Tess Oxenstierna, Managing Director at Capstone Partners, has over 30 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry, government policy arena and financial services sector. Tess holds deep domain knowledge and transaction advisory skills, especially in the high growth markets of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), Air / Land / Sea / Space Systems, Electronic Warfare, Unmanned Autonomous Systems / Robotics. Prior to joining Capstone Partners, Tess founded the Aerospace and Defense practice at a middle market boutique investment bank, focusing on private and public corporate clients with diverse products such as command and control software for aerial drones, satellite-based force tracking systems and electronic warfare devices used in Afghanistan and Iraq. She was Global Head of Equities Strategy at Lehman Brothers, responsible for strategy development leveraging competitive intelligence, market analysis, and acquisitions across Americas, Europe, and Asia. Transactions included investments in stock exchanges, a NYSE specialist market-maker, and international broker-dealers. Tess was also Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at Raytheon, with deal team transactions valued at over $3.4 billion in sensor automation/ information synthesis, geospatial mission support, network forensics, interoperable communications for homeland security, and commercial aviation/life cycle support. Prior to these transactional roles, Tess worked in the Reagan White House, U.S. Departments of State and Energy, and NATO Headquarters, complementing her combat operational experience as a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
A recognized industry expert, she was honored with deal awards, such as 2021 Top Women Dealmaker & Leader Award Winner by Global M&A Network, 2021 M&A’s Most Influential Women, 2020 USA Top Woman Dealmaker, 2019 M&A Atlas Awards for Industrials, and 2018 M&A Advisor, Corporate / Strategic Deal of the Year. She has also spoken at Thompson Reuters A&D Summit, Int’l AUVSI Conferences, New York Capital Roundtable and on a tv interview on ABC’s Government Matters. She serves on the Board of the U.S. Navy League – CT Council. In addition, she holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London; M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard; and B.A. in International Relations from UCLA. In addition to her degrees, Tess studied Corporate Finance at Harvard Business School and British Political Thought, Perspectives on European Union at Cambridge University.