Aivars Lode, Chairman & CEO, Avantce Private Equity and Investments LLP.
Avantce invests in software and business services companies. Aivars has advised promised companies such as BainCapital, Citibank Venture Capital, Golden Gate Capital and others on capital structures. Aivars has spent the last 10 years developing and profitably proving a proprietary structured financing model, and in the process, he has created a track record of success and increased profitability.
Previously, Aivars was Group President of Descartes Systems Group based in Canada. As Group President, Aivars led the company’s global expansion efforts, achieving profitable growth as well as completing the successful acquisition and consolidation of two EDI businesses, TDNI and Transettlements. He was named Group President in April 2000 after leading Descartes’ successful expansion into the Asia Pacific region as President Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining Descartes, Aivars was with Oracle Australia as CEO of Applications Software. He led the organization’s change from an aggressive customer relationship model to that of a consultative business partner.
Throughout his career, Aivars has lived in Australia, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and has conducted business in most of the industrialized countries in the world. Aivars holds a Bachelors of Business, Accounting, from Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia.
Aivars also served as a member of the Board of Directors at First Bank and Trust of Illinois.
