Michael Charlton '89 was a tri-captain and starting nose guard for Wesleyan football and a two-time captain on the wrestling team. Today he serves as Head of Marketing and Investor Relations at BlackBarn Capital Partners, where he leads the firm's interactions with institutions and family offices. The link between those worlds is direct: discipline first, then the right kind of leadership for the people in front of you.
Football gave him the team playbook. "The mission on the field was 11 people working together as one unit," he says. As captain, he learned quickly that leadership isn't one volume for everyone. Some teammates needed encouragement; others needed a jolt. His job was to read the field and adjust. In investor meetings—around a boardroom table or at an industry event—he uses the same approach: connect to different personalities, keep the group aligned, and make the goal clear.
Wrestling sharpened the solo edge. "The team wins and loses as a result of individual matches, no excuses," Charlton says. Weight cutting, conditioning, and the quiet grind typically don't respond to rousing speeches. They respond to example. Make weight. Be first in, last out. Have the one-on-one conversation that helps a teammate find their confidence, drop the last few pounds, or reset after a loss. In his career, that has translated to steady preparation, mental toughness, and the confidence to run a tough agenda—explaining a portfolio in detail, facing good (and bad!) performance conversations, and not getting discouraged when an investor says "no thank you."
He still smiles about shutting out Amherst, 27–0, on Homecoming. What he remembers most applies cleanly to limited partners: "We were highly motivated and trusted our engagement; our discipline and attention to detail let us anticipate; and our confidence grew because execution matched the plan." It's the same sequence he aims to create with investors—earn trust with preparation, show you can anticipate and problem solve, and let performance solve for itself.
Stepping into a new platform at BlackBarn, his first 60–90 days start with three questions before a single pitch deck goes out: What is the investment philosophy? What truly sets it apart and is it repeatable? And how should the portfolio be used inside an allocator's broader mix? That clarity makes every meeting simpler. It also echoes how he learned to set a game plan during a full NESCAC season—prioritize, plan ahead, and focus on what will move the chains.
Earlier roles gave him tools he still relies on. At Lazard, rotating through teams taught him how the parts of a firm operate alone and together. He was eventually sent to reconnect with former clients as a low-risk way to learn on live calls and meetings, then asked to lead early in his career—raise and, just as important, save LP money; mentor younger talent; and carry the "player-coach" standard he still values today. "Player coach is the takeaway label from Lazard," he says. "It's a key skill set from then to now."
At Canyon and especially Anchorage, he learned to walk investors through complicated credit investments. "If you can sit with an LP and walk them through the process of a distressed investment, you can walk them through just about any other type of nvestment," he says.
Across cycles, his rule set doesn't change: be proactive, be transparent, anticipate. LPs don't like surprises. He believes in getting in front of good news and bad, explaining what is driving performance now and how the portfolio is positioned for what's next, and laying out scenarios so expectations are set. The point isn't spin—it's respect and understanding. These lessons carried through to managing teams and organizational challenges as well. "I had a book of great quotes and my favorite was one of John Wooden's "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. This experience helped guide behavior and decision making over years of disparate situations and challenges.
On the road, the best meetings, he says, are often the ones where he talks less. Ask a question, listen, and pivot in real time. Steer the agenda to a manager's strengths and to what the investor actually wants to understand. Not every allocator gives you much time, but most will when you've flown to their office and you're clearly prepared.
When fundraising turns tough, he leans on a few lessons straight from Wesleyan. Compete: the process takes time, changes shape, and demands solutions when a door closes—find another way in. Anticipate: don't give people an easy reason to take you off the list; keep the product in play by answering the real question they're asking. Play as a team: fundraisers can't control markets or returns, but they can help investment partners frame strengths and focus the conversation. And remember that keeping capital matters, too; saving and stabilizing investor relationships is as valuable as winning new ones.
For Cardinals curious about investor relations and capital raising, his first word is networking. Big firms can train you; smaller ones often can't, so take the path that builds fundamentals. His second word is liberal arts. "The buy side needs people who can think, problem-solve, and write," he says. Writing, especially, is a lost art—and it's central to investor communication. The third is simple: be a good person and stay curious. "Wes offers wonderful campus experiences from all walks of life and corners of the world. Explore it, learn from it, don't get complacent." He notes that a Wesleyan wrestling connection helped open his first big door—and he didn't realize it until a year and a half after graduation. Stay open; you never know which connection will matter.
Looking ahead, Charlton measures impact the way a captain would. He wants to be the leader people turn to in good times and bad, and he wants a long bench behind him. He's proud of the "career family tree" that grew from the people he's hired and coached over the years. If future Wesleyan athletes say he helped them find a lane in a tough industry, that will be enough. The sports never left; they just changed fields.
