About

Joseph “Jay” Paonessa joined Tortoise Capital in 2025 as Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for overseeing the firm’s financial operations, strategic planning and fiscal oversight. He brings broad financial leadership experience across investment management, SaaS, and private equity sectors.

Prior to joining Tortoise, Jay founded Paonessa Consulting, LLC, where he provided CFO-level advisory services, including fundraising strategy, revenue recognition, investor reporting and operational improvements. Previously, he was CFO at 361 Capital and a member of the executive team that led to the successful sale of the firm. Jay also held the role of Vice President of Finance at Mantucket Capital Management, a single-family office, where he was a key member of the private equity team focused on deal execution and post-acquisition value creation. He began his career at Deloitte & Touche, first in audit and later in the firm’s mid-market consulting group.

Jay holds his Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of Florida and is an active Certified Public Accountant (CPA).