Elizabeth “Beezer” Clarkson (pictured) has joined SAP Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of Germany-based software company SAP, as a managing director and chief operating officer.
Based in the US, Clarkson is also on the investor advisory council of Astia, a non-profit organisation promoting female entrepreneurs and which is partnering SAP to boost its ratio of women-led portfolio companies.
Clarkson was previously a director at venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson managing its DFJ Global Network, which consisted of 16 venture funds around the world representing about $7bn of capital under management and more than 400 active portfolio companies.
Prior to this, she was an investment manager at Omidyar Network, the philanthropic family office of Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar, where she focused on investments (both direct and fund investments) in the financial services and technology sectors in emerging markets, such as CellBazaar (acquired by Telnor) and the Global Microfinance Consortium.
Previously, at computer maker Hewlett-Packard, Clarkson led business development negotiations with leading internet services companies for placement on the company’s desktops and notebooks worldwide.
She began her investment career 18 years ago in investment bank Morgan Stanley’s Global Infrastructure Group and Clarkson is the first senior hire at SAP Ventures since it set up its $350m fund last year, with Raza Jafri, an associate, also joining in 2011.