D’Ornano + Co., the global advisory firm that has pioneered a new comprehensive diligence process for assessing the fundamentals of Disruptive Technology companies, announced today the next stage of its international expansion with the addition of three prominent financial & strategic advisors to its global team.
Joining D’Ornano + Co. as Managing Directors in its New York City offices are:
- Patryk Strojny, a former McKinsey & Co. advisor who has extensive experience in Private Equity, and Mergers & Acquisitions. He previously co-led McKinsey’s Private Equity/M&A service line globally.
- Thibaud Leblanc, a former Lazard investment banker in Paris and New York who provided Mergers & Acquisitions advisory to strategic and private equity investors globally. He most recently was a transaction advisor at an investment firm in New York.
- Arjit Mehta, comes from McKinsey & Co., where he partnered with strategics and private equity investors to execute their growth agenda. He previously led the gaming practice and co-led the media private equity practice in North America.
The latest hirings reinforce the Firm’s conviction that the world stands on the cusp of a sweeping transformation driven by emerging technologies such as GenAI. This shift represents more than a classic disruption cycle: it’s a moment of Discontinuity, a clear break from the past that will fundamentally rewrite the established rules for building new companies, making investments, and defining the shape of markets.
D’Ornano + Co. created its Advanced Growth Intelligence (“AGI”) diligence framework, a rigorous and granular business model analysis that allows the Firm to Decode Discontinuity for its clients.
“We’ve built our practice around the philosophy that traditional tools and thinking are not sufficient to analyze the impact of innovative technologies and to reach high returns in private market investments,” said Raphaëlle d’Ornano, Founder and CEO of D’Ornano + Co. “Navigating Discontinuity requires everyone across the innovation economy and business landscape to reset the way they think fundamentally. The experienced talent we’ve recruited will significantly enhance our ability to guide our clients through this uncertainty and develop the strategies and playbooks they need to thrive.”
Decoding Discontinuity
The appointments represent a major milestone for the firm. Founded in 2015, D’Ornano + Co. is now headquartered in New York with an office in Paris and a team of more than 30 dedicated professionals that support clients globally. The Firm has advised clients on over 600 deals since its inception, including recently such influential names as LumApps, Captions and Pearl.
D’Ornano launched the Firm and developed deal after deal the AGI framework based on her belief that the value of a disruptive technology company is defined by its capacity to achieve high growth consistently. Due diligence must validate this critical aspect through the right fundamental analysis. Inadequate due diligence regarding disruptive technology assets invariably results in mistakes and strategic errors.
This methodology has been in growing demand as the speed and scope of tech transformation accelerates. While the Firm first advised Venture Capital firms, it now serves a roster of the most renowned Buyout and Private Credit firms. Beyond diligence, it helps Technology leaders build blueprints for growth and enduring value-creation plans.
GenAI represents a fundamental break because its impact has the potential to go much further than tech disruptions such as the cloud, smartphones, or the social Web.
Investors are just beginning to grapple with the ways these different silos within the GenAI tech stack — data centers, chips, energy, software — are blending to create a new framework. The same applies to asset classes with boundaries disappearing between Venture Capitalists, Private Equity Investors, Asset Managers and Hyper-scalers.
Mr. Strojny brings more than 15 years of experience in consulting and an extensive track record supporting principal investors, portfolio companies, and strategics from due diligence to value creation and exits. His advisory work spanned a diverse range of industries, including sports and technology companies.
“I am thrilled to embrace the challenge and the market opportunity that the Firm collectively represents and to develop technology-driven advisory services in a way that meaningfully complements our partners and clients,” said Mr. Strojny. “Together, I believe our unified team presents a unique opportunity to develop D’Ornano + Co.’s client base further, and to serve better the institutions and private markets and technology investors that rely upon our services today.”
Mr. Thibaud joins with more than 13 years of experience in advisory and investing. After 12 years in investment banking at Lazard in Paris and New York, advising strategic and private equity investors on complex M&A deals globally, particularly in the Consumer space, he was most recently a transaction advisor at a NY-based investment firm. His deep relationships and vast experiences will help the firm grow its profile and impact in European and U.S. markets.
“D’Ornano + Co. has a distinctive ability to refine the way the C-suite approaches data and deals, powered by proprietary frameworks and generative AI, and I am excited to join a team committed to making lasting innovations to a critical industry,” said Mr. Leblanc.
Mr. Mehta’s background includes more than 15 years of experience advising strategics and investors in the technology and media space to execute their growth plans in sectors such as video games, streaming video, and sports. During his time at McKinsey & Co., he led the gaming practice and co-led the media private equity practice in North America.
“Internet, mobile, cloud, generative AI and science-based technology companies’ business models take investors into uncharted territory, and D’Ornano + Co.’s team and technology represent a new, critical part of the M&A process,” Mr. Mehta said. “AGI provides our clients an unfair advantage by giving them the insights to know which questions to ask about emerging technologies, how to identify the most resilient startups, and how to recognize the impact innovations will have on existing businesses across all markets.”
About D’Ornano + Co.
D’Ornano + Co. is a global advisory firm pioneering Advanced Growth Intelligence (AGI), a comprehensive diligence process for assessing the fundamentals of Disruptive Technology companies, i.e., both companies enabling new technologies and those putting them front and center of their business models.
Using proprietary datasets and blueprints specific to innovative technology business models, AGI combines financial, operational, and strategic analysis with in-depth knowledge of new technologies to form a comprehensive view of a company’s durable growth prospects, as growth is a critical factor in these company’s valuations. AGI breaks down traditional silos to offer trustworthy business intelligence, enabling investors and management teams to make the right investment decisions and to build effective value-creation plans and exit strategies. Through AGI, the firm helps its clients invest with confidence and maximize portfolio value.
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