Global experience across the business lifecycle
At Sansara, we deal in transactions, but our business is relationships. We are committed to fostering meaningful partnerships with our clients to ensure that their goals are achieved.
Our team was created to provide expertise and experience that spans industries and markets to provide robust, solution-driven consulting to our clients.
Leadership
Bret Oettmeier • Managing Partner
Bret founded Sansara group after spending several years investing in healthcare companies as the President and CEO of Cobalt Ventures (Blue Cross Blue Shield). Prior to Cobalt, Bret was Vice President and Global Head of Corporate Development of DST Systems, Inc, a global financial services and healthcare solutions provider. Before joining DST, he was a Vice President at Quadrangle Group LLC, a $3 billion media and telecom focused private equity fund based in New York. Before joining Quadrangle, Bret spent seven years at UBS Investment Bank in London and New York as a financial advisor to the Technology, Media, Telecom, and Oil & Gas sectors. He advised on over 75 M&A, capital market, and restructuring transactions.
Bret’s 20 years of experience draws upon diverse sector experiences and relationships across the globe within the Financial Services, Healthcare, Energy, Oil & Gas, Technology, Telecommunications, and Media industries.
Bret served as Chairman of the Board for New Directions Behavioral Health, CompAlliance, MEDVAL, Cobalt Medplans and Preferred Health Professionals. He has also served as a Board Director for Access Spectrum, Bardavon Health Innovations, Element Imaging, Hargray Communications, Mobilicity, Rx Savings Solutions and as a Board Observer for DHI Group, Get ASA, Grupo Corporativo Ono, Solera and West Corporation. Bret has a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Kansas State University.
PHILLIP LINVILLE • PRINCIPAL
Phillip joined Sansara Group in 2023. He brings 15 years of principal investment and financial advisory experience. Prior to joining Sansara, Phillip was a Principal with Cobalt Ventures, the for-profit investment arm of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. In his role as Principal, Phillip was involved in the evaluation and execution of new investment opportunities, as well as all aspects of portfolio management. Before joining Cobalt, Phillip was a Vice President with Petro Capital Securities, a boutique oil and gas-focused investment bank in Dallas, TX, where he focused primarily on the origination and execution of mergers, acquisitions, and private placement transactions. Phillip began his career with the investment banking group of Southwest Securities (NYSE:SWS; now, Hilltop Securities), also in Dallas, TX.
Phillip served on the Board of Directors for several venture and growth-equity stage portfolio companies, including Rx Savings Solutions, Nymbl Science, PayForward, Imaging Development Partners, CompAlliance, MedArrive and MEDVAL. Phillip earned a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from the University of Kansas.
KERRY SPAKE • CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Kerry has a legal background and brings those skills and experiences to the business side. Kerry began her career as a legal assistant at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City, where hard work, attention to detail and a no-lose attitude were fundamental. After law school, she worked at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office and in the Administrative Hearings Unit of the Department of Children and Families in New Jersey where she honed her writing, research, organizational and advocacy skills. She moved to Kansas City ten years ago to raise a family and has developed a strong interest in the healthcare space, particularly behavioral health. Kerry has a B.A from Colgate University and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law.
ELI PRUSS • ASSOCIATE
Eli joined Sansara Group in 2024. Prior to joining Sansara, Eli spent five years at Charles River Associates in Chicago as a Consulting Associate. In his role as Consulting Associate, Eli worked on intellectual property litigation cases supporting expert witness testimony as well as valuation and strategy engagements. Eli has worked in various contexts and industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace & defense, medical devices, oil & gas, and government contracts. Eli has a B.S. in Finance and Economics from Kansas State University.