Mick Hellman

Mick Hellman is the Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer of HMI Capital Management, L.P., a San Francisco-based investment firm he established in late 2008. HMI applies a private-equity mindset to public markets, taking long-term, concentrated positions in high-quality businesses across software, information services, media, financial services, and logistics. He is the son of Warren Hellman, the legendary financier who co-founded Hellman & Friedman with Tully Friedman in 1984.

Before launching HMI, Mick spent the bulk of his career at Hellman & Friedman, LLC, where he was a Managing Director and a member of the firm's Investment Committee. He joined the firm in 1987 and went on to found its software and logistics investment practices and to establish its Hong Kong office. He was instrumental in a number of the firm's marquee deals, including Blackbaud, Hongkong International Terminals, and Mitchell International, and he served as Chairman of Blackbaud, Inc. (NYSE: BLKB) from 1999 to 2009. Prior to Hellman & Friedman, he worked as a Financial Analyst in the Corporate Finance Department at Salomon Brothers in San Francisco.

Mick earned a B.A. in Economics with High Distinction from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School. Beyond HMI, he has served as a Director of oOh!media (ASX: OML) since April 2020, sits on the board of Hall Capital Partners, and acts as a senior advisor to Hellman & Friedman. He is also a trustee of the USA Cycling Foundation and the Hellman Foundation, continuing his family's long tradition of philanthropy in the San Francisco Bay Area.

• Runs a concentrated, long-term public-equity and credit strategy rooted in a private-equity approach — buying and holding "great businesses" for the long run rather than trading.
• Firm philosophy emphasizes "a strongly defined investment philosophy, a singular focus, and a consistent and robust process," echoing Warren Hellman's maxims to "surround yourself with smart people and listen intently to their views" and to "have skin in the game."
• Sector concentration in software, information services, media, financial services, and logistics — the same areas Mick built and invested in during his private-equity career.
• Focus on value and distressed opportunities in public common equities and credit.
• Caveat for founders: There is no public evidence that Mick or HMI Capital writes angel/seed checks into early-stage startups; the firm operates in public markets. Treat the "angel investor / seed" designation with skepticism.