PEOPLE

Core
Beliefs

Alignment

Successful, long-term partnerships are built on alignment between key stakeholders

High drive, low ego

Persistent performance is a function of hard work, ambition and humility

Continuous improvement

Investment capabilities are improved by continuously adding  learnings to institutional memory

TEAM

James Roebuck

Managing Partner

Michelle Khong

michelle mannio

Partner

chris Gerraty

Partner

Alberto Sannino, CFA

Investment Manager

mariana mendes

Investment Professional

Dante Leone

Chairman

Stefan Lehotkay

Special Advisor

Stefan Matei

Special Advisor

John Morrison

Senior Advisor

ABOUT US

Opera leads the market in European Emerging Manager opportunities
LEARN MORE

PRINCIPLES

Opera captures the alpha that exists at the intersection of private equity, entrepreneurship and specialist domain expertise
LEARN MORE

Specialist Access to Emerging Funds and Independent Sponsors

Specialist Access to Emerging Fund
and Independent Sponsor Opportunities

Scroll to Top

James Roebuck

James is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Opera, member of the Investment Committee and oversees all aspects of the business, including new manager diligence, selection, portfolio management and management company finance and operations, with a focus on primary fund and deal co-investment sourcing and structuring. Prior to founding Opera, James was a Managing Partner at Clearsight Investments and has over a decade of experience investing in the funds and deal co-investments of Emerging Managers in Europe. James has a BA in Financial and Business Economics from the University of Newcastle and an MBA from Lancaster University Management School and the University of St Gallen.

MICHELLE KHONG

Michelle Khong is a Co-Founder and Partner at Opera, member of the Investment Committee, leads portfolio management and co-leads the due diligence of new manager and deal co-investments. Prior to founding Opera, Michelle held investment roles at Clearsight Investments and the StepStone Group. Michelle was also previously Director and Assistant Vice President in the capital markets divisions of Standard Chartered and Barclays Capital respectively. She holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Master of Architecture from the National University of Singapore.

chris Gerraty

Chris is a Co-Founder and Partner at Opera and is responsible for all aspects of the finance, regulatory, legal and operational functions of the Opera management company and Opera funds. Chris has 25 years of experience within the finance and operations teams of large financial institutions. Prior to founding Opera, Chris was Partner at Clearsight Investments and also worked at AXA, BNP Paribas and Citi. Chris has a BA in Modern Languages with Business Administration from the University of Wales.

Alberto Sannino

Alberto is an Investment Manager at Opera and focuses on new manager due diligence and portfolio management. Prior to Opera, Alberto worked at KPMG and Deloitte. Alberto has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Management and a Master’s degree in Corporate Finance from the University of LUISS Guido Carli in Rome.

mariana mendes

Mariana is an Investment Professional at Opera and focuses on new manager due diligence and portfolio management. Prior to Opera, Mariana worked at Promethiem AG and Africa Merchant Bank. Mariana has a BS in Economics from Nova School of Business and Economics and a Masters degree in Banking and Finance from the University of St Gallen.

Dante Leone

Dante is Chairman, member of the board and General Counsel to Opera. As the co-founder of CP-DL, a renowned law firm with offices in Milan, Italy and Lugano, Switzerland, Dante has more than 20 years of experience in Emerging Managers, private markets and international finance.

Stefan Lehotkay

Stefan is a Special Advisor on DACH and Nordic sourcing and an IC member at Opera. Prior to this role, Stefan worked for Clearsight Investments, Almeida Capital and von Braun & Schreiber and has more than 18 years of private equity experience.

Stefan Matei

Stefan is a Special Advisor on deal co-investments and an IC member at Opera. Previously, Stefan worked at Clearsight Investments and in the investment banking division of Citi in London and has more than 8 years of private equity experience.

John Morrison

John is a Senior Advisor to Opera, focused on strategy, organisational development and process design. Prior to his role at Opera, John held senior positions at Munich Private Equity Partners, Alliance Trust Equity Partners and Albany Venture Managers and has more than 25 years of experience in private equity.