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Petros Kusmu has announced the launch of Alpine Vistas Capital (AVC) in Canada, marking the first known traditional SF explicitly committed to implementing broad-based employee ownership post-acquisition. The fund was significantly oversubscribed, attracting a diverse group of fourteen leading North American and international investors, including Peterson Partners, Sage Capital Partners, Blue Frame Capital Partners, The Cambria Group, Hadley Family Capital, Paltus Capital, Cerralvo Capital, Legate Partners, Mineola Search Partners, Siwa Capital, Magnum Capital, and Mazal Capital. Notable backers also include Tarrus Richardson, a leading American PE investor and founder of IMB Partners, and Mario Nigro, a prominent Canadian SF attorney.
Kusmu, one of the few Black Canadian searchers, brings a unique perspective and extensive experience to the SF landscape. A Harvard Business School MBA graduate, he previously served as CEO of a $14M educational services organization with over 300 employees spanning eight distinct business units. His professional background also includes work with Morgan Stanley’s Private Equity & Credit group and senior roles at (Monitor) Deloitte, where he led and sold large-scale transformations in healthcare, transportation, and energy sectors.
AVC’s commitment to employee ownership is deeply rooted in Kusmu’s extensive research at HBS, where he studied the transformative impact of shared ownership models and co-authored several case studies. Kusmu emphasizes that shared ownership will be a cornerstone of the post-acquisition strategy: “Our mission is to acquire and grow a business while creating pathways to ownership for employees. This is about building businesses that are not only financially successful but also inclusive and resilient. Deploying an employee ownership model allows us to create durable growth, align teams, and reward the people who make a company’s success possible.” He is enthusiastic about introducing this innovative approach to the SF model.
Operating from Vancouver, AVC will search across Canada and the US, targeting businesses with $1.5M–$10M in EBITDA in essential infrastructure service sectors, including healthcare, education, senior care, transportation, building services, and environmental services. The fund can execute majority control deals ranging from $10M to over $80M in enterprise value.
