Team

Kyun Park

Kyun founded Aperion in August 2006 and is currently a member of the boards of directors of Tri Con Works, Ontario Drive & Gear, Cairn Real Estate, Trusted Influence and Arctic Cat.  Previously, Kyun was a member of the investment team at Caxton-Iseman Capital, and a Director in the Financial Sponsors Group at UBS Securities LLC where he was involved in the structuring and execution of bank, high yield, bridge and mezzanine financing for financial sponsor clients. Prior to UBS, he was an associate in the Real Estate Finance Group at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. Kyun is a graduate of Harvard College, where he received an B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and New York University School of Law.

Omar Akbar

Omar rejoined Aperion in 2021 and was formerly a member of the boards of directors of LJP Waste Solutions and RoadSafe Traffic Systems. Previously, he was a Managing Director at ORIX Capital Partners and Aperion. Omar was a Director at BMO Capital Markets (formerly Greene Holcomb Fisher), where he led the completion of dozens of middle market M&A transactions in industrial and business services. He was also a corporate M&A and securities attorney at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and clerked for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Omar holds a B.A. from Luther College, a J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, and an LLM in international economic law from New York University School of Law.

Michael Fernandes

Michael joined Aperion in 2025 and leads deal execution across the firm’s investments, from sourcing and diligence through closing. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Master Roofing & Siding. Previously, Michael was a Director at Brinley Partners, a $4.5 billion private credit and structured equity platform, where he helped deploy approximately $1.1 billion across 12 platform investments. Prior to Brinley, Michael held various investing roles at Invesco Private Debt and Falcon Investment Advisors. Michael began his career in international M&A at C.W. Downer & Co. (now Alantra) and in management consulting at PwC. Michael received a B.S. in Economics and Finance from Boston College.

Josh Hyde

Josh joined Aperion in 2024 with nearly a decade of investing experience and currently oversees Aperion’s investment in Universal Services. Previously, he worked at another private equity firm and William Blair’s investment banking division where he focused on commercial and utility services. Prior to William Blair, Josh was an M&A analyst at ITOCHU-backed Tyr Energy where he focused on investing in and acquiring North American power generation projects. He started his career at Stifel (formerly George K. Baum & Company). Josh is a graduate of the University of Missouri where he received a B.S. in Finance and Banking and a B.A. in International Business.

Palmer Rosemond

Palmer joined Aperion in 2024 and currently works with Arctic Cat. Previously, he was a Principal with Comvest Partners where he focused broadly on the manufacturing, industrial services, transportation and logistics, business services and consumer industries. Consistent deal themes across industries included institutionalizing previously founder owned businesses and executing turnarounds / operational improvements / carve-outs. Palmer served on the boards of SunteckTTS, Red Hawk Fire & Security, Systems Control, BEL USA and Atomic Transport. Prior to Comvest Partners, he worked at Golden Gate Capital across its consumer, industrials and software verticals. Palmer started his career at Bain & Company and is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology receiving a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering.

Malcolm Smith

Malcolm is a former NFL linebacker, Super Bowl XLVIII MVP, real estate investor, and acquisition entrepreneur with experience spanning professional sports, real estate development, multifamily operations, and private investing. Malcolm enjoyed an 11-year career in the National Football League, playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns. He earned Super Bowl XLVIII MVP honors as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, helping lead the franchise to its first championship.

Following his athletic career, Malcolm expanded his focus on investing and entrepreneurship, pursuing his MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His real estate experience includes residential redevelopment, private lending, and multifamily investment. After retiring from football, Malcolm spent time at Langdon Park Capital, a real estate private equity firm that focuses on Multifamily acquisitions, asset management, capital allocation, and operational execution. Today, Malcolm is focused on acquiring and growing established lower-middle-market businesses. His investment approach emphasizes operational excellence, disciplined capital deployment, and long-term value creation.

Malcolm earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Southern California and resides in Los Angeles with his family.

Operating Partner

Steven Trepp

Steven is a seasoned operating executive and investor with direct, relevant industry knowledge and experience in the digital media and marketing services industries. He has broad management experience, including growth execution, and product, sales and marketing development, as well as a proven track record of successful acquisitions and integrations. In particular, with respect to product, sales and marketing development, Steven has successfully implemented top and bottom-line growth strategies at an operating level — an experience that could be readily applied to help management teams achieve and exceed their growth plans. Steven has held senior leadership roles at several high-profile media companies, including Monster.com, Evite.com, Ticketmaster Online-Citysearch and FreshSpace Media. Steven is currently a member of the board of directors of Trusted Influence, was formerly Executive Chairman of Brandshare and also serves as an advisor to several early stage digital businesses, including Burbio.com.