Privacy Policy

Last updated April 7th, 2023

Introduction

Opus Connect, Inc. (“Opus Connect,” “we,” “us”) is a lower and middle market M&A focused professional organization that connects individuals in fields of private equity, banking, finance, and other transactional professions. Our mission is to enable our members and prospects to create, expand, and maintain long-term relationships within the finance industry. To that end, our Services leverage information to empower our members and prospects with high-quality connections. At Opus Connect, we take privacy seriously and are committed to being transparent about how we collect, use, and share personal information.

This Privacy Notice (“Notice”) describes Opus Connect’s practices regarding our collection and use of personal information. We recognize that information privacy is an ongoing responsibility, and so we will update this Notice from time to time, as described in the Changes to this Privacy Notice section below.

If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact us.

When this Privacy Notice Applies

This Notice, including our Cookie Notice, applies to your use of any of our websites at OpusConnect.com, including the “apply” and account registration features on OpusConnect.com, any Opus Connect members-only website, and the Opus Connect online platform website (this Notice refers to all of these sites collectively as the “Website”), including any transactions you might make through our Website.  It also applies to your interactions with our online and offline services, including our events, membership, local chapters, the Opus Connect online platform service (the “Platform”), members-only services, and communications (“Services”).  Our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice exclude services that state that they are offered under a different privacy policy.

1.  Information We Collect

We collect information from individuals who are Opus Connect members (“members”).  We also collect information from non-members, such as Website visitors, non-member event attendees, non-member users of the Platform, and prospective members (in this Notice we call all non-members “prospects”).  We collect information from members and prospects as described below.

1.1  Information You Provide To Us

We collect information that you provide to us when you interact with our Website and Services.  We collect information when you register for an Opus Connect online account through our Website, including for the Platform and the members-only directory, apply for membership, register for or attend Opus Connect events, communicate with us, or complete a survey.

When you register for an online account or apply for membership, we collect profile information such as your name, contact information (email, phone number, fax number), the industry you work in, your company name and description, role or title, gender, city, country and zip code, information about your education, and professional interests. When you register for an online account, we also collect an account password. We also collect information from your LinkedIn profile if you choose to import information LinkedIn.

We collect additional information when you apply for membership, such as details about your professional role and years of experience.

If you accept an invitation to join us as a member, register for certain Opus Connect events, or sign up for a paid Platform account, we also collect payment information for the relevant fees.

When you communicate with us, we collect the questions and information that you provide to us, such as through email, chat, or by phone.

1.2 Information from Other Sources

We collect information about you from other sources, such as from third-party websites like LinkedIn, other Opus Connect members, events or publications offered by other organizations, and other third-party sources.

We collect information about you, such as your name, current company and role, contact information, past employment, city, state, or geographic region of employment, and other professional background information from third-party websites and publicly available sources, like LinkedIn, Google, company or firm websites, or other search or data aggregation websites or services.

We collect information such as your name, contact information, and information about your professional background from other Opus Connect members or prospects who refer you for membership or invite you to an event, from sources such as attendee lists or directories at non-Opus Connect events, or from news or promotional articles available through public sources.

Your employer or company may provide us with information about you if your employer or company signs you up for an event or submits a membership application for you.

We may combine information that you provide to us with information about you that we get from other sources, in accordance with applicable law.

1.3 Interaction with our Services

We collect information about you when you interact with us through our Website or our Services, such as when you attend an Opus Connect event, when you use the Platform, or when you become a member.

When you attend Opus Connect events, we collect information about your event activity, such as the events you’ve attended, whether you were an attendee or a speaker, and when you attended the events.

When you sign up for and use the Platform, we collect information about your use of the Platform features, such as your interactions with other Platform users, search activity, and types of connections you’ve made.

When you become a member, we collect information about your activities as a member, such as your membership status, the date you became a member, events you’ve attended as a member, other activities you’ve engaged in as a member, and the end date of your membership if you discontinue your membership.

1.4 Use of Our Website

We collect information about you when you visit and use our Website, including information from your devices and networks.  To learn more about the information we collect and use when you visit and use our Website, see Use of the Opus Connect Website below and our Cookie Notice.

2. How We Use Information About You

The way we use information about you depends on the Services you use and how you interact with us, our Website, and our Services. We use information about you in the following ways.

