On the move, 12.25.2017 – CalPERS’s COIO leaves for Franklin Templeton

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS

Adams Street Partners opened an office in Seoul and Chris Cho, who is joining the firm as a principal, will lead the new office.

Bridge Growth Partners named Steve Pusey London-based senior adviser. Pusey is former chief technology officer at Vodafone Group.

Constant Energy Capital named Jubran Whalan a managing director. Whalan is a former managing director of global structured products at BP.

Eurazeo named Virginie Morgon CEO, effective March 19. Currently, Morgon is the Paris private equity firm’s deputy CEO. She will succeed Patrick Sayer.

Fiera Comox hired Patrick Lynch as a partner in the firm’s private equity business. Lynch previously was an executive at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Franklin Templeton InvestmentsWylie Tollette, chief operating investment officer at California Public Employees’ Retirement System, is leaving and returning to Franklin Templeton. Matt Flynn, a CalPERS investment director, will become interim COIO while the system searches for a successor. Tollette joined CalPERS in 2014 from Franklin Templeton.

Grain Management named Chad Crank a managing director on its investment team. Crank is former head of Stephens Inc’s telecom, media and technology investment banking group.

Kingswood Capital Management named Michael Niegsch a principal. Niegsch previously was a principal at Comvest Partners.

Lateral Investment Management, the San Mateo, California, private-credit and growth-equity firm, appointed Anthony Lubiano chief financial officer and chief compliance officer. He previously was vice president of finance and fund controller at KKR.

Motive Partners, a fintech-focused investment firm, launched its global advisory council. Among those joining the panel, which will provide strategic guidance to the firm and its portfolio companies, are Douglas Flint, former group chairman of HSBCRussell Fradin, operating partner at Clayton, Dubilier & RiceJames Neary, managing director at Warburg Pincus; former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers; Microsoft Chairman John W. Thompson; and Paul Walker, former co-head of technology at Goldman Sachs.

Multicoin Capital, the Austin cryptofund that invests in blockchain tokens, named Vinny Lingham a general partner. Lingham is co-founder and CEO of Civic, a blockchain-tech company.

OrbiMed AdvisorsSamuel D. Isaly, a founder and managing partner of the healthcare-focused investment firm, is stepping down. A management committee composed of Sven H. Borho, Carl L. Gordon and Jonathan T. Silverstein will succeed Isaly as managing partner. Isaly founded OrbiMed in 1998.

ORIX Capital Partners hired Michael Packer as vice president of business development. Packer previously was a senior associate for ClearLight Partners.

Platte River EquityAndrew J. Gustin joined the firm as a principal and head of business development. Gustin was previously with Hammond, Kennedy, Whitney & Co.

Sun Life Investment Management appointed Sam Tillinghast president of U.S. private credit, based in the firm’s Wellesley, Massachusetts, office. He is former co-CEO of THL Credit Advisors, an affiliate of Thomas H. Lee Partners.

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

Apttus, the San Mateo, California, quote-to-cash solution provider, named Terry Schmid chief financial officer. Schmid had been CFO at Imperva. Apttus’s backers include K1, Iconiq, Premji Invest and KIA.

Congruex, a platform that provides design, engineering, construction and maintenance services to broadband network and utility operators, named Robert Vrij and John Schanz to the board. Vrij previously was senior vice president of Hewlett Packard‘s enterprises group and managing director of HPE Americas while Schanz is currently a senior adviser at BBH Capital Partners, Graham Partners and TDF Ventures. Congruex is backed by Crestview Partners.

Grand Lakes Management Services Organization, the practice-management-services organization backed by Sterling Partners, appointed Surya Desiraju chief operating officer. Desiraju previously was senior vice president at Adeptus Health.

Ipreo, a provider of workflow solutions and market intelligence to financial services and corporate professionals, named Michael Wood managing director and global head of sales of accounting management and client success for the global markets group. Wood previously worked at Bloomberg. Ipreo is a portfolio company of Blackstone Group and Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking.

Orchid Underwriters Agency, the Vero Beach, Florida, specialty underwriter of catastrophic coastal insurance, promoted Bryan Schofield to senior vice president of commercial lines. Schofield first joined Orchid in 2015. Orchid is backed by Gryphon Investors.

Wavelength Pharmaceuticals: Iftach Seri was named CEO and Tami Cohen CFO. Seri previously served as Sun Pharmaceutical’s head of API. Cohen was formerly CFO of SodaStream’s manufacturing subsidiary and corporate controller. Wavelength is a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Accenture, the professional-services firm, named Wei Zhu chairman of Accenture Greater China. Zhu previously was a managing director and global co-head of private equity at Standard Chartered Bank Private Equity.

Accordion, a private-equity-focused financial consulting firm, appointed John M. Jureller managing director. Jureller is a former operating executive at General Atlantic and ex-chief financial officer at Frontier Communications.

BlackArch Partners hired Adam Huitt as managing director and head of the firm’s healthcare industry practice. Huitt previously was a senior member of the healthcare investment banking group at Wells Fargo Securities.

Edelman Financial Services appointed Rene Chaze chief development officer and Jon Isaacson chief financial officer. Chaze had been a partner at Ernst & Young while Isaacson was a managing director of buyouts for American Capital Ltd.

Goldman Sachs BDC named Jaime Ardila chairman. A director of GS BDC since 2016, Ardila succeeds Ashok Bakhru, who had been chairman since 2013 and will retire at year’s end. Ardila for about 30 years was at General Motors, in several senior-management positions.

Kirkland & Ellis named Erica Berthou and Jordan Murray partners in the law firm’s investment funds group. Both previously worked at Debevoise & Plimpton.

Lincoln International hired Carrie Grapenthin to lead the global brand and marketing strategy efforts. She previously led brand, marketing and communications strategy at BGRS.

MTS Health Partners named Charlie Ditkoff a senior adviser. Ditkoff was a former vice chairman and head of global healthcare corporate and investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Sidley Austin: The law firm named Alexander Temel and William Schwab as partners in its private equity practice in Boston. Both previously were at Latham & Watkins. And Sidley Austin named Wim De Vlieger and Till Lefranc partners in the PE practice in London. Both were at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Stephens, a financial services firm, named Steve Dearing managing director of equity capital markets. Dearing previously was a managing director at Imperial Capital.

Ziegler named Brian McGough a managing director for its healthcare investment banking team. McGough will be based in Chicago.

PROMOTIONS

Catalyst Investors promoted Susan Bihler to partner. Bihler, who joined Catalyst in 2009 and was most recently a principal, is responsible for sourcing and executing investment opportunities in software, healthcare and business services sectors.

General Atlantic promoted Wai Hoong Fock and Paul Stamas to managing director and Pierre Samec to operating partner. The growth-equity firm also promoted Luis Cervantes, Christian Figge, David George, Anna Golynskaya, Shaw Joseph and Melis Kahya to principal.

Northern Pacific Group promoted Corey M. Campbell to chief financial officer. Prior to joining the Wayzata, Minnesota, private equity firm a year ago as controller, Campbell was at Valspar Corp and Lurie LLP.