Nicholas Somers
Nick currently serves as the Managing Partner of Somers Investment Partners LLC. Previously, he served as Executive Chairman and principal owner of IDS Group, Inc. an international provider of enterprise application software to the world’s largest leasing companies. Mr. Somers sold IDS to the private equity firm Thoma Bravo in 2019.
Nick directed all aspects of IDS’ strategic development and continually challenged the company to exceed expectations. He reconstructed IDS’ executive team, hiring more than 20 managers during SIP’s ownership, to ensure that the company had the resources and capabilities to maintain its product leadership. Nick led the company’s international business development and staffing initiatives and drove an agile “cloud first” commercial approach.
Nick previously co-founded and served as Managing Partner of two prior private equity firms, SV Investment Partners, the US affiliate of the British-based asset manager and merchant bank Schroders plc as well as Greenwich Street Capital Partners, an affiliate of the Travelers Group. He began his career in Morgan Stanley’s Mergers & Acquisitions Department.
Nick currently serves on the board of trustees of his alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis and as a member of the Council on Chicago Booth, the advisory board of his alma mater, the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business. Nick resides in Palm Beach, FL and London.
Philip Cole
Philip joined SIP in 2012 and has 30 years’ operating experience in senior finance positions. He sat on the board of IDS Group, Inc. throughout its entire ownership by SIP, having taken a leading role in both the acquisition of the company and its ultimate disposal to Thoma Bravo. He acted as Chief Financial Officer of IDS for much of SIP’s ownership tenure and chaired the Pricing Committee as the company’s transition to alternative software licensing models drove recurring revenue and cash optimization.
Philip joined SIP predecessor firm SV Investment Partners from one of its portfolio companies, PrecisionIR Group, where he served on the Board for 5 years and acted as its Chief Financial Officer. He previously held roles in marketing services companies, including as Chief Financial Officer of Momentum Integrated Communications, a subsidiary of Omnicom Inc. He started his operating career with Serco Group Plc, one of the world’s leading service and outsourcing companies.
Philip is qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London. He received his BA degree from Kingston University. Philip resides in London.
Will Sale
Will joined SIP in 2012 from predecessor firm SV Investment Partners. At IDS Will focused on maximizing the company’s go-to-market strategies to solidify future frowth. He directed the transition to subscription licensing, implemented customer segment-specific, volume-based pricing models, designed solution packages to reduce customer time to value, and retooled software and service contracts to improve commercial flexibility and achievement.
Will began his career as an investment banking analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch before moving to SV in 2010. Will received a BA degree from Yale University, with distinction in History and Political Science majors, and holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Will resides in the New York area.