Hunter Search Capital
ETA has been prevalent in Hunter Search Capital Founder, Lacey Wismer’s, life since she was a child watching her father, Andy Hunter, acquire small businesses in Minnesota. Together with a partner, Andy acquired 20 businesses across the US, three of which are still owned today, over 40 years later. One significant exit from Diamond Brands in the late 1990s led to the formation of their family office Hunter Trust. When Lacey joined her father at Hunter Trust in 2010, she got involved in portfolio company boards, started investing in search funds, and formed an operating partner program, through which the family office partnered with entrepreneurs to acquire companies. The investment principles Lacey learned from her father while at Hunter Trust, namely conservatism, the power of long term compounding, and the value of strong partnerships, have guided her approach to investing in search funds over the years. Building on her ten years of experience at Hunter Trust, Lacey followed her own entrepreneurial vision and formed Hunter Search Capital, an investment fund focused primarily on ETA, in 2020.
Lacey Wismer is the Founder and Managing Partner of Hunter Search Capital. She has been investing in ETA since 2010, the first ten years as part of her role at Hunter Trust, where she managed private equity investments with an emphasis on search funds. During her time at Hunter Trust, she made over 50 investments in the search fund space. At Hunter Search Capital, Lacey spends time on post-acquisition value creation through her work on boards and and is increasingly focused on the firm's engagement in committed capital vehicles, including long term holds.
Lacey is also a Co-Founder of Women’s Search Network, a group formed to encourage more women to consider entrepreneurship through acquisition as a viable career path and to support female searchers and CEOs achieve the highest levels of success.
Prior to joining Hunter Trust, Lacey was a healthcare investment banker at Deutsche Bank with an emphasis on M&A in healthcare services. She was also a consultant for the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). Before attending business school, Lacey worked in corporate sales and athlete management for a sports management firm.
Lacey received a B.A. with Honors from the University of Colorado in 1999 and an M.B.A. from the Stanford GSB in 2004. Lacey has held various board roles for non-profits, including currently as a Private Equity Committee Member for the Stanford Business School Trust Board and an ongoing Alumni Admissions Interviewer for Stanford University. She resides with her husband and their three children in Park City, Utah.
Billy Bennett is a Director of Hunter Search Capital and is focused on helping searchers and CEOs to be successful. Previously Billy spent 8 years with McKinsey & Company, based in the firm's Denver, San Francisco, Johannesburg, & Minneapolis offices. As an Associate Partner, he was a leader in the Tech, Media, & Telecom and Marketing & Sales practices, focused on business building and top-line acceleration.
Before attending business school, Billy worked in corporate strategy, brand development, and growth for The Walt Disney Company, driving strategic growth programs across all of the company's businesses.
Billy received a B.Sc. with Honors from Indiana University in 2009 and an M.B.A. from the Stanford GSB in 2016. He resides with his wife and their two children in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Since 2010, we have partnered with over 100 talented entrepreneurs who share our passion for acquiring and growing small businesses. Alongside these entrepreneurs, we have acquired, and achieved significant growth with more than 65 companies, generating significant returns to shareholders.
