NISHEN RADIA

Managing Partner

FocalPoint Partners

Nishen Radia is a managing partner of FocalPoint Partners, an independent investment bank focused on M&A and financing transactions for middle- market companies. Radia co-founded the firm in 2002 and has helped grow the business, which has closed over $7.5 billion in transactions and employs 40 people in Los Angeles and Chicago. He previously worked in investment banking at Merrill Lynch, SocGen and Baring Brothers in London, New York and Hong Kong. He formerly chaired the VEDC, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit lenders.

What was your proudest moment?

The sense of satisfaction of closing any deal is hard to beat but probably the highlight was the first deal we closed, the sale of Physicians Formula to Summit Partners in 2003. I still have that check framed on my wall (or at least a copy of it!)

What is your alma mater?

MBA from UCLA; Economics degree from University of Bristol

What is your next project?

Besides client transactions, we are actively growing the firm and have ambitions to be the pre-eminent firm in Los Angeles. We have added over a dozen people in the last year and aren’t stopping now!

Who is your hero?

A tie between my father, who taught me how to be an entrepreneur, and my former boss at Merrill Lynch, Philip Yates, who taught me how to be a banker.

What do you like best about Los Angeles?

I really love the entrepreneurial spirit of this city – there are new businesses created every day and the will to succeed is an inspiration to me.