Mark Menell

Partner, Rustic Canyon Partners

Mr. Menell joined Rustic Canyon Partners at inception in 1999 as a Partner. At Rustic Canyon, his primary areas of investment have been in information technologies with a focus on communications, consumer oriented technologies, and media/technology convergence.

Mark contributes more than 12 years of strategic and financial advisory experience with a focus on companies in the technology, media and telecommunications sectors. Formerly an investment banker, he was most recently co-head of Morgan Stanley's Technology Merger & Acquisitions Group, based in Menlo Park.

Under Mark's tenure, Morgan Stanley was recognized as the leading technology M&A advisor for three consecutive years. During that time, he was responsible for advising on more than 50 completed transactions valued in excess of $150 billion involving clients such as Excite@Home, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Netscape, USWeb/CKS and VeriSign. Prior to 1996, Mark was responsible for Morgan Stanley's media and telecommunications M&A practice, advising clients such as Times Mirror, AT&T, Softbank and Time Warner. Before his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he was an investment banker at Salomon Brothers.

Mark graduated magna cum laude with a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a BS in finance magna cum laude and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Mark currently serves on the Board of Jewish Family and Children's Services of the Bay Area.