Experienced, focused and approachable. We are Thoma Bravo.

Tony Akers is a vice president, chief information security officer and technology operations at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2022 to manage internal cybersecurity initiatives. Before Thoma Bravo, Tony was a security architect at Ardagh Group focused on global cybersecurity and cloud applications. Previously, he spent 10 years with Rexam PLC in various leadership roles focused on enterprise IT infrastructure. Additionally, Tony was an Exchange support engineer II at Microsoft and a systems engineer at Wachovia. Before entering the IT field, he spent four years with the U.S. Navy based in Yokosuka, Japan. Tony is an author with Practical365.com and holds several Microsoft, cybersecurity and cloud IT certifications.

Lauren Burley is a senior vice president on the IT Solutions team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2022. Before Thoma Bravo, Lauren was a vice president at Northern Trust, where she led data strategy for the firm's institutional investment management platform. Previously, Lauren was vice president of IT product and strategy at Grosvenor Capital Management. Earlier in her career, she held strategy and product management roles at Outerwall and Morningstar. Lauren has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in economics from Kenyon College.

Brandon Dudley is an associate on the Service Desk team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2025. Brandon is responsible for IT help desk ticketing and end-user hardware and software troubleshooting. Before Thoma Bravo, he was a project manager with Korn Ferry and a senior information technology analyst at Tower International. Brandon studied network and communications management at DeVry University. 

Marco Garcia is a senior associate on the Service Desk team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2022. Marco is responsible for IT help desk ticketing and end-user hardware and software troubleshooting. Before Thoma Bravo, he held several software support roles, including as a help desk technician II at General Dynamics, Level II technician at Northern Trust, and a network technician at Proven IT. Marco holds a B.S. in network technologies and administration from Western Illinois University and an A.S. in network and system administration from Kankakee Community College.

Niveen Hennein is an assistant vice president on the IT Solutions team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2023 to drive the strategic vision and implementation of software solutions that support the investment and investor relations teams. Previously, she spent five years at JPMorgan, most recently overseeing the CRM product and strategic vision for the hedge fund platform. Niveen holds a B.A. in public policy analysis and global health from Duke University.

Mark Maier is a director and chief technology officer at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2021 and focuses on technology operations, user experience and productivity. Prior to Thoma Bravo, Mark worked at financial technology and services organizations such as Donnelley Financial Solutions and Mesirow Financial, where he was responsible for infrastructure, IT operations and workplace technologies. He began his professional career in IT consulting with Deloitte. Mark earned a B.S. in general engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sarah Monroe is a senior associate on the IT Solutions team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2022 and focuses on data management, analytics and business intelligence reporting. Before Thoma Bravo, Sarah was a business analyst on the customer experience team at Groupon. Previously, she spent seven years at Grosvenor Capital Management, most recently as assistant vice president of IT products and strategy. Sarah attended Rochester Institute of Technology.

Joe Rzeszutko is a senior engineer on the Infrastructure team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2023 to help enhance, operate and support the firm’s IT infrastructure. Before Thoma Bravo, Joe was a technical specialist with PSM Partners. Previously, he held several engineering and IT management roles with Ntiva and Novitas. Joe graduated with honors from Robert Morris University with a BASc in computer studies, and he holds an associate degree in computer and LAN technologies from Moraine Valley Community College.

Kevin Stark is a senior engineer on the Infrastructure team at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2022 to support, improve and automate the firm’s IT infrastructure. Before Thoma Bravo, Kevin was a cloud and infrastructure professional services engineer at Ascend Technologies, where he also served as the onsite engineer for Thoma Bravo. Previously, he spent five years in the United States Marine Corps, working in various IT roles focused on quality assurance, disaster recovery and aviation IT logistics. Kevin has a B.S.B.A. in management information systems and new venture development from the University of Arizona. He also completed military occupation specialty (MOS) training at the Aviation Logistics Tactical Information Systems (ALTIS) school for the U.S. Marine Corps.