Buzz Benson '76

Buzz Benson is Managing Director and a founding member of SightLine Partners, a venture capital firm that invests in emerging growth medical technology companies. SightLine Partners was formed in 2004 to acquire and manage the healthcare venture capital funds of Piper Jaffray Ventures. Prior to SightLine, Buzz founded Piper Jaffray's dedicated venture activities in 1992. Prior to this position, he co-headed Piper Jaffray's Investment Banking activities focused on the healthcare industry for six years.

In addition to his over 17 years of venture capital experience, Buzz has been actively involved in a broad range of transactions for healthcare companies including mergers and acquisitions, corporate partner agreements, public offerings and private placements of equity and debt. Buzz is currently an active Board member on seven private medical device companies and the Private Equity Partners subsidiary of Piper Jaffray. He is also on the Board of Advisors for the Private Investment Fund of St. John's University and the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.

Prior to joining Piper Jaffray in 1986, Buzz was a partner at Stonebridge Capital, a partnership investing in emerging publicly traded companies. Previously, he was an investment officer with Cherry Tree Ventures and a manager in the public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen & Co.

He graduated from St. John's University in 1976 with a degree in Accounting. Buzz lives in Eden Prairie Minnesota with his wife Vicki. They have three children, Drew (SJU '06), Katlyn (Carlson School '08) and Kelly (EPHS '08).