New Appointment Represents Evolution of the Firm’s Value Creation Strategy/Playbook

VSS Capital Partners (“VSS”), a leading private investment firm focusing on tech-enabled lower middle market companies in the healthcare, education and business services sectors, today announced that Otilia Ciotau has joined the firm as Managing Director, AI and Value Creation.

Ciotau brings more than two decades of senior experience across financial services, including strategic development, finance, risk management, technology and organizational transformation. Before joining VSS, she served as Senior Advisor to the Managing Director and CFO of The World Bank Group, where she advised on work across a finance complex responsible for more than $800 billion in assets. Prior, Ciotau held chief economist and director-level roles, spanning business development, capital markets, research and risk management. She built and led multidisciplinary teams, established new functions, redesigned operating models and led transformation initiatives.

“Otilia has already strengthened how we evaluate AI risks and opportunities in our investment process. She developed a framework that we applied across our deals this year, examining how AI could affect growth, margins, competitive position and exit value, as well as where it could create new opportunities,” said Jeffrey Stevenson, Managing Partner of VSS Capital Partners. “Otilia will continue working with our portfolio companies to pursue value creation initiatives and identify where AI can make a meaningful difference for lower middle market businesses.”

At VSS, Ciotau will work across the investment lifecycle, connecting investment thesis development and diligence with portfolio company value creation and exit because the assumptions that underpin an investment should inform what is tested in diligence, what is prioritized during ownership, and the story at the exit.

“I’m excited to continue working with our portfolio companies to identify and pursue opportunities for growth,” said Ciotau. “AI is expanding access to making capabilities and expertise that once required significant in-house investment accessible to more companies. Yet many lower middle market businesses are still building the dedicated AI resources needed to take full advantage of them. VSS will help portfolio companies identify where these capabilities can create real value and put them to work.”

Ciotau earned a B.A. in Economics and Finance from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, a B.S. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Bucharest University, and a master’s degree in Finance and Banking from DoFIN. She is a CFA and CAIA charterholder.

About VSS Capital Partners

Headquartered in New York, VSS is a private investment firm that invests in healthcare, business services and education companies. Since 1987, VSS has partnered with lower middle market companies, working closely with management teams, to facilitate their next stage of growth. VSS provides capital for growth financings, recapitalizations, strategic acquisitions, and buyouts with the flexibility to invest control or non-control capital, based on the needs and objectives of each company. With approximately $4 billion in committed capital across eight funds, VSS has completed over 100 platform investments and more than 600 add-on acquisitions. See also www.vss.com

VSS was ranked #1 in three categories by PitchBook, an independent data provider, in its 2025 Global Manager Performance Score League Tables: Global Private Debt, Global Mezzanine, and North America Private Debt (as of December 31, 2025, and published on July 28, 2026). The annual report highlights top private capital managers across 29 strategic and geographic categories, ranked by historical performance. For a breakdown of the rankings by strategy, please see here.

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