Meet our Truist Ventures team.

Bringing surprise and delight to financial services through disruptive investment

The Truist Ventures team has more than 50 years of venture investing experience. Our diverse team brings complementary skill sets and is well poised to supercharge your growth.

Christina Bechhold Russ

Christina Bechhold Russ

Head of Truist Ventures

Christina Bechhold Russ Linkedin
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Christina brings more than 15 years of international venture capital, operating and financial services experience to her leadership role at Truist.

Christina is a founding partner of Empire Angels, a New York-based fund and angel network of young professionals investing in early-stage startups, with a focus on supporting millennial entrepreneurs.

Christina is a regular contributor on startups and leadership for The Wall Street Journal, a mentor for the Entrepreneurial Refugee Network, and a board member for venture fund advisory boards in both the U.S. and South America.

She’s also a TEDx speaker and was recognized by The New York Business Journal as a 2016 Woman of Influence, by Business Insider as a Woman to Watch in Venture Capital in 2018, and by Management Today and The Daily Telegraph as one of Britain’s 35 Women Under 35 in 2019.

Previously, Christina served as director of European investments for Samsung NEXT, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in software and services across mobile, consumer electronics, and display. She started her career in capital markets at Citigroup in New York.

Nick Joyner, CFA

Nick Joyner, CFA

Investments Principal

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Nick brings 10 years of experience in banking, capital markets, and investment management to his role at Truist Ventures. Nick leverages a breadth of experiences within large financial institutions and startup environments to aid in underwriting, deal structuring, and portfolio oversight efforts for Truist Ventures.

Before joining Truist Ventures, Nick was a partner in an institutional asset management startup where he served as head of fundamental research, overseeing $1.8 billion in assets. Nick has worked at various financial institutions throughout his career, including J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo.

Nick holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Wake Forest University and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He’s also a CFA charterholder.

Kristen McGettigan

Kristen McGettigan

Lead Commercialization Partner

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Kristen is a seasoned professional with more than 15 years of experience leading Commercialization initiatives and driving successful outcomes in the Energy, Marketing, and Financial industries. Her expertise lies in strategically identifying opportunities and implementing innovative solutions to maximize profitability, reduce costs, and improve productivity.

Prior roles in Technology, Operations, and Product functions have enabled her to effectively lead cross-functional teams, fostering collaboration and achieving organizational objectives. A unique blend of strategic thinking, technical acumen, and ability to adapt to change make Kristen well-suited to large-scale Commercialization efforts. 

Kristen joined Truist Ventures from Catalina Marketing, where she identified the need for product-driven Commercialization efforts and had the ability to create a team and supporting processes from the ground up.  Kristen began her career at Accenture as a software developer after receiving a degree in Management Information Systems from Florida State University.  She also holds a Master of Business Administration degree and numerous professional certifications.

Joshua Pulman

Joshua Pulman

SVP and Senior Associate

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Joshua brings strategic planning experience from financial institutions and FinTech operator experience to his role at Truist Ventures. 

Joshua previously worked in the transformative Corporate Strategy group at Wells Fargo as well as the Executive Office at Goldman Sachs.

Before joining Truist, Joshua led product strategy at an art market focused FinTech that was acquired by Masterworks. Joshua is a co-founder of Silver Art Projects, which is a New York City based non-profit that incubates and accelerates diverse and emerging artists, and serves as the New York City chapter chair for LGBT+ VC, a non-profit dedicated to creating prosperity for diverse communities through venture capital. 

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington School of Business. 

Vince Ravotto

Vince Ravotto

Investment Associate, Portfolio Manager

Vince Ravotto LinkedIn
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Vince a key part of the investment underwriting team and leads portfolio oversight & reporting for Truist Ventures. Prior to joining Truist Ventures, Vince worked in accounting assurance at Sponsel CPA Group in Indianapolis, Indiana, advising clients in technology, distribution and manufacturing sectors. Vince holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Marian University (Indianapolis, IN) and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business.

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