Kleiner Perkins partner to chair NVCA

The National Venture Capital Association has elected Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers partner Ted Schlein as its board chairman for 2007-2008.

Ted Schlein

With Kleiner Perkins since 1996, Schlein has specialised in the enterprise security and applications and infrastructure and services sectors. He recently managed the firm’s $100 million (€74 million) Java technology-related fund, KPCB Java Fund. Prior to his tenure at Kleiner Perkins he held several senior executive roles at Symantec.

As NVCA board chairman, Schlein will be responsible for setting the NVCA’s public policy agenda and strategic direction, the US organisation said.

“We have an active year ahead of us across many fronts including promoting US competitiveness, managing the globalization of venture capital investment, and supporting the industry’s entree into alternative energy and clean technologies fronts,” Schlein said in a statement. “We intend to advocate strongly for a policy and market environment that is conducive to the start up economy, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

The NVCA also appointed eight new board members: Ira Ehrenpreis, of Technology Partners; Jim Hale, of FTVentures; Pascal Levensohn, of Levensohn Venture Partners; Paul Maeder, of Highland Capital Partners; Kate Mitchell, of Scale Venture Partners; Roger Novak, of Novak Biddle Venture Partners; David Prend, of Rockport Capital Partners; and Jonathan Root, of US Venture Partners. Each will serve a four year term, the organisation said.

Claudia Fan Munce, managing director of IBM Venture Capital Group was also named chairwoman of NVCA Corporate Advisory Board for the coming year, while David Douglas, general partner of Delphi Ventures, was named chairman of the NVCA Medical Industry Group.

The NVCA represents approximately 480 venture capital and private equity firms.