Menlo Ventures Hires Jordan Ormont as Talent Partner

MENLO PARK, CA--(Marketwired - May 25, 2016) - Menlo Ventures has hired Jordan Ormont in the role of Talent Partner to help grow the firm's network of emerging entrepreneurs and to assist the firm's portfolio companies in building out their executive team strategies. The hiring completes FUEL, the firm's venture services program aimed at helping companies develop and execute successful go-to-market strategies.

"I had the pleasure of partnering with Jordan for eight years at Kleiner Perkins and witnessed firsthand his passion for working with entrepreneurs and the game-changing impact he made," said Menlo managing director Matt Murphy. "Jordan redefines the role of a Talent Partner. More than just a recruiter of unique talent, the Talent Partner enables the evolution and growth of talent across the portfolio, as well as builds a shared network of emerging entrepreneurs and executives we hope to work with now and in the future," Murphy added.

Ormont has spent the past 16 years coaching CEOs and founders on how to build world-class management teams and boards. Prior to joining Menlo Ventures, Jordan was a Senior Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, where he helped shape the firm's talent strategy and supported Entrepreneurs in organization design, board recruiting and executive team-building and worked closely with growth companies including MyFitnessPal, Shyp, Chegg, RentTheRunway, Shazam, OKL, Zynga, NEST, Juicero, Spruce, LifeLock and Synack. Prior to Kleiner Perkins, Jordan was a principal at Howard Fischer Associates. 

At Menlo, Ormont will lead the Talent component of Menlo's now-completed program called FUEL. The program, which was developed as a result of feedback from entrepreneurs on what they care about most in a partner, consists of four key areas or "pillars" aimed at successful go-to-market strategy: Sales, Marketing, Customer Development, and Talent. The program consists of 4 dedicated individuals in addition to the investing partners: Jim Dawson (former VP Sales at 3Par and FusionIO) leads the sales pillar and focuses on helping companies design their sales strategies and teams. Jenny Saling leads the marketing pillar focused on marketing strategy and PR. Kayla Hinderscheid focuses on partner and customer network development. Ormont will complete the program by advising entrepreneurs on designing and defining effective teams and helping them recruit executive and board talent. 

"I'm thrilled to join Menlo at such an exciting time. The opportunity to grow Menlo's Talent network and guide entrepreneurs at the go-to-market stage when they need it most is truly unique," said Ormont. "I was incredibly fortunate to work with and learn from one of the best talent partners in the world at Kleiner Perkins, Juliet DeBaubigny, and I look forward to spearheading this brand new role at Menlo."

Entrepreneurs that have worked with Ormont are equally enthusiastic about his passion for rolling up his sleeves and working side-by-side with entrepreneurs. "I call Jordan the CEO whisperer for the next generation of entrepreneurs. He doesn't just help companies with recruiting, he's a mentor and true confidant who understands the founders' journey and locks arms with them from day one," said Emil Michael, SVP of Business at Uber. 

"Jordan is one of the most respected, well-networked people I've met in my time in Venture Capital, and his ability to connect with founders both strategically and tactically is unparalleled," said Murphy. "He will be a key asset to the firm and completes our FUEL program aimed at helping accelerate companies' go-to-market strategies. Talent is an incredibly important part of that equation. We're fortunate to have Jordan collaborating with the portfolio and building out our Talent Network, as we continue working hard to partner with the iconic companies of tomorrow."

About Menlo Ventures
Menlo Ventures provides capital for seed to growth consumer and enterprise technology companies. Since 1976, the firm's market-driven analysis has led to the identification of opportunities and successful investments in innovative technology markets. Notable areas of investment have included mobile/mobile marketplaces (Siri, Uber, Machine Zone, Roku, Rover.com, Getaround, Munchery), social & ecommerce (Tumblr, Lumosity, Poshmark), Cloud (Carbonite, EdgeCast, Dropcam, Vidyo), dtorage & Big Data (3Par, Coraid, Tintri, Avere Systems), digital advertising (Flurry, YuMe, DataXu, Dstillery, eXelate), and security (Cavium, IronPort, nCircle, BitSight, vArmour). Menlo's portfolio includes more than 70 public companies and more than 100 mergers and acquisitions. Menlo Ventures has $4.65 billion under management and is currently investing Menlo Ventures XII, a $400 million fund with $15 million allocated to the Menlo Talent Fund for fast seed funding, and the Menlo Opportunity Fund, a $250 million fund that targets solely early growth investments. For more information, visit www.menlovc.com.