Executive moves, week of March 9, 2009

Ex-Carlyle pros Sturiale, Miller land at JAFCO

Nick Sturiale and Jeb Miller have joined JAFCO Ventures as general partners. They both were previously with Carlyle Growth Capital, which closed its Silicon Valley office late last year.

Before they joined Carlyle, Sturiale was a general partner at Sevin Rosen Funds for about 10 years and Miller spent six years with ComVentures and Worldview Technology Partners.

In other JAFCO Ventures news, General Partner Aaron Cheatam has left. No word yet on his future plans.

RFK Jr. joins VantagePoint

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been named a venture partner with VantagePoint Venture Partners, where he will focus on the cleantech sector. He has been a member of the firm’s cleantech advisory council since 2007 and will take board seats with VantagePoint portfolio companies Premium Power, a maker of energy storage solutions, and Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, a wastewater remediation company.

Obama taps DeParle to lead Health Reform

Nancy-Ann DeParle is stepping down as a managing director of CCMP Capital to become director of the White House Office for Health Reform. She focused on health care investments at CCMP, before which she was administrator for what is now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

McCrystal heads to HarbourVest

Amanda McCrystal has joined HarbourVest Partners as head of investor relations and communications for HarbourVest Global Private Equity Ltd., a closed-end investment company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. She previously was with Bramdean Asset Management.

Ex-Jones Apparel CEO joins Irving Place Capital

Peter Boneparth has joined Irving Place Capital (f.k.a. Bear Stearns Merchant Banking) as a senior advisor, with a focus on the retail and consumer sectors. Boneparth is the former CEO of Jones Apparel Group.

Physic adds EIR

Alastair Dorward has joined Physic Ventures as an executive-in-residence. He is the founding CEO of Method Inc. and, before that was CEO of Covent Garden. Physic Ventures is a San Francisco-based firm that invests in health-minded companies and which raised a $190 million inaugural fund last year.

Palamon names Caupers VP

Ricardo Caupers has joined London-based Palamon Capital Partners as a vice president. He previously was a principal in the London office of Boston Consulting Group. Palamon raised an $850 million buyout fund, which closed in 2006.

Entress moves on to Voyager

Geoff Entress has joined Voyager Capital as a venture partner, with a focus on Internet and digital media opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. He was previously a venture partner with Madrona Venture Group.

Evercore hires Ackert

George Ackert has joined Evercore Partners, as a senior managing director who will form and lead an advisory practice for the transportation and infrastructure sectors. He also will lead the development of a new sports advisory business. He previously was with Merrill Lynch, most recently as global head of transportation and infrastructure.

Hawkes flies to CDR

James Hawkes has joined Clayton Dubilier & Rice as an advisor. He recently retired from mutual fund company Eaton Vance Corp., where his roles included chairman, CEO and chief investment officer.

Horton hears call from Propel

Matt Horton has been named CEO of Propel Fuels, owner and operator of a network of biofuel dispensing locations. Horton is a principal with Propel investor @Ventures, and will continue serving that role.

Kirchner taps Lyall

Less Lyall, a former COO of GrowthWorks Capital, has joined Kirchner Private Capital Group as a managing partner of Kirchner Investment Management Corp., a Canadian venture firm.

Lytton leaves Oxford

Michael Lytton has left Oxford Bioscience Partners, where he had been a general partner since 2001. He will become executive vice president of business and corporate development with Biogen Idec. All of his Oxford-related board seats have been reassigned.

Silver Lake welcomes Bench as advisor

Didier Bench, former CEO of Cartesis and iMediation, has joined Silver Lake Sumeru as a London-based advisor.