Leslie Frecon

Leslie Frecon

CEO
LFE Capital

Leslie Frécon is the founder and CEO of LFE Capital, an investment management firm that provides growth capital to companies located primarily in the Midwest and Florida. LFE Capital invests in consumer and business service companies with revenues of $5 to $50 million, with a focus on health and wellness.

Prior to founding LFE Capital, Leslie was senior vice president, corporate finance, for General Mills, a global consumer foods company. In that position she was responsible for the corporate growth and treasury functions and, as a member of the senior executive team, was active in setting the strategic direction of the company. In her over 16 years at General Mills, she held management positions in operations and corporate finance, and completed numerous acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and spin-offs. Prior to joining General Mills, Leslie was Assistant Vice President at Bank of America in Los Angeles, where she managed the banking relationships for companies in manufacturing and agribusiness.

Leslie serves on corporate and community non-profit boards. She was a director for 13 years and former audit committee chair for The Ryland Group, NYSE, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders. She currently is a director of Portero, Avant Healthcare and Immaculate Baking Company, investments of LFE Capital. Leslie’s non-profit board positions have included serving as a trustee and executive committee member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way, the MacPhail Center for Music, Breck School and the Minnesota Opera. She serves on the advisory boards of WomenVenture and Enterprising Women Magazine. She is a member of the Minnesota Women’s Economic Roundtable and of the Women Presidents’ Organization.

Leslie speaks regularly at business conferences and authors articles about women in business. She has been featured in such publications as: the New York Times, Enterprising Women, The Business Journal and the Minneapolis StarTribune. She has received numerous awards, including “Director of the Year” from Women on Boards and “Outstanding Director” from Twin Cities Business. She was profiled in the book Outstanding in Their Field – How Women Corporate Directors Succeed, and in the November 2008 issue of Directors&Boards. The Business Journal selected her to receive the “Most Innovative Women” award and Finance and Commerce recognized her with the “Top Women in Finance” award. Leslie holds an MBA in Finance from UCLA and a BA with Distinction from Stanford University. She is married and has two children.