Energize is excited to welcome Shariq Syed as our new Chief Financial Officer.
Shariq’s professional background spans traditional finance and investing roles in addition to tenure leading operations for companies in various stages of development. Given his experience on both sides of the startup ecosystem, Shariq brings a unique understanding of finance as it pertains to investors, entrepreneurs and alternative investment managers like Energize. We are thrilled for him to join our team and take an active role in our core operations – from fundraising and investor relations to due diligence and valuating the portfolio.
Raised in New York, Shariq began his career on Wall Street as an investment banker. Covering private equity and venture clients at Jeffries & Co., he always had an eye towards the principal side of the business. In his next venture, he joined a New York-based family office, where worked his way up from an associate to vice president. Investing in companies spanning industrials, aerospace and defense, and manufacturing, Shariq’s direct exposure to many CEOs and founders drew him into the next phase of his career on the operating side. He has since held leadership roles in finance and operations with various technology businesses–from small companies like Timshel, an impact investment and consulting firm, to his more recent position as VP of Finance and Operations at Uptake, an industrial analytics software business with $100M+ of revenue.
“I’ve always been interested in energy and how technology intersects the industry,” said Shariq. “Joining Energize as CFO is a real marriage of my previous experiences in investing and operations and my interests in sustainability. I’m excited to be a part of this team and have a role in scaling Energize as a leading investor in that space.”
As CFO, Shariq will support Energize’s operations and finance initiatives, working directly with our LPs and CEOs.
Shariq graduated from Boston University and received his MBA from Yale School of Management. A Midwesterner for over a decade now, he lives with his wife and two sons in Energize’s home base of Chicago (but still cheers for his hometown Knicks and Giants!).
Please join us in giving Shariq a warm welcome!
