Damien Steel Appointed Managing Director of OMERS Ventures

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 22, 2015) - OMERS Ventures is pleased to announce that Damien Steel, CA, CFA, has recently been appointed Managing Director.

Damien has been on the OMERS Ventures team since its inception in 2011, previously serving as Director. He has led the investments and serves on the board of portfolio companies Fusebill, Klipfolio and Leadsift. He also led OMERS Ventures investment in PasswordBox, which was acquired by Intel in 2014.

"Damien has been a core member of the investment team from the day we started. He has a tremendous breadth of investment experience and knowledge. Damien continues to demonstrate his ability to grow and strategically advise companies within our portfolio, helping OMERS meet our pension obligations to our members," said John Ruffolo, CEO, OMERS Ventures. "He is a great leader, and a fantastic addition to our management team."

With close to ten years experience in venture capital, Damien has worked with growth companies on all aspects of their business, including finance, acquisitions, and development strategies. Damien is known for his disciplined and cultivated investment approach, and he is a frequent speaker at industry events across North America.

"I am delighted to be appointed Managing Director," said Damien Steel. "I am extremely proud of our team and our portfolio companies, and remain equally as proud of the talent in the community around us. To have been at OMERS Ventures since the beginning, and now to join the management team, is an incredible opportunity."

About OMERS Ventures

OMERS Ventures (Twitter: @OMERSVentures) is the venture capital investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada's largest pension funds with $72 billion in net assets. As both an institutional angel investor and a later-stage investor, OMERS Ventures is looking for successful companies with significant growth potential and market opportunities. We are seeking like-minded partners with a shared vision of building a vibrant and successful knowledge economy.