As the Founder and Managing Partner of Ranch Creek Partners, J.D. brings to the firm nearly 20 years of investment experience across a broad range of industry sectors, asset classes and global geographies. 

 

Prior to founding Ranch Creek, Mr. Kritser was a partner at Steelhead Partners, LLC, where he worked for 10 years and had responsibility for investment analysis, portfolio management, hedging, transaction structuring as well as corporate restructurings for the Steelhead Navigator Fund.  Before joining Steelhead, J.D. was an associate at Newbridge Capital, LLC, an Asia-focused private equity fund formed by Texas Pacific Group (TPG) and Blum Capital Partners. At Newbridge, J.D. participated in all aspects of deal sourcing, transaction execution and due diligence as well as monitoring and supervision of portfolio companies. J.D. was also responsible for the firm's entry into the Australian market, helping to build the private equity business there from the ground up.  J.D. was also an investment banking analyst for Lazard Freres, LLC in its mergers and acquisitions group in New York, where he gained extensive experience performing valuation and strategic analysis for global companies across a wide range of industries.

 

Mr. Kritser earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Washington & Lee University, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.  He also received his M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. J.D. serves as an active executive committee board member as well as the Treasurer of YouthCare, the largest agency in the greater Seattle area providing the continum of services to homeless youth.