2.1 Accounts and Access to Services

We use information about you to create and administer an account for you in our Opus Connect database and any online account that you create through our Website or to use our Services. We use information about you to provide our Services to you and to evaluate, improve, and enhance our Services.

Any prospect or member can create an online account through the Opus Connect Website. We use information about you, such as your name, contact information (email address, phone number, fax number), zip code, country, gender, profession, company, job title or role, job description, LinkedIn URL, and account password to register and create your online account.

You may choose to update your online account information or enhance your online account with additional information that you provide, such as your contact information, education, and work history. We use your information to maintain your online account for as long as it’s active and manage our records regarding online accounts and their status. We also use online account information, such as your name and contact information, to facilitate transactions you make through your online account, such as registering for events.

Prospects and members can also sign up to access and use the Platform. If you sign up for the Platform at any tier of Platform access, we use information about you to create and maintain your Platform account and provide you with access to the Platform features for your tier of access, including connecting you with other Platform users. We also use your information to inform you of features and benefits available through the Platform.

If you use the Platform, your profile information and any additional information you choose to share on the Platform will be visible to other users on the Platform. Your ability to access to information about other Platform users depends on the tier or level of access that you select when you sign up.

In some cases, we use information about you, such as your name, contact information, role, and company, to create an account profile for you in our internal Opus Connect database (“database profile”) even if you have not created an online account. For example, if you register for an event offline and have not yet created an online account or if we have collected information about you from third-party sources or from another Opus Connect member or prospect, we will create a database profile for you. We use information about you in the database profile to provide you with our Services, communicate with you, and maintain and update the database profile and, if you later choose to create one, your online account. We also use database profile information about you to determine if you’re a potential candidate for membership and to inform you about Opus Connect Services and events.

We also use information about you to refine our Websites and Services to better tailor them to the needs and interests of our members and prospects.

2.2 Membership

Membership to Opus Connect is by invitation only.  We use information about you to determine your qualifications for membership and to provide you with membership benefits and maintain your membership if you become a member.

To evaluate your qualifications for membership and decide whether to extend you a membership invitation, we will review information such as your industry, profession, company or employer, role or title, level of experience, and work history.  We may contact you to request additional information as part of our membership evaluation process.

If you become a member, we use your information to create your member profile in our members-only directory and maintain your membership and member profile.  We use information such as database profile information, years of membership, and the date you became a member for membership administration, to deliver member benefits to you, provide you with opportunities to create professional connections, and to inform you of Opus Connect events, content, and other benefits or opportunities associated with your Opus Connect membership.  We also use this information to help Opus Connect understand our members’ needs and interests to enhance and improve our Website and Services.

As a member, you also have access to Opus Connect’s members-only directory.  We use your information to make the members-only directory services available to you. You can choose to add information to your profile and communicate with other Opus Connect members through the members-only directory.

In the event it becomes necessary to close your membership, we will record that your membership status is no longer active and the end date of your membership. We also retain membership information about you to manage and understand changes in membership, to reflect that you were a member for a certain time period, and for our internal management and compliance obligations. We will close your account for the members-only directory, but If you have an online account for the OpusConnect.com website or the Platform, that account will remain open and active unless you request to close it. Even if you are no longer a member, we will retain information about you to communicate with you, such as to promote our events, unless you choose to unsubscribe from marketing communications as described in Choices to Manage Personal Information below.

2.3 Events and Chapter Meetings

We use your information to administer our events. Opus Connect hosts many events and meetings in many different cities throughout the year. These include Deal Connect events, local Chapter meetings, industry-focused summits, sponsor events, and other events (collectively, “events”).

We use information such as your name and contact information to register you for the events you choose. If you attend Deal Connect events, we also use your company or firm information, investment criteria, professional bio and other professional background information to share with other Deal Connect attendees in event materials and to organize and manage the event. We also use this information to update or enhance your database profile and any online accounts you have with us.

We create attendee lists for our events that include information such as attendee names, industry, company, and contact information that we share with other event attendees and sponsors.

If you are a presenter at one of our events, we will use information about you such as your name, employer or company, contact information, and photograph to share with event attendees and promote the event. We also collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated your performance as a presenter. We may also make and store a recording of your voice and likeness in certain instances.

We keep a record of your participation in Opus Connect events and whether you attended as a speaker, host, sponsor, panelist, moderator, member, or prospect.  We use this information to maintain your database profile and online accounts and to provide you with Services such as informing you about other events and publications. We may also use this information to help Opus Connect understand our members’ and prospects’ needs and interests to better tailor our events.

