Born and raised in Massachusetts, Paul Conway has spent his career working in financial services in and around Boston. After starting out in public accounting, he quickly found his way into venture capital through Charles River Ventures, where he spent 12 years as the chief financial officer. The shift married his appreciation for operations and accounting with the excitement of the technology industry. “You get to see a little bit of tomorrow, today,” he says.
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In 2005, Paul joined the newly formed Spark Capital as a co-founder and chief financial officer. At Spark, Paul manages the firm’s day-to-day operations including all finance, limited partner relations, and human resources. “I oversee the non-investing activities so the investors can focus on finding new companies to partner with and the responsibilities that they have in their portfolio,” he says.

Over the years, Paul helped Spark grow from its first $250 million fund into the more than $4 billion in assets the firm manages today. He’s learned that even if you’re not investing, the most important thing is putting the companies and people you’re working with first. “The little things matter, like listening to your customers,” he says. “We’re in a financial services business, with the emphasis on service.”