Spotlight: BMWiVentures featured team members

Scott Walbrun, Senior Associate

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I recently joined BMW i Ventures as a Senior Associate, where I focus on venture-stage investments.  In addition, I also serve as an advisor to entrepreneurs through various accelerator programs.

Prior to joining BMW i Ventures, I provided M&A and capital markets advisory to technology companies and investors as a member of Jefferies’ Technology Investment Banking team. I joined Jefferies after completing my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  While completing my MBA, I worked at Kinzie Capital Partners evaluating private equity investments, as well as at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation supporting the commercialization of science-based and deep tech companies. 

Prior to business school, I spent two years managing strategic finance at Truck Hero, where I focused on executing on the company’s platform acquisition strategy, driving strategic initiatives alongside the leadership across the 13 subsidiary companies, and scaling up the FP&A function.

I began my career in Fiat Chrysler’s Finance Leadership Development Program, where I gained experience across corporate development, product development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing. The hallmark of my experience at Chrysler was the year I spent living in Mexico City, Mexico, where I was responsible for the negotiations and strategic development of a new joint venture financing company, which became FCA Financial Mexico.

What do you focus on at BMW i Ventures?

My role at BMW i Ventures is to identify, execute, and support the growth of early- and mid-stage venture investments across information technology (AI, software, hardware), vehicle and mobility tech, sustainability, intelligent supply chain, robotics, and the next generation of human experiences.

What was your pathway into venture capital?

Throughout my career, I have always prioritized working in environments where I could follow my curiosity, see the impact of my work, and work alongside great people. Venture capital is a natural evolution and the ultimate amalgamation of my prior experiences, where every day I am challenged to think about companies and technology differently, work closely with brilliant entrepreneurs and investors, and collaborate to change the world.

What do you look for in a potential investment?

I have always been fascinated by the impact of innovation on value creation and competitive advantage. Fundamentally I am always looking for companies and technologies that have the potential to create lasting value in the world backed by a team that is motivated to execute, execute, execute.

What is your most contrarian view on an existing or emerging technology trend?

There is widespread optimism over the benefits of implementing AI/ML systems into products and business processes. While I find this area quite exciting myself, the prevailing view under appreciates the importance of managing the exponential explosion of (largely unseen) technical debt that is resulting from these implementations. Today we have very limited tools and processes to manage this new technical debt efficiently, and the next big AI/ML company may very well be the one that sets the standard for how to properly manage these systems.

What advice would you impart to entrepreneurs?

I always advise entrepreneurs to write their key business strategies, tactics, milestones, and KPIs into a short, constantly evolving memo-style document. I find this exercise helps identify holes in logic and assumptions, improves communication and collaboration, and provides a central place to record new learnings and compare expected versus actual performance over time.

What’s something interesting about yourself that most people may not know?

When I was in the second grade, I painted a picture inspired by the children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are,” which—very unintentionally from my perspective—won several awards and was on tour for multiple years in juried exhibitions. However, that would prove to be the peak of my art career, as none of my other “works” were ever quite appreciated in the same way!i