Our Team

Lee Dranikoff

FOUNDER & CEO, THE OP ACADEMY

Lee Dranikoff has spent over 25 years working with management teams in all industries to develop and implement their strategies.

 After spending six years at McKinsey & Co. In the late 1990s and early 2000s,  Lee moved to private equity where he helped pioneer the functional based private equity operating group.  Lee helped build and lead the American Securities Resources Group, one of the most known and respected PE operating teams in the U.S.  At American Securities, Lee and his colleagues honed the concept of value creation planning for dozens of businesses in every industry.

In addition to his work in strategy, Lee is Chair of the Board of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, the largest colon cancer fighting organization in the world.  He is also a frequent publisher and proud father of three (nearly) grown children.  

Prior to McKinsey, Lee was an attorney at Weil in New York City.  Lee graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. and M.A. in Economics and graduated with a J.D.  cum laude from Harvard Law School. 

  • Jon Weber

    Jon created and led operating partner groups for over 20 years at institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs, Icahn Enterprises, and Elliott Investment Management.  He has impacted dozens of portfolio companies in a broad range of industries through operational engagement, talent management, and effective oversight in partnership with management driving change as a board member, senior executive, and board-level advisor for companies in the Americas and Europe.  Jon earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and B.S. and M.B.A., magna cum laude, from Babson College.

  • Beth Neumann

    Beth is currently a Partner, Portfolio Operations for Kelso and was formerly was as a senior member of the portfolio operations team at Sun Capital Partners. She also previously served as President and CEO of Starboard Cruise Services, a global retailer owned by LVMH. Prior to Starboard, Beth was an executive at Avon, Atkins Nutritionals, Kraft Foods, and Andersen Consulting. Beth received an Engineering degree from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

  • Doron Grosman

    Doron is the CEO of Smart Start, a global leader in alcohol monitoring technologies. With a distinguished career in executive leadership, Doron brings a proven track record of driving significant revenue and EBITDA growth across both private and public sectors. Doron served as CEO and President of GCT Global Container Terminals, where he successfully doubled the company's EBITDA and enhanced its profitability. Doron has also held senior leadership roles at Court Square Capital Partners, Hexcel Corporation, Trane, General Electric, and Bain, where he was instrumental in driving strategic initiatives and operational improvements.

  • Mike Leamer

    Mike is a Managing Director and Head of U.S. Portfolio Operations at H.I.G. Capital. He is responsible for portfolio value-creation across the firm’s U.S. private equity funds. Mike has portfolio operations experience across a range of industries and strategies. Prior to joining H.I.G., Mike was a Managing Director in the Resources Group at American Securities LLC and a Managing Director in Asset Management at Hudson Advisors LP. Earlier in his career, he worked in consulting at McKinsey & Company and in investment banking at Lazard. Mike earned a B.A. in economics degree from Occidental College and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.

The OP Academy Solution

A  SIX  MONTH  PROCESS  FOR  OPERATING  PROFESSIONALS
MONTH 1

The Op Academy will interview firm leadership on what they expect from operating professionals and how it is tied to Firm Strategy. 

MONTH 2

CLASS 1

2-day, in-person master class on how to succeed as an operating professional 

View Sample Syllabus

MONTH 3-6

DEEP DIVE

Sessions focused on the tools for success.

SESSION EXAMPLES:
• Value Creation Planning
• Proposal Writing
• Building an Effective Board

ACADEMY CLOSE

CLASS 2

1-day, in-person follow up to solidify learnings

How It Works

SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW

The Op Academy will interview firm leadership on what they expect from operating professionals and how it is tied to Firm Strategy.  

SELECT A CLASS SCHEDULE

Schedule class times for your team members.

PROVIDE INFORMATION

Each participant will fill out online forms to..... 

Save time & money with proper training and empower your operating professionals.