Suzanne Yoon
2024 Duc Huang Founder's Award for Immigrant Success
Suzanne Yoon is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on control investments in lower middle market companies in the manufactured products, business services and consumer industries. In 2017, Suzanne launched Kinzie as part of her long-standing vision to advance the use of technology and innovation to help companies unlock value. Kinzie’s operational focus and advancement of technology leads to improved efficiency and new avenues for growth within Kinzie’s diverse portfolio of companies. Suzanne serves as the Chair of the Investment and Executive Committees for Kinzie. In 2020, Kinzie was recognized by the Private Equity Women Investor Network as the North American Female Founded Firm of the Year.
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Suzanne has over 25 years of experience investing in and advising middle market companies. Before founding Kinzie, she held senior roles at Versa Capital Management, CIT Group and LaSalle Bank/ABN AMRO. She also held positions in the Special Assets Group and Restructuring Advisory at LaSalle Bank and Ernst and Young’s Corporate Finance group, respectively.
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A recognized leader in both the business and civic spheres, Yoon serves on several private company and civic boards. She currently serves as the Board Chair of Kinzie portfolio companies Colony Display, Chelsea Lighting, GT Golf Holdings and Arctic Industries. She is a current member and former Chair of the National Philanthropic Trust Board of Trustees, the largest independent donor advised fund manager in the world with approximately $37B under management, and is a member of the first-ever Women’s Advisory Board for the Chicago Bears. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago’s John G. Shedd Aquarium, the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, The Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Yoon is on the Steering Committee of the Women’s Association of Venture & Equity (WAVE) and is active with the Private Equity Women’s Investor Network (PEWIN). Additionally, she is a member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and The Chicago Network.
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Suzanne earned her B.A. in Economics from the University of Iowa and is an Executive Scholar of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Mergers & Acquisitions named Suzanne one of the Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023; The Wall Street Journal recognized her as a Top Female Deal Maker Shaping Private Equity’s Present and Future in 2019 and Chicago United named her one of their Business Leaders of Color in 2021.
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Suzanne lives in Chicago with her husband and three children and is an outdoor and sports enthusiast who enjoys golfing and fishing with her family.