New TripleTree CEO sees health care investment firm growing during pandemic

By Todd Nelson, Special to the Star Tribune
August 16 – 2:00 PM

Former OptumHealth CEO Dawn Owens, recently promoted to chief executive of TripleTree Holdings, said the independent health care merchant bank is growing and likely is busier than before the pandemic.

Minneapolis-based TripleTree Holdings (TTH), which focuses exclusively on health care technology and services companies, is seeing growth in its private-equity investments as well as in investment banking.

The company’s private-equity arm, TT Capital Partners, has more than $500 million of assets under management, including investments in 16 companies, Owens said. TTH’s newly opened New York City office is expanding its investment banking reach and attracting additional talent to the business.

Since joining TTH in 2015 as president, Owens has worked with founder and CEO Kevin Green to scale the business and plan for the leadership transition the board announced in July. Green now is executive chairman of the company he and founding partner Dave Henderson launched in 1997. Owens previously served five years as chief executive at OptumHealth during a 15-year career at UnitedHealth Group.

TTH’s business is strong despite the pandemic because Green has positioned it as an industry thought leader, Owens said.

“Our business is strong and robust, and frankly we’re probably busier than we were pre-COVID,” Owens said. “People want to work with organizations [that] have strong knowledge, great access and can help them with advice and capability to navigate a slightly more uncertain time.”

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