Date
4 min read
New Board Members:
David Chiang
Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Idyllic Partners
Aisha Thomas-Petit
Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, AMC Networks
Kim Welch
Partner, Deloitte Tax LLP
Newly Elected Vice Chair:
Raquel Vargas Palmer
Managing Partner, KPS Capital Partners LP
New York, NY [July 1, 2021]: The Opportunity Network (OppNet), a national New York City-based nonprofit organization that works with students from historically underrepresented communities to develop the skills, knowledge, and passions to achieve their college and career goals, has announced the addition of three new board members: Idyllic Partners Founder & CEO David Chiang, AMC Networks Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Aisha Thomas-Petit, and Deloitte Partner Kim Welch.
“These directors complement the expertise and experiences of our existing board of directors. We are proud to have them join the community as they help us reach new heights and continue to expand our vision for OppNet,” stated AiLun Ku, President and CEO of The Opportunity Network.
David Chiang is Founder and Chief Investment Officer for Idyllic Partners with more than 23 years of private equity and investment experience. Idyllic is an outsourced solution for prominent family offices and institutional investors to access best ideas within private markets in the form of funds, co-investments, secondaries, and direct deals. David most recently served as Senior Managing Director and Head of External Funds and Co-investments at Soros Fund Management, which manages $26 billion of capital as a family office/foundation.
Aisha Thomas-Petit is AMC Networks’ first Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer and a key member of the senior leadership team. She sets the strategy, roadmap, and measures of success to develop, bolster, and retain a diverse and inclusive community within the company’s workforce, as well as in front of and behind the camera across AMC Networks’ portfolio of entertainment brands. She also plays an integral role in advancing the company’s commitment to telling original stories that entertain with vivid characters, stories, and worlds that show the full spectrum of human experiences.
Kim Welch is a Partner with Deloitte Tax LLP based in New York with more than 25 years of experience serving a broad range of global clients. Kim joined Deloitte’s M&A practice in 2003. As a transaction services tax partner, she has an extensive background in leading global multi-function transaction teams for some of the firm’s largest private-equity clients and their respective portfolio companies.
OppNet is also proud to announce that Raquel Vargas Palmer will serve as the board’s newly created Vice Chair as it expands its officer leadership body.
Raquel Vargas Palmer is a Managing Partner of KPS Capital Partners, LP, Chairperson of its Investment Committee, and member of its Management Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors for several KPS portfolio companies. KPS has approximately $12.8 billion of assets under management, and its portfolio companies have aggregate annual revenues of approximately $10.9 billion, operate 149 manufacturing facilities in 22 countries, and have nearly 35,000 employees, directly and through joint ventures worldwide.
“We are delighted to have Raquel Vargas Palmer as our inaugural Vice Chair of the OppNet board. We know that she will be a guiding force during this exciting period of growth at OppNet,” shared Dan O’Keefe, OppNet Board Chair and Managing Partner at Apax Digital.“
Chester “Chet” J. Wood
Partner and Vice-Chair, Deloitte
Marc Weingarten
Partner, Schulte Roth & Zabel
Chester “Chet” J. Wood and Marc Weingarten will be retiring from the Opportunity Network board after 10 and 12 years, respectively, of outstanding service. Wood is a Partner and Vice-Chair at Deloitte, where he has held leadership roles that include Chairman/CEO of Deloitte Tax, Merger & Acquisition Managing Partner, and Executive Committee member. In 2008, he helped launch a leadership development program for senior women in the tax division. Weingarten is a Partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel in mergers & acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, corporate governance, securities law, and investment partnerships. He is co-chair of the firm’s global Shareholder Activism Group and a member of the M&A and Securities Group and the Investment Management Group.
“The leadership that Chet and Marc have provided while serving on the board has been invaluable. We are all deeply grateful for their years of service and continued support. They will always be a part of the OppNet family.” said O’Keefe.
About The Opportunity Network:
The Opportunity Network (OppNet) ignites the drive, curiosity, and agency of underrepresented students on their paths to and through college and into thriving careers, powered by our commitment to access and community. The OppNet Fellows program is an intensive six-year experience for students beginning the summer after 10th grade that provides individualized college guidance, robust networking opportunities for professional and personal growth, career exposure, college transition and success supports, and five summers of skill-building paid internships and enrichment programs. This year, OppNet will grow to serve 1,030 students across this six-year program. Additionally, OppNet drives national impact through Career Fluency® Partnerships, our immersive capacity-building program for schools and youth-serving organizations looking to accelerate college and career readiness for their young people. This year, OppNet is working with more than 40 schools and organizations across 20 cities reaching more than 10,000 students nationally. To learn more, visit oppnet.org and follow us on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
