On the move

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS

Nigel Walder is leaving his role in JP Morgan’s leveraged finance team to join private equity firm Bain Capital, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

Cyprium Partners has named John Ward to its advisory council. Ward is a managing partner at Unit Economic Investors and Unit Economic Advisors.

Maureen Kerr has joined Forbes Private Capital Group as a senior managing director in its New York office. Kerr will be responsible for insurance coverage in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Prior to Forbes, she worked as a director with Barclays where she developed and managed the Japanese Yen private placement platform.

Frazier Healthcare said that Brett Moraski has joined the growth buyout team as an Operating Partner. Previously, Moraski was a Senior Operating Advisor at LLR Partners and Corporate VP of Transformation at WellPoint. With offices in Seattle and Menlo Park, California, Frazier provides venture and growth capital to healthcare companies.

Kevin Warn-Schindel has joined HarbourVest Partners as a Managing Director based in Boston. He will lead the Real Assets investment program which includes a focus on energy, infrastructure, natural resources, and real estate. Warn-Schindel was previously Group Head and Managing Director of the OPTrust Private Markets Group, an investment unit of OPTrust, a Toronto-based defined benefit pension plan.

H.I.G. Capital has hired Riccardo Dallolio as managing director and co-head of European Real Estate from AXA RE, where he was head of alternatives and special situations. Dallolio will be based in London and share leadership responsibilities with Ahmed Hamdani. H.I.G. Capital’s real estate platform focuses on opportunistic real estate investments.

Landmark Partners said James Clarke has joined the firm as Director – Investor Relations. He will be based in New York. Clarke will focus on IR initiatives following Landmark’s recent close of its fifteenth secondary fund at $3.25 billion in December.

Maranon Capital has added Theresa D. Mozzocci as a principal. Mozzocci’s previous work experience includes stints at Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors and Crestline Investors.

NGP Energy Capital Management said Chris Carter, MD and Chief Investment Coordinator, was appointed to the firm’s Executive Committee and named a Managing Partner. Robert Edwards, NGP managing director, is also relocating to Houston and will manage the firm’s office there, a statement said. The Carlyle Group is an investor of NGP, an energy investor.

Oak Hill Capital Management has hired Steven G. Puccinelli as a partner. Previously, Puccinelli was a managing director at Investcorp International. There he served as head of private equity for North America and Europe.

Pine Brook has appointed James P. Rutherfurd as a managing director. Previously, Rutherfurd was a partner at 3i Group.

SK Capital Partners has hired Jerry Truzzolino as chief financial officer from CI Capital Partners. Truzzolino previously worked at Neuberger Berman as senior vice president and co-head of the finance group.

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

AP Exhaust Technologies, a portfolio company of Audax Group, said it named Chris Ostrander as its new chief executive officer and president. Evangelos “Vange” Proimos, the current CEO, will continue as executive chairman. Goldsboro, N.C.-based AP Exhaust makes OE replacement exhaust and emission products for the automotive, light truck, heavy-duty, agricultural, and industrial markets.

AssuredPartners Inc., a portfolio company of GTCR, said that Matthew Gardner was named regional president. Gardner will build and integrate the company’s existing operating platforms within the mid-Atlantic region. Gardner most recently led the integration of Bollinger Inc. into Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Lake Mary, Florida-based AssuredPartners buys and invests in insurance brokerage businesses.

Gary Loveman is stepping down as Chairman and CEO of Caesars Entertainment Corp. He will be replaced by Mark Frissora who is joining Caesars as CEO designee and will become CEO on July 1. Loveman will continue to serve as Chairman of Caesars Entertainment and of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. Frissora is the former CEO of Hertz Global Holdings Inc.

DMA, which is owned by The Riverside Company, said Naseer Nasim was named president and CEO. Beaverton, Oregon-based DMA provides financial services analytics for banks and credit unions. Nasim was previously the Account Processing President at Fiserv Credit Union Solutions.

Global Employment Solutions has appointed Wayne Cavanaugh its president. He will also be continuing in his role as CFO. As President, Cavanaugh will oversee all operations of the company. Littleton, Colo.-based Global Employment, a staffing services company, is backed by TZP Group.