2.4 Communicate with You

We use your contact information, such as your email address or phone number, to communicate with you about Opus Connect events you’ve registered for or attended, share information and updates about Opus Connect, provide you with updates on our blog posts or other networking or finance industry information that may be interesting to you. We may also send you communications that may assist you in your career or otherwise help you in your profession or industry.  If you correspond with us by email, postal mail, our Website chat, or other form of communication, we will retain such correspondence and the information contained in it and use it to respond to your inquiry.

If you’re a candidate for membership, we will use your email address or phone number to communicate with you about membership and to obtain information from you to help us complete or review your application for membership.

We will also use your contact information to send you certain messages about the availability of our Website and online accounts, security, or other Service-related issues. Please be aware that you cannot opt-out of receiving service messages from us, including security and legal notices.

2.5 Conduct Surveys, Research, and Obtain Testimonials

We conduct surveys and polls to obtain information to help us build and enhance our Services and network.  For example, we conduct surveys to learn more about our prospects and members and their interests, to understand trends in certain industries, or to obtain feedback about events.

We use information about you to conduct research into trends in the M&A and related industries, certain professions, and deal activity. If we publish or allow others to publish economic or industry insights, they will be presented as aggregated data rather than data that identifies you.

We use information about you to conduct research and development to improve and enhance our Services and to develop new services and features to provide you with a better, more personalized experience, drive the growth of our network and engagement in our events, and help connect professionals to each other and to economic opportunity.

If we request a testimonial from you, we will collect information such as your name, company or employer, industry, and feedback or statement. We may publish your information where it is publicly viewable, such as on our Website, in our communications, or in event promotional materials.

2.6 Marketing

We use information about you to generate and send communications promoting membership, our Services, network growth, events, engagement, and to inform you about features of our Services and benefits or other services or information that may be of interest to you.  You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us as described in Choices to Manage Personal Information below.

2.7 Analytics, Machine Learning, and Insights

We use information about you in aggregated form to help us generate statistics and insights about our members and prospects, their profession or industry, or demographic industry insights.

We also use information about you to build machine learning models that help us to generate insights about our members, prospects, and our Services.

2.8 Protect Opus Connect and Others

We use information about you if we think it’s necessary for security purposes or to investigate possible fraud or other violations of our Terms of Use or this Privacy Notice and/or attempts to harm our members, prospects, or personnel.

2.9 Payment Processing

You may use a payment card on our Website to pay for an event registration, membership fees, or other Services. Payment card information is provided directly by you, via the Website, into Opus Connect’s third-party PCI/DSS-compliant payment processing service, and Opus Connect does not, itself, process or store the card information. Do not to submit payment card information to us by email or phone. If Opus Connect personnel receive payment card information by email, fax, phone, or mail, it is entered as instructed and then deleted or destroyed.

2.10 What Happens if You Don’t Provide Information

Some personal information is necessary so that we can supply you with the Services you have requested and to authenticate you when you access your online account and/or requested Services. If you do not wish to provide the required information, you may not be able to use certain features or Services.

2.11 Changes in Collection or Use of Information

Our Services are dynamic, and we often introduce new features, which may require the collection of new information. If we collect materially different personal information or materially change how we use personal information, we will notify you and also modify this Privacy Notice.

Where express consent is required by applicable law for the lawful collection, use, or disclosure of information about you, Opus Connect will obtain that consent. Otherwise, Opus Connect intends to use information about you in the manner described in this Notice.

3. How We Share Information About You

3.1 Service Providers

We use third parties to help us provide the Opus Connect Websites and Services.  We share your information with these third-party service providers as needed to perform services on our behalf.  For example, we use third parties to help us build and maintain our Opus Connect Website and Services and to process payments for Opus Connect events.

3.2 Events

If you register for an event, we share information about you with our event hosts and sponsors. The event host or sponsor may use your information to contact you directly about an Opus Connect event.

We also may share your information with third-party service providers who help us prepare event materials, such as brochures containing attendee information, and to promote the event.

We share attendee information, such as your name, industry, company or employer, and contact information with other attendees at the same event in attendee lists or brochures.  If you’re a sponsor, speaker, panelist, or moderator, we will share additional information about you, such as your bio, photo, industry, and professional experience, with event attendees and in event promotional materials.

