Experienced, focused and approachable. We are Thoma Bravo.

Tony Akers is a Cyber Security Architect 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 his career in IT, 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 Vice President, Finance Solutions at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2022. Before Thoma Bravo, Lauren was a Vice President at Northern Trust. While there, she led data strategy for the firm's institutional investment management platform. Previously, Lauren was VP, IT Product & Strategy for 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 she graduated summa cum laude with a BA degree in Economics from Kenyon College.

Cynthia Clarke is the Chief Information Officer at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2021 and is responsible for Thoma Bravo's internal technology strategy. Cynthia is an experienced technology executive with a proven track record of partnering with business leads to create and execute transformative strategies. With over 25 years in the financial industry, she has helped to innovate, optimize and deliver solutions that drive growth and efficiency in times of great challenge and change. In 2019, Cynthia founded Citrine Strategy, a strategic consulting firm focused on the development and execution of digital strategy, data strategy, and Agile transformation. In several of Cynthia’s past roles at leading financial companies she developed technology strategies to support critical business processes, client-facing products, site support and infrastructure. Her past roles include Chief Technology Officer at Donnelley Financial Solutions, Chief Information Officer at Mesirow Advanced Strategies, Senior Vice President at Northern Trust, and Chief Information Officer at UBS Brinson. Cynthia earned a BS degree in Engineering – Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Marco Garcia is a Service Desk Associate 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 Help Desk Technician II at General Dynamics, Level II Technician at Northern Trust, and Network Technician at Proven IT. Marco holds a BS degree in Network Technologies and Administration from Western Illinois University and an AS degree in Network and System Administration from Kankakee Community College.

Mark Maier is a Senior Vice President, Technology Operations at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2021 to focus on user experience and productivity. Before Thoma Bravo, Mark held several roles at Donnelley Financial Solutions, most recently as a Director responsible for the management and operations of user productivity platforms. Previously he spent 12 years at Mesirow Financial, most recently as a Vice President responsible for the IT operations of Mesirow Advanced Strategies. He began his career in IT consulting with Deloitte and Catavo. Mark holds a BS degree in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sarah Monroe is Senior Associate, Data and Analytics at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, she joined the firm in 2022 to focus 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 & Strategy. Sarah attended the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Kevin Stark is a Senior Infrastructure Engineer at Thoma Bravo. Based in Chicago, he joined the firm in 2022 to focus on supporting, improving, and automating the IT infrastructure. Before Thoma Bravo, Kevin was a Cloud/Infrastructure Professional Services Engineer at Ascend Technologies. While at Ascend, he 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 BSBA degree in Management Information Systems and New Venture Development from the University of Arizona. Additionally, he completed military occupation specialty (MOS) training at the Aviation Logistics Tactical Information Systems (ALTIS) School for the U.S. Marine Corps.