Grain Management, LLC, announced yesterday three senior-level investment team promotions. Diya Berger, Arya Heidari and Jeff Zhou, members of the Grain team and “significant value creators” across the firm’s portfolio of broadband and digital infrastructure companies, have each been promoted to Principal.
Berger joined Grain in 2019 as a Senior Associate after starting her career in investment banking and asset finance. During her five years at Grain, Berger has led the firm’s Associate recruiting program, working to widen the pipeline of female private equity leaders. Prior to Grain, Berger served in positions at Lending Club and Morgan Stanley. She graduated with honors with an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Heidari joined the firm in 2021 as a Vice President after five years in investment banking. He currently serves on the board of 55H (formerly 55 Hereford), a data center just outside of Toronto, and he plays a leading role at Grain platform company Hunter Communications, a large, privately owned fiber-optic internet provider in Oregon. Prior to Grain, Heidari was a Vice President in the Media and Communications group at Morgan Stanley. He holds an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a B.S. from Boston University.
Zhou joined the Firm in 2020 as a Vice President after spending over a decade in banking and corporate finance, primarily in TMT. He serves on the board of Brazil broadband service provider Alares. Zhou also serves as Co-Chair of GenerationGrain, an employee resource group that fosters the growth of firm professionals early on in their careers. Prior to Grain, Zhou held positions in the Media and Communications group at Morgan Stanley and worked in corporate development and strategic planning at iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel Communications). He holds an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, an M.S. from Texas A&M University, and a B.S. from Fudan University.
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