3.3 Other Opus Connect Members or Platform Users

If you are an Opus Connect member, your information will be viewable by other Opus Connect members through the members-only directory.  Your profile on the members-only directory is fully visible to all Opus Connect members. Only member information is viewable to other members through the members-only directory.

When you sign up for the Opus Connect Platform, your information will be viewable by all other Platform users, including both members and prospects. Your access to view information about other Platform users depends on the tier or level of access you selected when you signed up.

When you share information publicly through the members-only directory or on the Platform, it can be viewed by all other users of the Service and re-shared anywhere.

3.4 Legal Disclosures

It is possible that we will need to disclose information about you when required by law, subpoena, or other legal process or if we have a good faith belief that disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (1) investigate, prevent, or take action regarding suspected or actual illegal activities or to assist government enforcement agencies; (2) enforce, remedy, or apply our Terms of Use or other agreements; (3) investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations; (4) protect the security or integrity of our Website or Services; or (5) exercise or protect the rights, property, and safety of Opus Connect, our Members, personnel, or others.

3.5 Change in Control or Sale

If we are involved in a merger, asset sale, financing, liquidation, bankruptcy, or the acquisition of all or part of our business to another company, we may share your information with that company and its advisors before and after the transaction date.

Any other entity that buys Opus Connect or part of our business will have the right to continue to use your information, but only in the manner set out in this Privacy Notice unless you agree otherwise.

4.  Choices to Manage Personal Information

You have the following choices available for managing your personal information.

4.1 Manage Marketing Communications

You can choose to opt out of marketing communications from us by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the emails or by responding with STOP to SMS messages.  For additional information on how to manage communications, contact us.

4.2 Manage Your Profile Information

You can access or modify the information we maintain about you at any time by logging into your online account or by contacting us.

4.3 Close Your Account

If you choose to close your online account, your information will stop being visible through the Platform or members-only directory usually within 5 working days of your request. We will disable your account and delete your account information within 30 days of the date you submitted your request, except as described below.

Even after you close your account, we will continue to retain information about you in our records where it is reasonably necessary for us to: allow individuals to recover accounts if they decide to renew, comply with our legal obligations (including law enforcement requests), meet regulatory requirements, resolve disputes, maintain security, prevent fraud and abuse, enforce our Terms of Use, for historical and archiving purposes associated with Opus Connect’s history as a membership organization, or fulfill your request to “unsubscribe” from further messages from us. We retain de-personalized information after your profile has been closed.

Information shared with others through your account and our Services, such as through the members-only directory or event materials, will remain visible after you close your account or delete the information from your profile or account.  We do not control information that other members copied out of our Website or Services.

4.4 Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

You can choose to manage your Cookies settings and opt out of cookies or other tracking technologies as described in our Cookies Notice.  If you disable some or all cookies, some features on our Websites may not work and you may be unable to log in to your online account or use the members-only directory.

5. International Data Transfers

We transfer information to other countries that may have different data protection laws. Opus Connect is located in the United States. Information we collect from you will be processed in the United States. We also transfer your personal information to and process and store your personal information in other countries, as permitted under and in accordance with applicable laws. Some of these countries may have data protection laws that are different, and potentially not as protective, as the laws of your own country. We rely on legally-provided mechanisms to lawfully transfer personal information across borders.

6. Legal Basis for Processing

We have legal bases to collect, use, and share personal information about you. Our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this Notice will depend on the type of personal information and the specific context in which we collect it. We process personal information where you have given consent, where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you (such as to deliver the Website or Services), or where the processing is in our legitimate interests and not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. If you have any questions about the lawful bases upon which we collect and use your personal information, please contact us.

7. Your Data Rights

You have choices about how we collect, use, and share personal information about you, such as the ability to access and to delete your personal information. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and other countries’ data protection laws provide certain rights for data subjects. If you are a resident of the European Economic Area or another country with data protection laws that provide for certain data subject rights, you may submit a request to exercise your rights.  We respond to all requests we receive from individuals wishing to exercise their data protection rights in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

