Juan Luis García

Associate, Infrastructure

Juan Luis García is an Associate at Ara, focusing on the Firm’s Infrastructure strategy, where he is focused on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities as well as transaction execution and portfolio company management.

Prior to joining Ara, Juan Luis worked at Plenium Partners, where he was an Associate in an infrastructure fund. Prior to that, he was a Senior Analyst at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division within the Natural Resources team, Covering EMEA.

Juan Luis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from URJC.

Kiran Garewal

Policy Associate, Government Affairs

Kiran Garewal is a Policy Associate on the Government Affairs team at Ara Partners. He assists with government relations and policy development on behalf of portfolio companies.

Before joining Ara, Kiran interned at Boundary Stone Partners, a climate-focused government affairs firm, where he supported domestic solar manufacturers in advocating for favorable implementation of federal legislation. He also spent two legislative sessions interning in the Georgia State Capitol, first for Holland & Knight, LLP, and most recently for House Democratic Whip Sam Park.

Kiran holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In his free time, he enjoys long walks and exploring the cuisine of Washington, DC.

Erika Gerstenberger

Policy Counsel, Government Affairs

Erika Gerstenberger is Policy Counsel at Ara Partners, based in Washington, D.C. She advises on regulatory and legislative developments to maximize opportunities for government incentives and minimize legal risk, including strategic guidance on how government actions may affect portfolio companies and how to engage policymakers to achieve positive outcomes for the firm and portfolio companies.

Before joining Ara, she served as an Attorney-Advisor in the U.S. EPA’s Office of General Counsel in the Air and Radiation Law Office, where she advised senior leadership on Clean Air Act regulatory development, drafted and defended complex rulemakings, and coordinated closely with DOJ in appellate litigation. Previously, as a Law Fellow at the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, she managed a global strategic climate litigation portfolio, developed science-based legal strategies, organized high-level climate science trainings, and engaged with international treaty bodies and policymakers. In private practice, Erika represented clients in large-scale renewable energy siting and permitting at the boutique environmental law firm Young Sommer, LLC. She also clerked at the New York State Attorney General’s Office in the Environmental Protection Bureau, where she supported enforcement and advisory work on a wide range of environmental statutes.

Erika holds a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, a Master of Science in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University, and a dual-major Bachelor of Science in pre-law track programs from the State University of New York.

Outside of work, Erika enjoys traveling the globe, playing piano, visiting museums, and all manner of outdoor activities with her partner, daughter, and dog.

Onur Goker

Managing Director, Private Equity

Onur has a background in structured credit and private equity, with significant experience leading large-scale investments in sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy in both developed and emerging markets. Most recently, he was a Managing Director at Anthelion Capital (formerly Cowen Sustainable Investments), where he led the sourcing and execution of deals for a $1.3 billion cross-asset fund focused on sustainability and the circular economy.

His expertise spans industries including clean energy and storage, energy efficiency, electric transportation, industrial efficiency, data centers, waste management, water, and sustainable food production. Onur has closed numerous deals, including significant investments in solar, wind, and waste-to-energy sectors.

Previously, he held senior roles at IFC Asset Management Company’s Global Infrastructure Fund and Deutsche Bank’s Principal Investments Group, where he led debt and equity investments in energy, infrastructure, and illiquid assets. Onur joined Anthelion and IFC AMC’s Global Infrastructure Fund before their first close and was intimately involved in fundraising.

At Anthelion, Onur systematically developed a data-driven origination network, covering over 800 investment bankers and encompassing more than 5,000 private companies. Over the past five years, Onur evaluated 900 companies and issued term sheets for 60, resulting in 10 closed deals.

Reese Goldsmith

Head of Government Affairs

Reese Goldsmith is Head of Government Affairs at Ara Partners and is based in Washington, D.C. Reese oversees the firm’s government affairs strategy, policy monitoring, and outreach to key elected officials across portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Ara, Reese was a Senior Policy Advisor at Holland & Knight, LLP, a leading U.S. law and lobbying firm. At Holland & Knight, she helped secure over $1 billion in federal grants and loans through programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Before joining Holland & Knight, Reese was an Associate and Policy Advisor in the Energy, Environment, and Resources Strategies Group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the number one U.S. lobbying firm by revenue. While at Brownstein, she also led advocacy for small business COVID-19 relief efforts to ensure the hardest-hit businesses could benefit from the $953 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans. Prior to private practice, Reese worked across several federal agencies on energy and environmental law and policy. Reese completed clerkships at the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy and the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division Law and Policy Section. Reese also contracted with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office.

