Lisa Pickrum

Lisa W. Pickrum is chief operating officer of The RLJ Companies, a diversified holding company with portfolio companies in the financial services, asset management, real estate, hospitality, professional sports, film production, and gaming industries. As COO, Ms. Pickrum is responsible for managing The RLJ Companies portfolio, including strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, business strategy, operations and finance. With significant experience in structuring and negotiating private equity deals and mergers and acquisitions, Ms. Pickrum was a key member of the team that led the formation of RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive and Harley-Davidson dealerships, now the largest minority automotive dealership in the U.S. with more than $600 million in annual revenues. RLJ McLarty has successfully acquired $35 million of additional dealerships since inception. Ms. Pickrum played a key role in the creation of RLJ Equity Partners, LLC, a private equity fund formed in association with The Carlyle Group. Ms. Pickrum serves as key RLJ fundraiser and Treasury Department liaison for RLJ Western Asset Management’s $610 million PPIP fund. In 2008, Ms. Pickrum directed an international team that developed and currently manages RLJ Kendeja Resort and Villas, a 78-room villa style luxury hotel in Liberia, West Africa, which opened in June, 2009 and was the first new hospitality construction in Liberia in 25 years. Prior to joining The RLJ Companies, Ms. Pickrum was a Principal at Katalyst Venture Partners, a private equity firm that invested in start-up technology companies in the media and communications industries from 1999 to 2003. Ms. Pickrum conducted deal sourcing, negotiations and closings, as well as served as interim management in several early stage ventures. From 1998 to 1999, Ms. Pickrum worked as a senior consultant for Accenture, a global management consulting company in the company’s communications and technology strategic services practice where she assisted with development of new business architecture based on opportunities that internet technologies and convergence enabled for telecommunications providers. Ms. Pickrum earned her bachelor's degree from Vassar College and her law degree from Stanford Law School. She earned her master’s degree in finance and entrepreneurial management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2010, Ms. Pickrum was named by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the “75 Most Powerful Women in Business” and has previously been recognized by the publication in their “Most Powerful Players under 40” in December 2007 and “Top 50 Women of Power in Business” in February 2006. In 2010 Ms. Pickrum was also featured as one of UPSCALE magazine’s business leaders. Ms. Pickrum was also named in ESSENCE Magazine’s 2008 “Power List” for women in business. Ms. Pickrum has been a featured speaker at events including the Opportunity Funding Corporation’s 2008 and 2009 Forums; the 2009 Corporate Council on Africa’s U.S.-Africa Business Summit and KPMG’s 2009 diversity forum. Currently, Ms. Pickrum serves on the following boards: DeVry, Inc. (NYSE: DV); RolloverSystems, Inc.; the RLJ McLarty Landers Automotive Group; and Urban Trust Holdings and Urban Trust Bank. Ms. Pickrum also serves on the Federal Communications Commission Diversity Committee.