has global offices in London, Hong Kong, Silicon Valley and Toronto. Already a circa CAD5.6 billion portfolio of funds and direct investments TIP aims to grow this portfolio, deploying up to CAD2billion per year in markets around the globe.
TIP EMEA investments include Beamery, Graphcore, Kry/Livi and ComplyAdvantage. Global investments include SpaceX, Tanium and ApplyBoard.
Larizadeh-Duggan says: “It is a privilege to be joining Ontario Teachers’ TIP team. In only two years, the team has partnered globally with some of the best entrepreneurs globally and demonstrated how Ontario Teachers’ can help scale companies in a thoughtful and sustainable way with its long-term capital and experience.”
Olivia Steedman, Senior Managing Director, Teachers’ Innovation Platform, says: “We’re delighted to welcome Avid to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. As Managing Director, EMEA, for our Teachers’ Innovation Platform (TIP) she will lead our focus on late-stage venture and growth equity investments in leading-edge technology companies throughout the region.
“Her thoughtful, intelligent leadership will help TIP to further grow its presence in Europe, and build on an already strong portfolio that includes companies such as Beamery, Kry/Livi and Graphcore.”
