Matt is a second-year MBA student pursuing concentrations in Corporate Finance and Energy. Prior to attending Kenan-Flagler, Matt worked as an Associate at Harbert Infrastructure, a Power and Renewables private equity firm, where he focused on the underwriting and diligence of infrastructure and power generation assets across North America. Matt holds a B.A. in Economics from Sewanee: The University of the South.
Matt Pontikas
CFO MBA '24
Matt is a second-year MBA candidate pursuing a concentration in Consulting. Prior to attending Kenan-Flagler Business School, Matt worked in Charlotte as a Corporate Banking Associate at Wells Fargo where he underwrote and managed a debt portfolio of large cap and middle market healthcare companies. He will be joining EY-Parthenon as a strategy consultant in NY this summer. Matt holds a B.S.B.A in Accounting from University of South Carolina.
Luke Hileman
Managing DIRECTOR MBA '24
Luke is a second-year MBA student pursuing a concentration in Corporate Finance. Before attending Kenan-Flagler, Luke worked as a Project Manager at Alan Simonini Homes, a luxury home builder and developer, where he led the preconstruction process for residential construction projects. Luke holds a B.S. in Kinesiology from Illinois State University. Following graduation, Luke will join Bank of America’s Leverage Finance Group in Charlotte, NC as an Associate.
Chris Kohler
Managing DIRECTOR MBA '24
Chris is a second-year MBA candidate pursuing a concentration in Corporate Finance. Prior to Kenan-Flagler Business School, Chris worked in New York for an expert network before moving to Pittsburgh where he helped drive an increase in market share for a waste management business. Also, Chris worked as a private equity analyst focused on consumer & retail investments. Chris holds a B.A. in Political Science from Trinity College - Hartford and will be joining Jefferies as an Investment Banking Associate in the Power and Utilities group in New York upon graduation.
Elie Sidransky
Managing DIRECTOR MBA '24
Elie is a second-year MBA candidate pursuing concentrations in Corporate Finance and Healthcare. Prior to Kenan-Flagler Business School, Elie worked as a Senior Financial Analyst at 777 Partners, a Middle Market Private Equity Fund with $7B AUM. He also has worked in Biotech Venture Capital in the United States and abroad in Israel. He holds a B.S. in Material Science & Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park. Following graduation, Elie will join Barclay’s Healthcare Group in New York as an Associate.
Louis Cappucci
DIRECTOR MBA '25
Louis is a first-year MBA candidate pursuing a concentration in Corporate Finance as well as Capital Markets & Investments. Before Kenan-Flagler Business School, Louis worked as a Software Engineer at Grata, a private company deal-sourcing platform. He also worked as an Aerospace Engineer at UTC Pratt & Whitney, a jet engine designer and manufacturer. Louis holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. in Physics from Trinity College. This summer, Louis will join the Industrial Software and Technology M&A practice at Lazard in Charlotte, NC.
Stephen Lengel
DIRECTOR MBA '25
Stephen is a first-year MBA candidate pursuing a concentration in Corporate Finance. Prior to Kenan-Flagler Business School, Stephen worked as an Equity Research Associate at Needham & Company and Truist Securities where he focused on Specialty Retail, E-Commerce, Global Brands, Food & Beverage, Beauty, and Household products companies. He holds a B.S. in Economics from Michigan State University. During the summer, Stephen will intern with Jefferies’ Consumer & Retail Group.
Ben Malone
DIRECTOR MBA '25
Ben is a first-year MBA candidate pursuing concentrations in Corporate Finance and Business Analytics & Management Science. Prior to Kenan-Flagler Business School, Ben worked as a Financial Analyst at Ford Motor Company where he performed a variety of tasks within the company’s financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting functions. He holds a B.S. in Finance and Business Analytics from Indiana University Bloomington. This summer, Ben will be joining Evercore in New York as an Investment Banking Summer Associate.
Carmen Nepa
DIRECTOR MBA '25
Carmen is a first-year MBA candidate pursuing concentrations in Data Analytics & Management Science, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Prior to Kenan-Flagler Business School, Carmen worked as a Senior Associate at Inverness Graham Investments, a Lower Middle Market Private Equity Fund focused on making control investments in high-growth, innovative advanced manufacturing, software, and tech-enabled services companies. He also worked as an Investment Banking Analyst for Deloitte Corporate Finance. He holds a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Syracuse University.
John Stiefel
DIRECTOR MBA '25
John is a first-year MBA candidate pursuing a concentration in Corporate Finance. Before Kenan-Flagler Business School, John worked in Private Equity and Corporate Finance. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Sewanee: The University of the South. John will join Evercore in New York this summer as an Investment Banking Summer Associate.
UNDERGRADUATES
Hughes Edwards
Senior ASSOCIATE Bsba '24
Hughes is a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, studying business administration at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and history. The past two summers, Hughes has interned with Warren Equity Partners, a private equity group that invests in companies which handle industrial services, and, in the previous summer, Hughes interned at Morgan Stanley in New York as an investment banking summer analyst, where he will be returning upon graduation. At Carolina, Hughes acts as fundraising chair for the UNC chapter of First Generation Investors, an organization which tutors underprivileged high school students in personal finance. In his free time, Hughes enjoys playing golf, basketball, and watching the Tar Heels play.
