Butterfly Expands Leadership with Vishal Patel Joining as Partner from KKR

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Vishal Patel joins Butterfly as Partner, bringing over 15 years of experience and $10 billion in invested equity. He will lead the investment team and work closely with leadership to source new investments and support the existing portfolio. Vishal's expertise in the food sector aligns well with Butterfly's mission.

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Vishal Patel brings extensive experience and a strong track record in private equity investments, which could positively impact Butterfly's investment performance and attract investors.
Vishal's deep knowledge of the consumer and food sectors will position Butterfly as a leading investment firm in the food sector.

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09/26/2023 - 09:00 AM

Vishal will lead Butterfly’s Investment Team, expanding the firm’s experience within the food sector

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Butterfly, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, today announced that Vishal Patel will be joining the firm as Partner. He will help lead an already strong, focused investment team with deep food and private equity experience, as well as join the firm’s Investment Committee.

Vishal brings over 15 years of experience to the firm, having had an integral role in over a dozen investments representing over <money>$10 billion</money> in invested equity. (Photo: Business Wire)

Vishal brings over 15 years of experience to the firm, having had an integral role in over a dozen investments representing over $10 billion in invested equity. (Photo: Business Wire)

Vishal brings over 15 years of experience to the firm, having had an integral role in over a dozen investments representing over $10 billion in invested equity. He most recently served as Managing Director of KKR where he helped lead private equity investments across the consumer and healthcare verticals. In his new role, Vishal will work closely with Butterfly’s leadership team to source and execute new investments, as well as support the firm’s existing portfolio. He also joins the firm’s Investment Committee, managing investment deployment, strategy and fund performance to ensure the best possible outcome for investors.

“We are honored to welcome Vishal to our team as we continue to transform and expand Butterfly’s scale and impact,” said Butterfly Co-Founder and Co-CEO Adam Waglay. “Since our days working together at KKR, I have been impressed by Vishal’s investment approach and deep knowledge of the consumer and food sectors. We believe he will be an immense asset to the firm as we continue positioning Butterfly as the leading investment firm in food, and I am personally thrilled to be working with him again after all these years.”

“Vishal is the perfect addition to our executive team and a homerun hire on all fronts. We can’t wait to integrate his deeply relevant set of experiences and leadership capabilities to the firm, along with our current and prospective portfolio companies,” said Butterfly Co-Founder and Co-CEO Dustin Beck. “His work in the space has been immensely successful and our investment team will benefit from his prior accomplishments and body of work at KKR. Equally important is how culturally aligned Vishal is with Butterfly’s mission and purpose.”

Mr. Patel has worked on investments across the food landscape including branded goods, business services and multi-site businesses like US Foods (NYSE: USFD), Upfield and Cardenas Markets.

“While many firms have consumer investment teams, very few specialize in a specific sector the way Butterfly has with food,” said Vishal Patel. “There is so much opportunity in this largely untapped and growing sector, and I look forward to bringing my passion for investing in food to the Butterfly team and, together, driving results for our investors.”

About Butterfly

Butterfly Equity (“Butterfly”) is a Los Angeles, California-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, spanning the entire food value chain from “seed to fork” via four target verticals: agriculture & aquaculture, food & beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Butterfly manages nearly $5 billion assets to date and aims to generate attractive investment returns through deep industry specialization, a systematized approach to sourcing transactions and leveraging an operations-focused and technology-driven approach to value creation. For additional information about Butterfly, please visit its website at www.bfly.com.