BCZ Management Team

Leonard A. Batterson (“Len”), Chairman & CEO and Managing Principal is a pioneering Venture Capitalist and Entrepreneur, having invested in and founded many venture-backed entrepreneurial companies and Venture Capital investment organizations since 1982. He is currently Chairman and CEO of Batterson Cross Zakin, LLC (“BCZ”) and Batterson Venture Partners (“BVP”), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.  BCZ and BVP are Venture Capital management firms that provide equity capital to new or growing businesses that have the potential to become major enterprises. In addition to BCZ and BVP, Len is the Managing General Partner of Batterson, Johnson & Wang, L.P., one of the first private Venture Capital firms organized in Illinois to focus on early-stage high technology and life sciences companies. From 1985 to 1987, Len was the Director of the Venture Capital Division of the Allstate Insurance Company, one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most successful Venture Capital management operations. While at Allstate, he was responsible for what was at the time, one of the largest pools of Venture Capital in the U.S. with more than $350 million invested or committed for investment. Len played an integral role in the financing and restructuring of Control Video Corporation, which later became America Online, Inc. (AOL/Time Warner - NYSE: TWX). Prior to Allstate, Len specialized in the turnaround, restart and revitalization of various entrepreneurial companies as Principal of Leonard Batterson Associates. Len has been a founding investor in a number of successful entrepreneurial companies, including America Online, Inc., Atlantic American Cablevision, Health Magazine (subsequently acquired by AOL/Time Warner), Illinois Superconductor Corporation (OTC: ISCO), Nanophase Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: NANX) and Northfield Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLD). Len has also been instrumental in the development of the State of Illinois’ high-technology community serving as a member of the Governor’s Science and Technology Board and as a Director and Executive Committee Member of the Illinois Coalition. Len is the author of Raising Venture Capital and the Entrepreneur, published by Prentice Hall, and he has been a featured speaker at many Venture Capital conferences and at major universities. Len received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University (St. Louis, 1966), a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University (St. Louis, 1968) and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School (1973).

Robert Cross (“Bob”), Managing Principal has more than 25 years experience as a venture-backed CEO in high-technology developmental markets. He is also currently interim CEO of Patron Systems, Inc., a provider of secure information and messaging systems for homeland-security and regulated environments. From 1984 through 2004, he was CEO of Cross Technologies, Inc., a business process outsourcing firm specializing in the structuring and commercialization of information technologies. From 1993 through 1998, he was President and CEO of Nanophase Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: NANX). From 1984 through 1989, he was Chairman and CEO of Delta Data Systems Corp., a manufacturer of secure computers and peripherals for government intelligence agencies. In 1983-84, Mr. Cross led the financial turnaround of Control Video Corporation, predecessor to America Online. Previously, he was General Counsel of EDS (1968-69), and was a member of the White House Transition Staff responsible for developing system-based methods for sub-cabinet-level recruiting following the 1968 Presidential election. Earlier, he was a corporate finance attorney with Winthrop Stimson Putnam & Roberts (now Pillsbury Winthrop). He holds active NASD registrations (Series 7, 24 and 63) and DoD and Agency clearances (ISA, Top Secret). Mr. Cross received his business and legal education at Washington University in St. Louis (BSBA and JD). He is a Marine Corps veteran, and is an active member of Business Executives for National Security and the Illinois Technology Development Alliance (board of directors).

Jonathan Zakin, Managing Principal is currently active in the entertainment industry as owner of Leeward Productions, L.L.C. that is developing three film properties, and as a Partner in Deutsch-Zakin Media, L.L.C. (“DZM”), owners of the non-book rights to the popular Encyclopedia Brown children’s series.  DZM is currently developing the Encyclopedia Brown franchise into a major live action film, a series of graphic novels, as well as educational software and an electronic game.  Jonathan also owns Seaview Holdings, L.L.C., an investment entity that actively invests in early stage companies. 

Prior to this he served as Proxim Corporation’s (NASDQ: PROX) Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors.   Proxim was created by the merger of Western Multiplex and Proxim Inc.   Jonathan, who had been an industrial partner (executive in residence) with Ripplewood Holdings L.L.C., had bought Western Multiplex as a platform to roll up assets in the wireless infrastructure space.  After arranging the Proxim merger and becoming CEO of the combined company, he acquired the wireless assets from Agere (formerly Lucent).  He left Proxim in May 2003, when Warburg Pincus, who financed the Agere purchase, brought in their own CEO. During his tenure the Company grew from approximately $50 million to about $170 million in a very difficult communications market.

Previously, Jonathan spent 10 years with U.S. Robotics, Inc., a leader in data communications equipment in various management positions including Executive Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Strategy involved in acquisitions (including Palm, Megahertz, Scorpio, etc.) and strategic relationships, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Vice President of Sales.  He was a member of the U.S. Robotics Board of Directors for nine years.   Jonathan joined the Company when revenue was $18 million with 150 employees and remained until it was sold and its run rate was approximately $3 billion with 6000 employees.  He was instrumental in engineering the sale of USR to 3Com for over $8 billion, which at the time was the largest sale in the history of the data communications industry. 

Prior to USR, he held various executive and management positions, both domestically and internationally, with Winterhalter, Inc., Cosma International (located in Belgium), Brisk and Kindle (located in London), and J. Henry Schroder Corp. where he worked in the project finance group.  Jonathan is on the board of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and other corporate boards.  Jonathan received an M.B.A. degree from Harvard Business School, with distinction, and a B.S. degree cum laude from New York University.

AnnMarie J. Piotrowski (“Annie”) has been a valued member of Batterson, Johnson & Wang (BJW) and Batterson Cross Zakin (BCZ) since 1996. As Vice President and Senior Associate, she manages investor communications and is responsible for administering tax and legal-related matters.   Annie also continues to handle the administrative operations and the daily financial transactions of the firm. Prior to joining BVP, Annie was the Executive Assistant to the President of Stein & Company, a top-tier commercial real estate development firm in Chicago. Previously, Annie worked as an Environmental Paralegal for American National Can Company. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in legal administration and a Paralegal Certificate from Mallinckrodt College of the North Shore (Loyola University).  She is a member of the Venture Capital Office Managers Association.