• Right to Access and/or Take Your Data (Portability): You can ask us for a copy of your personal information and/or for a copy of personal information you provided to us in machine readable form.
• Delete Data: You can ask us to erase or delete all or some of your personal information. Please note that even if you request for your personal information to be deleted, certain information may be retained for us to: meet our legal or regulatory compliance obligations, such as maintaining records of transactions you have made with us; exercise, establish or defend legal claims; and to protect against fraudulent or abusive activity. Please see Data Retention for more information on how we retain information we collect about you.
• Change or Correct Data: You can edit some of your personal information through your online account on our Website. You can also ask us to change, update or fix your information in certain cases, particularly if it’s inaccurate.
• Object to or Restrict Use of Data: You can ask us to stop using all or some of your personal information (e.g., if we have no legal right to keep using it) or to limit our use of it (e.g., if your personal information is inaccurate or unlawfully held).
• Withdraw Consent: If we have collected and processed your personal information with your consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
• File a complaint: You have the right to file a complaint with a supervisory authority about our collection and processing of your personal information.

To submit a request, please contact us using the information described below, and we will consider your request in accordance with applicable laws.

8. Use of the Opus Connect Website

We log your visits and use of our Website.  We also receive information from your devices and networks when you use our Website. As further described in our Cookie Notice, we use cookies and similar tracking technologies, such as web beacons and pixels, on our Website.

8.1 Information About Your Use of the Website

Opus Connect’s Website and online Services collect certain information automatically and store it in log files. We collect and use log-ins, device information, internet protocol (“IP”) addresses, and cookies to identify you and log your use of our Website and online Services.

We also collect proxy server, web browser and add-ons, operating system, device identifier and features, ISP or your mobile carrier, and/or a history of the pages you view. If you use our Websites from a mobile device, that device will send us data about your location based on your phone settings. We use this information to help us design our Website and Services to better suit our prospects’ and members’ needs. We also use portions of this information help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Website and Services, analyze trends, track user activity, and gather demographic information that assists us in identifying user preferences. Opus Connect has a legitimate interest in understanding how our Website and Services are used to provide more relevant features and Services to meet member and prospect needs.

8.2 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Opus Connect provides a Cookie Notice that describes the cookies and other tracking technologies used on the Opus Connect Website and provides information on how you can manage them.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings and other tools. You can opt out of Google Analytics by Clicking here. You can opt out of certain cookies or other trackers by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s or Network Advertising Initiative’s opt-out page.

8.3 Social Media Interfaces

The Opus Connect Website also uses interfaces with social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. If you choose to “like” or share information from the Opus Connect website through these services, you should review the privacy policy of that service. If you are a member of a social media site, the interfaces may allow the social media site to connect your site visit to your personal information.

8.4 Do Not Track Signals

Opus Connect’s Website currently does not respond to “do not track” signals.

8.5 Third-Party Direct Marketing

Opus Connect currently does not share your personal information with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.

9. Security

We maintain reasonable and appropriate physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect the information about you that we collect, use, and share. However, we cannot warrant the security of any information about you that we collect. There is no guarantee that information may not be accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial safeguards. Please contact us for more information about our security safeguards.

10. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your online account is open and as needed to provide you Services. Even if you are not a member, don’t have an online account, or have only attended one or a few individual events, we retain your information to maintain an ongoing relationship with you, such as to help you register for future events. Once you have closed your online account, we will retain your information to the extent reasonably necessary:

• for our legal or regulatory compliance (e.g. maintaining records of transactions you have made with us), to enforce our Terms of Use or other agreements, exercise, establish or defend legal claims, maintain security, and to protect against fraudulent or abusive activity; or
• for historical and archiving purposes associated with Opus Connect’s history as a membership organization; or
• to fulfill your request to “unsubscribe” from further messages from us.

In some cases, we choose to retain certain information in a depersonalized or aggregated form.

11. Children’s Personal Information

Our Website and Services are intended for and directed to individuals age 16 or over. We do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive personal information from children under the age of 16.

12. Changes to this Privacy Notice

From time to time we may change or update this Privacy Notice. We reserve the right to make changes or updates at any time. If we make material changes to the way we process your personal information, we will provide you notice via our Website or by other communication channels, such as by email.  You can see when this Privacy Notice was last updated by checking the “last updated” date displayed at the top. Please review any changes carefully.

You acknowledge that your continued use of our Website or Services after we publish or send a notice about our changes to this Privacy Notice means that the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information is subject to the updated Privacy Notice.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this Privacy Notice or our practices, or to submit a data rights request or a complaint, please contact us:

• by email at info@opusconnect.com;
• by physical mail at 328 S. Cloverdale Ave, Suite 303, Los Angeles, CA 90036