Jan Verleur
Managing Partner
A deeply passionate entrepreneur, Jan has spent the past twenty years running companies that deliver high quality products and services both on and off the internet. He is a marketing whiz with a deeply ingrained and highly technical understanding of what it takes to execute complex business projects and transactions. Jan is an expert in international trade, having founded companies in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. With extensive, on the ground, experience in China, Jan has developed a unique understanding of the complex business issues faced by American companies operating inside the Peoples Republic. Jan is a deeply connected and experienced business fundraiser, having secured over 100M USD in private equity and seed capital for the various ventures under his management.
Jan was the CEO and Co-Founder of VMR Products LLC, a leading vapor products technology company, which was acquired by JUUL Labs, in a nine-figure transaction (Oct 2018).
Dan Recio
Partner
An accomplished and experienced entrepreneur, Dan has spent the past fifteen years starting and running companies with a specialty in emerging markets, disruptive technology, and media. With a focus on operations, business development, and legal compliance, Dan has been fundamental to the success of a variety of ventures in health care, media production, web marketing, and product design and manufacture.
Dan was the President and Co-Founder of VMR Products LLC, a leading vapor products technology company, which was acquired by JUUL Labs, in a nine-figure transaction (Oct 2018).
Zack Liu
Partner
Zack Liu is an engineer and product operations executive with a proven track record across multiple consumer product categories and industries. Zack is responsible for technology sourcing, supply chain optimization, and cost of goods improvement in the support of TVG's businesses and investments.
Zack is the General Manager of TVG's subsidiary in Shenzhen China. TVG China provides key support for many of the businesses in our portfolio. TVG China provides engineering, technical sourcing, quality control, and logistics services to all TVG portfolio companies. Zack insures that our Shenzhen operation is staffed with only the most talented and experienced engineering personnel to ensure timely execution of cross border trade for the TVG portfolio companies. He is a key player in our factory selection and factory production auditing businesses, which ensure that TVG financed trade is achieved efficiently by best-in-class factory operators that deliver superior quality products meeting stringent international standards.
Mr. Liu holds a MSME from Florida International University in Miami, and a B.S. of Science degree from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.
Larry Wexler
Partner
Larry Wexler served as President and Chief Executive Officer for Turning Point Brands (NYSE: TPB) from 2009 through his retirement in January of 2022. He still serves on the company's board of directors. During Larry's tenure as CEO, he oversaw the growth and development of many key brands including Zig-Zag®, Stoker's®, Beech-Nut®, Trophy®, Nu-XTM, and Solace®. Larry was a key architect in the acquisition of TPB's NewGen distribution platforms, Vapor Beast®, VaporFi® and Direct Vapor®. Larry joined TPB in 2003, serving in several executive roles for the company's operating subsidiaries including as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of National Tobacco Company. Larry is an active board member of the Tobacco Merchants Association.
Prior to Turning Point, Larry spent five years as a consultant to a number of emerging market, communication and financial companies, advising on marketing, financial and strategic matters. Additionally, Larry was employed for 21 years by Philip Morris, USA, where he held a number of key leadership roles in Finance, Marketing, and Sales. His last position was as Senior Vice President Finance, Planning and Information Services.
Larry holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
John Shipman
Partner
John Thomas Shipman, owner and founder of Sundowner Trailers started his business more than 40 years ago. This family-owned manufacturing company based in Coleman, Oklahoma specializes in manufacturing customized and specialized trailers, ranging from $5,000 to $200,000. For many years Mr. Shipman focused on product sales, overseeing the regionalized sales teams and building personal relationships with over 100 dealerships building the company from zero to annual sales of 85 million. Today, as the sole owner, he oversees the over 300 employees. Although the company started with a focus on livestock and horse trailers the product portfolio now ranges from RVs to race car trailers, toy haulers, and many different custom commercial cargo trailers. Through the decades he has seen many competitors come and go but credits his decades long stability to relentless reinvention of products and design, strategic pivots in response to external pressures, and strong understanding and focus on the customer needs.
Mr. Shipman resides on a ranch in Pottsboro, Texas with his wife. He enjoys living close to the lake, his longhorn cattle, traveling, and listening to live music.
