Mercatus is excited to welcome David Backman to its growing team. David comes to Mercatus from Cobalt Software, bringing over his years of experience in private markets and technology platforms. Ali Mamujee, VP of Product Marketing, recently sat with David to learn more about his new role, what brought him to Mercatus, and his thoughts on the future of private market technology.
What is your background / story?
I spent the last 6+ years in a sales role at another Fintech SaaS company focused on private markets. I worked mainly with buyout, growth equity, and venture capital firms, in solving their portfolio monitoring and performance analysis and reporting needs. As with every start-up, I was in a role where I wore multiple hats and worked with all departments. I enjoy the fast pace of early and growth-stage companies, where you sometimes have to fail fast and pivot to succeed.
What is your role at Mercatus?
I am joining the sales team as a Sales Executive based outside of Boston, MA. My goal is to get up to speed as soon as possible so that I can add to Mercatus’ growth.
In your past role(s) what are some unmet needs from private market investors around data management technology?
A platform that can break down barriers between teams and combine different datasets and models used at a firm. That way everyone from the back to the front office will have access to the same data and analysis which will empower the entire organization. Less time spent on chasing and normalization of data, and more time spent on analysis and being proactive.
How do you see private market technology evolving over the next decade?
The private market is still very much behind in utilizing and spending money on technology. As more capital flows into the private market, we will see more competition, more regulations, and investors that will continue to require more transparency. As a result, I believe that we will see firms moving from point to platform solutions.
What excites you about Mercatus?
The people, product, and company vision. Everyone I have spoken with so far is very smart and knowledgeable about the industry. When you add a clear vision that everyone aligns on and an impressive product that is built to solve complex data problems, that makes me excited.
What is your go-to karaoke song?
Believe me, no one wants to hear me sing…but if you twist my arm, I will go with “Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne.
Give us a fun fact about yourself.
I am originally from Sweden and came over to the U.S. to play soccer for a year…. that was 15 years ago.
