Jerry Petersen 
- Sagewind Capital has named Dalia Khanafseh as principal of portfolio operations
- The newly-created position calls on Khanafseh to work to ensure the growth and success of Sagewind’s portfolio companies
- Khanafseh joins Sagewind from Astrion, where she served as senior vice president of transformation
Private equity firm Sagewind Capital said Tuesday that it has appointed Dalia Khanafseh to the newly-created position of principal of portfolio operations. The role calls on Khanafseh to work to ensure the growth and success of Sagewind’s portfolio companies, which support missions that, according to Sagewind Capital co-founder and President Raj Kanodia, “have never been more consequential.”
Commenting on her appointment, Khanafseh said, “Throughout my career, the throughline has always been the same — building great businesses with exceptional teams. This philosophy is at the heart of what Sagewind does. I look forward to supporting our portfolio companies as they grow to meet the needs of our customers and the missions they serve.”
Who Is Dalia Khanafseh?
Khanafseh describes herself on LinkedIn as a “strategy and operations leader with a demonstrated track record leading enterprise-wide transformations that drive growth, enable operational excellence and unlock enterprise value.” Sagewind’s new principal of portfolio operations brings to her role 15 years of professional experience.
Before moving to Sagewind, Khanafseh worked at Astrion, a technology provider for defense, homeland security, intelligence, and space missions. There, she held the position of senior vice president of transformation, in which capacity she led enterprise transformation efforts, including integrations and operating model and governance redesigns.
Previously, Khanafseh worked at software company Appian, where she held the position of director of customer success strategy, in which capacity she led the development of a customer success methodology.
Earlier, Khanafseh worked at LMI, where she held various operational and leadership roles.
What Is Sagewind Capital?
Sagewind Capital is a private equity firm with a focus on defense and government technology. The firm announced in March a definitive agreement to sell one of its portfolio companies, Aechelon Technology, to autonomy software and unmanned systems developer Shield AI. Aechelon develops simulation and training systems, specializing in geospecific flight simulators and sensor artificial intelligence training. Its synthetic reality platform enables pilot training and aircraft testing in virtual environments.
Shield AI CEO Gary Steele said the transaction will accelerate the development of his company’s Hivemind software. Upon the deal’s closing, Aechelon will operate independently within Shield AI. Aechelon co-founder and CEO Ignacio Sanz-Pastor will report to Steele and continue leading product and customer strategy.
