Harold Zagunis

Harold F. Zagunis is a finance executive and advisor with more than 40 years of experience across public-company finance, real estate finance, commercial and residential lending, banking, venture lending, governance, and advisory work. He earned B.A. degrees in mathematics and economics from Willamette University and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

From 1986 to 1995, Zagunis was Vice President of Finance at Landmark Land Company, Inc., a publicly traded company with savings-and-loan and real estate development interests. He joined Redwood Trust, Inc. in 1995 and served in multiple senior roles, including Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Controller, Treasurer, Secretary, Chief Risk Officer, and Managing Director. Redwood announced in August 2006 that he would move from CFO duties into business initiatives, risk management, and oversight of business risks and asset/liability issues.

In 2014, TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. appointed Zagunis as Chief Financial Officer; he also served as CFO of TriplePoint Capital LLC, the BDC’s sponsor. TriplePoint’s venture-growth lending strategy focused on financing VC-backed companies in technology, life sciences, and other high-growth sectors, typically through debt investments with warrants. He left TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC at year-end 2016.

Zagunis is now described as retired from full-time executive roles but active as a coach and consultant with Stanford Seed, a Stanford GSB Alumni Consulting Team volunteer, a financial consultant to selected companies, and a board or advisory member for organizations in the U.S. and Africa. He is listed by Nyota Capital as a Portfolio Value Creation Advisor and by Mavuno Organics as a Board of Advisors member.

• Nyota Capital says it invests in high-growth companies in sub-Saharan Africa and collaborates with entrepreneurs who drive sustainable impact for humanity and the environment.
• Nyota’s stated value proposition is to provide “investment capital and human resource support; strategy development and strengthening of execution; while enhancing management capabilities.”
• Nyota Angel focuses on early-growth businesses beyond proof of concept, using equity and quasi-equity, with investment ranges of USD $50K-$100K.
• Nyota Growth focuses on companies with at least USD $300K in annual turnover, using equity and quasi-equity, with investment ranges of USD $100K-$500K and possible follow-on capital up to USD $1M.
• Sector focus at Nyota is high-growth sectors including agribusiness, financial services, consumer goods and services, logistics, and light manufacturing.
• Zagunis’s personal advisory emphasis is financial operations: capital raising, investor relations, budgeting, credit analysis, HR, information systems, corporate governance, and strategic planning.