Henry Ward

Henry Ward
Nationality	American
Occupation	Chief Executive Officer of Carta
Known for	Founding and leading Carta, a capitalization table management and valuation technology company

Henry Ward is an American technology executive and entrepreneur who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Carta, a technology company that provides capitalization table management, valuation services, and related financial infrastructure tools for private companies, investors, and employees. Under Ward's leadership, Carta has grown into one of the most prominent platforms in the private equity and venture capital ecosystem, offering software that helps companies manage their equity ownership, issue stock options, and comply with securities regulations. Ward has become a notable voice in discussions surrounding private market infrastructure, startup equity compensation, and the broader landscape of financial technology. His tenure at Carta has been marked by the company's rapid growth and its role in reshaping how private companies and their stakeholders manage ownership and valuation data.

Career

Carta

Henry Ward leads Carta as its Chief Executive Officer. Carta is a technology company that operates in the financial services and software space, providing capitalization table management and valuation tools to private companies. The company's platform enables startups and growth-stage companies to manage their equity plans, issue stock to employees, conduct 409A valuations, and maintain accurate records of ownership — functions that were historically managed through spreadsheets or fragmented legacy systems.

Ward has discussed his role and the company's mission in various public forums. In October 2025, he appeared on the Masters in Business podcast hosted by Barry Ritholtz on Bloomberg, where he spoke about Carta's business model, the evolution of the private markets, and the company's trajectory. A full transcript of the interview was subsequently published on The Big Picture, Ritholtz's financial commentary platform. In the interview, Ward discussed the technology infrastructure that Carta provides to the private markets, including capitalization table management and related financial tools that serve companies, investors, and employees who hold equity in private firms.

Carta's platform has become a central piece of infrastructure for the venture capital and startup ecosystem. The company's services extend beyond simple cap table management to include fund administration for venture capital firms, liquidity solutions for shareholders in private companies, and data analytics derived from the ownership records maintained on its platform. Ward's public commentary has frequently addressed the challenges and opportunities associated with private market ownership, including the complexity of equity compensation for startup employees and the opacity that has historically characterized private company valuations.

The company's growth under Ward's leadership has positioned it as a significant player in the financial technology sector. Carta serves a broad range of clients, from early-stage startups to larger private companies, as well as the venture capital funds that invest in them. Ward has spoken about the importance of transparency and accessibility in private markets, themes that align with Carta's stated mission to create more efficient and equitable ownership structures.

Ward's appearance on Bloomberg's Masters in Business in October 2025 provided a detailed account of his perspective on the state of private markets and the role that technology can play in improving how equity ownership is managed and understood. The conversation covered Carta's position in the broader financial technology landscape and Ward's views on the future of private market infrastructure.