Reese attended Virginia Tech and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She received her Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC. In her spare time, Reese enjoys escaping to Virginia Hunt Country with her Labrador Retriever Lily, viewing exhibits at the Phillips Collection, and mentoring students through the D.C. Bar’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Section Law Fellows Program.

Manuel Ferreira Gomes

Principal, Private Equity

Manuel Ferreira Gomes is a Principal at Ara and is involved with all aspects of the firm’s investment process.

Prior to joining Ara, Manuel was a Director at AMERRA Capital Management, a New York-based private equity firm focused on sustainable food & agriculture. Before AMERRA, he was at ECS Capital, focusing on Private Equity Special Situations in Europe. Prior to joining ECS, he was a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group.

Manuel majored in Management & Business Administration at Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal. He received a Master of Business Administration from the Columbia Business School.

Huilai Gu

Senior Associate, Infrastructure

Huilai Gu joins Ara as a Senior Associate on the Infrastructure investment team.

Previously, she worked on utility-scale power generation M&A at Onward Energy, an IPP operating 6GW of solar, wind, and gas assets. Huilai started her career in the Energy Practice of Charles River Associates, an economic and management consulting firm, where she focused on utility resource planning and transmission projects.

Huilai graduated magna cum laude from Lehigh University, with dual B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Finance.

David Haughie

Operating Partner

David Haughie joined Ara Partners in 2024 as an origination-focused Operating Partner. He brings 20 years of experience across physical and financial commodity trading, and in private credit and equity investment in traditional energy and decarbonization projects and businesses.

Prior to joining Ara, David was the Head of Principal Investments for Mercuria Energy Group across all regions outside North America, and Co-Head of Energy Transition. David sat on and advised the Boards of various Mercuria entities and portfolio companies including The Mobility House, N+P Group, Pretoria Energy, Roadgas and Exergyn. Before Mercuria, David was Head of Origination and Structuring for BNP Paribas Commodities business in EMEA, and Head of Energy Derivatives Sales and Origination for the Credit Suisse – Glencore Commodities joint venture.

David graduated with a Masters in Engineering Science from Balliol College, Oxford. Outside work David enjoys fly fishing, shooting, track driving with cars and motorbikes, and wakeboarding and snowboarding.

Eloise Herbert

Executive Administrator

Prior to joining Ara, Eloise worked as Workplace Operations Coordinator at Indeed, enhancing employee experience and creating diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Prior to this, she worked as an Account Executive at Accenture and at Revolut Business. She started her career gaining experience within Business Support and Event Management roles.

Eloise holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Italian Studies from University College Dublin (UCD).

Syed Inam

Senior Associate, Energy

Syed Inam joined Ara in 2025 as a Senior Associate and is focused on the investment and asset management process for the Energy strategy.

Prior to joining Ara, Syed was an Associate at ArcLight Capital Partners where he supported the development of AlphaGen, an 11 GW gas fired generation platform consolidated from six distinct portfolio companies. He was active in evaluating investment opportunities in the power, midstream and renewable sectors. Syed began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at BMO Capital Markets, where he was focused on M&A and project finance for operating, brownfield and greenfield infrastructure projects in North America.

Syed holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, York University.

Jesse Jardine

Director, APEX

Jesse Jardine is Director, Project Execution and Operations at Ara, bringing over 15 years of experience in engineering, project management, and operations across the manufacturing and energy sectors.

At ExxonMobil, he supported the successful startup of five global mega projects. He later contributed to Fluence’s IPO while overseeing its flagship portfolio, including Latin America’s largest solar and battery storage integration.

A licensed Professional Engineer, Jesse holds a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering from Dalhousie University, Canada and continued studies in project management and leadership at Rice University.

Ashley Knight

Vice President, Private Equity

Ashley Knight is a Vice President at Ara and is involved with all aspects of the firm’s investment process.

Prior to joining Ara, Ashley served as a Principal on Mercer’s Alternative Investing team in London and New York City, where she most recently led North America Private Debt. While at Mercer, Ashley also completed a secondment at the World Economic Forum, where she researched global asset owners’ climate-related investment strategies. Prior to joining Mercer, Ashley was an Assistant Vice President at Credit Suisse in Singapore.

Ashley holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, where she graduated cum laude. She received a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated with honors. Ashley holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation.

Saurabh Kumar

Senior Decarbonization Associate

Saurabh Kumar is a Senior Decarbonization Associate at Ara Partners.