Joel Funderburk
Senior ASSOCIATE Bsba '24
Joel is a senior from Greensboro, NC studying Business Administration at the Kenan-Flagler Business School with an area of emphasis in Investment Banking. In his sophomore summer, Joel interned with Davidson Capital Partners, a lower middle market investment bank, and during the summer prior was with HQ Capital Private Equity. This previous summer, he was a summer analyst for Jefferies in their Consumer and Retail team, where he will be returning upon graduation. At UNC, he is the president of his fraternity. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, working out, and spending time with friends.
Benjamin Heynold
SENIOR ASSOCIATE Bsba '24
Benjamin is a junior from London, England studying Economics with a minor in PPE. At UNC, Benjamin is the Head of Private Equity for the UFS and is a sector head of the Impact Investing Fund. Last summer, Benjamin worked at Spectrum Equity in San Francisco, a Growth Equity firm focused on software. This upcoming summer, Benjamin will be interning at the Raine Group, a merchant bank with an emphasis on sports, media and entertainment. Outside of school, he enjoys playing tennis, watching football, and travelling.
Lillie-Anne Suber
SENIOR ASSOCIATE Bsba '24
Lillie-Anne is a senior from Charlotte, NC studying Business Administration. In her sophomore summer, Lillie-Anne worked at Deutsche Bank as an Investment Banking Sophomore Summer Analyst in the Healthcare and REGLL Group. In the past summer, she returned as a Summer Analyst in the REGLL Group, where she will be returning upon graduation.. At UNC, Lillie-Anne is the Co President of the Carolina Women in Business club and the President of her sorority. In her free time, Lillie-Anne enjoys hanging out with friends, trying new restaurants, and going on walks.
Yanchen Xie
SENIOR ASSOCIATE Bsba '24
Yanchen is a senior from Singapore, double majoring in Business Administration and Statistics. In his sophomore summer, Yanchen worked for Deutsche Bank in the corporate banking division. During his junior year, Yanchen worked at Skyharbor Capital Group, a lower middle market private equity firm in the tech-enabled services space. In the past summer, Yanchen interned with the tech-enabled services group at Jefferies, where he will be returning upon graduation. At UNC, Yanchen serves as a mentor for the Investment Banking Boot Camp program. Outside of school, Yanchen spends his time playing soccer, scuba diving, and fetch with his dog.
Cameron Figueroa
ASSOCIATE Bsba '25
Cameron is a junior from Cornelius, North Carolina, studying business administration at the Kenan-Flagler Business School. The past summer, Cameron interned with Bank of America within their Leveraged Finance group and next summer he will be interning with Goldman Sachs in their Financial Institutions Group in the Classic Investment Banking Sector. At UNC, Cameron is the head of investment banking at Bluebridge Partners, a group that is dedicated to teaching cohorts of students from both Duke and UNC essential skills for recruiting at top investment banks and other financial sectors. In his free time, Cameron enjoys playing basketball, watching football, and improving at golf.
Noah Gottlieb
ASSOCIATE Bsba '25
Noah is a junior pursuing an Economics degree on the Quantitative Finance track alongside minors in Business Administration and Data Science. Noah is a Morehead-Cain Scholar, a program through which he has trekked the backcountry of Alaska, consulted for the Mayor’s Office in Lexington, Kentucky, and served in a strategy role for a nonprofit in Paris, France. Outside of the Fund, Noah founded the Carolina Outing Club, serves as Vice President of Consult Your Community, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Carolina Political Review.
Elizabeth Kohn
ASSOCIATE Bsba '25
Elizabeth is a junior from Durham, North Carolina, majoring in Business Administration and Italian, with a minor in Medieval and Early Modern Studies. This past summer, Elizabeth interned with UNC Management Company, which manages the university and its affiliates ~$10 billion endowments. Elizabeth will be interning at Morgan Stanley in New York as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst. At Carolina, Elizabeth is in the Reynolds Fund and Portfolio Management Team, where she is a Sector Head in Industrials, Energy & Power, and Consumer on the student led investment funds. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys attending UNC Basketball games (she is on the executive team for the Carolina Athletic Association), playing intramural flag football and volleyball, and watching the Green Bay Packers.
Beckett Kreter
ASSOCIATE Bsba '25
Beckett is a junior from Irvine, California studying business administration at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Last summer, Beckett interned as an Investment Banking Sophomore Summer Analyst at Bank of America in their New York office, as part of the Global Industrials Group and received a return offer for the following summer. Next summer, he will be interning as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Evercore in their New York office, as part of their Mergers & Acquisitions Group. Outside of the Fund, Beckett serves as the President of the UNC Finance Society, President of the UNC Portfolio Management Team, Co-Head of the Investment Banking Bootcamp, and has founded a finance newsletter that was acquired by a strategic buyer. In his free time, Beckett enjoys weightlifting, hiking, and eating sushi.
Jerry Xu
ASSOCIATE Bsba '25
Jerry is a junior from Vancouver, Canada, pursuing a double major in Business Administration at the Kenan-Flagler Business School and Information Science. Over the past two summers, Jerry worked as an Investment Banking Analyst at Investbank in the Consumer & Retail Group and as a Private Equity Analyst at Janus Capital, a private equity firm specializing in investments in the veterinary space. Next summer, Jerry will be joining Aquiline Capital Partners as a Private Equity Summer Analyst, where he looks forward to further learning about the Private Equity space. At UNC, Jerry serves as the Vice President of the International Business Club and is a member of the Eta Omega Chi Fraternity. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, watching soccer, and traveling with his family.