K&N Engineering, a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, said that Tom McGann has joined as CEO. Most recently, McGann was the President and CEO of Spyder Active Sports. Riverside, California-based K&N makes washable performance air filters and air intake systems.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

AlixPartners has hired Shiv Shivaraman, Cosmo Takamatsu and Jeff Howe as managing directors. Shivaraman and Takamatsu have been added to the company’s enterprise improvement team in the U.S. and Japan while Howe will lead AlixPartners’ coverage of private equity firms, which is based in New York.

Kenneth Bacon was named to Ally Financial’s board effective Feb. 4. He will also serve on the board’s risk and compliance committee. Bacon is the co-founder and a partner of RailField Realty Partners.

Mike Magluilo has rejoined Baird‘s global investment banking business as a managing director on its technology and services team. Magluilo will be based in Baird’s Boulder, Colorado office. He previously worked at Baird from 2004 to 2009, serving as a senior investment banker in London.

Ray Costa has joined Benefit Street Partners, the credit investment arm of Providence Equity Partners, as an MD. Costa was previously an MD and Co-Head of Deutsche Bank Securities credit trading in North America.

R. Spencer Potts has joined CIFC Corp. as head of business development. Potts most recently was MD and Head of Business Development at Silver Creek Capital. Seattle-based Silver Creek is an investment advisor.

Cognitive Networks said it appointed Tim Driscoll its CFO. Driscoll was previously CFO of Verimatrix. San Francisco-based Cognitive Networks is backed by investors including Hearst Ventures, Rogers Venture Partners and DCM Ventures.

Evercore has hired David Andrews as a senior managing director in its investment banking business. Andrews will work in Evercore’s energy group. Previously, Andrews worked at Deutsche Bank where he served as a managing director and head of oilfield services coverage.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc has named Alison Mass and Alasdair Warren global co-heads of its financial sponsors group, which advises private equity firms on their deals, according to an internal memo.

Mackinac Partners, a financial advisory and turnaround management firm, has named Todd J. Zelek as a senior advisor. Zelek is the former chairman and CEO of Cavitation Technologies.

Monument Group, an alternative investment fund placement agent, has hired Niklas Amundsson as a managing director for the firm’s Hong Kong office. Previously, Amundsson worked at MVision where he most recently served as a partner.

Clearlake Capital Group LP said John Ferron, a Clearlake operating advisor, has joined NetMotion as CEO. Daniel Jackson has also joined NetMotion as senior VP of sales. Seattle-based NetMotion, a Clearlake portfolio company, provides mobile security and network performance management solutions.

ORIX Americas said it hired Barry Gold as a Managing Director and Joshua Herlands as an Associate Director. Both are based in New York. Gold will oversee infrastructure investments while Herlands will be responsible for originating and investing in infrastructure, real estate and public finance projects. Gold was previously Co-Founder and Co-Head of Carlyle Infrastructure Partners. Herlands spent three years with Captona Partners.

SharesPost Inc said that its founder Greg Brogger has rejoined the company as CEO. The appointment is effective immediately. Prior to his return, Brogger launched the NASDAQ Private Market, a joint venture between SharesPost and the NASDAQ OMX Group. Based in Silicon Valley, SharesPost is a provider of liquidity and investment products for the private securities market.

Mark Logan has joined WealthEngine as president and COO. Logan most recently was chief sales officer at BackOffice Associates. Bethesda, Md.-based WealthEngine provides predictive marketing analytics and audience development services.

LIMITED PARTNERS

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) said Paul Mouchakkaa was named CalPERS’ Senior Investment Officer for Real Assets. He takes over the position on March 2 and succeeds Ted Eliopoulos, who was named CalPERS Chief Investment Officer in September. Mouchakkaa joins CalPERS from Morgan Stanley Real Estate, where he is currently an MD.

Commonfund has hired Jack H. Foster as managing director, private equity specialist. Previously, Foster worked at Capital Dynamics Inc, where he served as a senior vice president.

PROMOTIONS

Adams Street Partners LLC has named Jeff Diehl, who heads investments at the firm, as managing partner. Also, ASP CEO Bon French will transition from that role to chairman. The changes become effective July 1. French will remain full-time in his duties at ASP until December 31, 2017. Diehl joined ASP in 2000.

Mackinac Partners, a financial advisory and turnaround management firm, has promoted Michael K. Brennan to managing director. Brennan has been with Mackinac since 2004.

Maranon Capital has promoted Andrew C. Eshelman to vice president. Prior to joining Maranon, Eshelman worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s investment banking group.

SK Capital Partners said it has promoted Philip Marxen to principal from vice president. Marxen joined SK Capital in early 2014.