James Zenni

James Zenni is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG, a privately held global firm with integrated capabilities across private markets asset management, business consulting, and technology development and solutions. As Founder and CEO, James Zenni leads the firm’s long-term vision, investment strategy, global operations, and platform growth, with a focus on value creation, disciplined execution, and strong performance across market cycles for institutional and individual investors.

Over the past two decades, James Zenni has built ZCG into a global private markets platform spanning private equity, credit, and direct lending, supported by operational consulting through ZCG Consulting and technology innovation through Haptiq Technologies & Solutions. Today, ZCG and its affiliates employ more than 400 professionals worldwide, reflecting James Zenni’s strategy of combining investment expertise with operational and technological capabilities to create a more differentiated firm.

With more than 30 years of experience in private equity, capital markets, credit investing, and direct lending, James Zenni founded ZCG to create a scalable platform that goes beyond traditional investment management. Under his leadership, ZCG has evolved into a multi-disciplinary organization that integrates investing, consulting, and proprietary technology to help drive operational improvement, informed decision-making, and long-term value creation across its portfolio and investment strategies.

A defining part of James Zenni’s leadership has been his emphasis on innovation and technology within private markets. He has played a central role in the development of ZCG’s technology capabilities and in the expansion of Haptiq Technologies & Solutions, the firm’s technology affiliate. James Zenni is also the inventor and patent holder of Olympus Fintech, an advanced unified data platform created to improve private equity and credit reporting, transparency, and operational insight for portfolio companies and investment stakeholders.

Before launching ZCG, James Zenni founded another alternative asset management business and built his early career in the capital markets at Kidder, Peabody & Co., Inc. There, he served as a Managing Director and senior member of the Capital Markets Department. That experience continues to influence James Zenni’s approach to investing, capital formation, risk assessment, and long-term performance.

In addition to his business leadership, James Zenni is known for his philanthropic involvement and support of educational, community, and social impact initiatives. He has served on numerous nonprofit and advisory boards and, through his family office, Pearl Street Equity LLC, oversees strategic capital deployment across public and private markets alongside select philanthropic efforts.

James Zenni earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and attended the MBA program at Xavier University, where he received the Department of Economics Award. He also attended the University of Vienna (Austria) School of Economics and Business Administration.

James Zenni’s leadership reflects a long-standing commitment to innovation, disciplined investing, and value creation across private markets. As Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG, James Zenni continues to shape the firm’s strategic direction and global growth while advancing an integrated model built to deliver long-term performance, operational insight, and lasting impact for investors and stakeholders.