Before joining Ara, Saurabh led Impact Measurement & Management at Clean Energy Ventures, a leading early-stage climate-tech investment firm. Prior to that, Saurabh was an Impact & Sustainability Analyst at Energy Impact Partners specializing in impact measurement and due diligence for prospective investments. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business analyzing the market penetration of sustainability-marketed consumer goods and as a Teaching Fellow working on courses in Corporate Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship.

Saurabh graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business with Concentrations in Sustainable Business and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University and a minor in Public Policy & Management from the Wagner School of Public Service.

Irina Markina

Managing Director, Chief Decarbonization Officer

Irina Markina is the Managing Director and Chief Decarbonization Officer at Ara Partners. Irina leads the firm’s decarbonization strategy, decarbonization investment diligence, portfolio decarbonization performance measurement and management, and value creation.

Prior to joining Ara Partners, Irina was a global Corporate Sustainability Manager at Baker Hughes, a $36 billion energy technology company, where she was instrumental in operationalizing the company’s sustainability strategy and operating model across its global business. Prior to this, Irina served as the Senior Energy Advisor at the European Union Delegation to the United States, where she provided technical guidance and directed the European Commission’s cooperation on energy and decarbonization strategy with U.S. government agencies.

Doug Marsan

Senior Manager, APEX

Doug Marsán is a Senior Manager on the Project Execution and Operations team, where he focuses on effective capital project delivery across Ara’s industrial portfolio.

Prior to joining Ara, Doug worked at ExxonMobil in project management and operations, where he contributed to the development of multi-billion dollar refining and chemicals projects from early design through commissioning. Most recently, he transitioned to scaling climate technologies in early-stage venture capital at Clean Energy Ventures and at a point-source carbon capture startup.

Doug holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Master of Engineering from the Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Cian McComb

Principal, Private Equity

Cian McComb is a Principal at Ara and he is involved with all aspects of the firm’s investment process.

Prior to joining Ara in 2024, Cian was a Principal at Treïs, a London-based single-family office focused on growth equity investments in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and the circular economy. Before Treïs, he was the first team member at Clearwater’s Dublin office, where he advised founder-led companies and private equity funds on M&A transactions. Cian began his career in the real estate funds division at Ernst & Young in Luxembourg.

Cian received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Galway and was admitted as a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in 2018.

Robert McIntosh

Senior Decarbonization Associate

Robert McIntosh is a Senior Decarbonization Associate at Ara, focusing on technical, economic, and emissions analysis to support the Ara’s investments and portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Ara, Robert was a Performance Strategy Manager and Energy Subject Matter Expert at Partners in Performance (acquired by Accenture in 2024), where he led decarbonization programs for global industrial clients — developing roadmaps and implementation plans across metals, mining, manufacturing, logistics providers, data centers, and utilities. Previously to that, he served as Director of Energy Programs at Eastern Research Group, overseeing climate and energy initiatives for federal, state, and municipal clients and coordinating multi-stakeholder planning processes. Earlier in his career, Robert was a Program Manager at Rocky Mountain Institute, managing major energy and industrial strategy programs across India, China, and the U.S.

Haodong Meng

Senior Accountant

Haodong Meng is a Senior Accountant at Ara and is involved in various aspects of Ara’s finance operations team, including accounting, audit, and investor reporting for the funds.

Prior to joining Ara in 2025, Haodong was a Senior Associate at PwC, a global professional services network, and one of the Big Four accounting organizations. Haodong primarily worked on audits of domestic and international private entities in the traditional engineering industry.

Haodong received a Master of Law from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and a Master of Accountancy from Rice University. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.

Jane Merkler

Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications

Jane (Giuffrida) Merkler is a Senior Manager on the Marketing and Communications team at Ara Partners. With ten years of experience in marketing, she specializes in thought leadership, events, and brand storytelling, strategic communication and driving top-line growth.

Prior to joining Ara, Jane was the Director of Marketing at a Marketing and Communications agency, where she led client growth strategies for VC-backed startups. In addition to her role developing marketing strategies for clients, Jane oversaw the execution of more than 30 annual events, including a flagship three-day conference.

Jane graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, running, and spending time outside with her husband and Golden Retriever.

Alex Messick

Associate, Private Equity

Alex Messick is an Associate at Ara, where he is focused on identifying and evaluating investment opportunities as well as transaction execution and portfolio company management.

Prior to joining Ara, Alex was an Investment Banking Analyst in Morgan Stanley’s M&A and Global Industrial Groups. At Morgan Stanley, Alex advised on M&A transactions, debt and equity financings, and strategic advisory services for primarily industrial technology and environmental services clients.

Alex graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Minor in Environmental Systems and Society.