On The Move, March 4, 2019: Huron taps Walker, Mennenga partners

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS

KKR: Shikha Sharma is joining as an adviser, moneycontrol.com reported. Sharma is a former managing director and CEO of Axis Bank of Mumbai.

HCAP Partners promoted Bhairvee Shavdia to senior associate. She joined the San Diego PE firm in September 2015.

Nimbus: The PE firm named David Keenan investment director. Most recently, Keenan was part of PwC’s corporate finance division, advising on PE transactions.

KKR: Two senior executives in Europe are leaving, the Financial Times reported. John Empson, head of capital markets Europe, is expected to stay at least until Q1 2019, the story said. Marc Ciancimino, a partner in KKR’s European private credit division, left at the end of 2018 after a decade with the firm, the FT said. Ciancimino is believed to be setting up his own shop, the story said.

Lightyear Capital promoted Boris Rapoport and Natalie Ings to managing director. Rapoport also joins the investment committee. The firm elevated Doug Chiciak to chief compliance officer, Jason Ehrlich to principal and Will Benton and Tim Wang to senior associate.

Huron Capital appointed Brian C. Walker partner in charge of strategic leadership at the portfolio-company level. The lower-middle-market PE firm also hired Sherry Mennenga as a partner. Walker is a former Herman Miller CEO while Mennenga is an ex-senior vice president at Smith & Nephew.

Lazard Ltd: Alejandro Capote joined as a managing director and head of the Mexico Financial Advisory business. He is based in Mexico City. Most recently, Capote was responsible for PE investments at Credit Suisse Asset Management.

Värde Partners named Elena Lieskovska and Haseeb Malik partners. And the investment firm promoted Brad Bauer to deputy chief investment officer.

Ares Management named Antoinette Bush to the board. Bush is executive vice president and global head of government affairs for News Corp.

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

HealthCare.com, the New York online health insurer, named David Keeler vice president of business development for its insurance division, Pivot Health. Keeler had been senior vice president of business development at IHC Specialty, a unit of IHC Group. HealthCare.com is backed by PeopleFund.

BackOffice Associates, a portfolio company of Bridge Growth Partners, named Kevin Campbell CEO. Campbell, previously president of global consulting and services, succeeds David Booth, who is retiring but continues as an adviser to the business.

Tilray, the Nanaimo, British Columbia-based cannabis cultivator and distributor, named Greg Christopher EVP operations, Rita Seguin EVP of HR, Dara Redler general counsel and Charlie Cain VP retail. Tilray is a portfolio company of the Seattle cannabis PE firm Privateer Holdings.

Ideal Option, backed by Varsity Healthcare, named Tim Kilgallon CEO. Kilgallon is the ex-CEO of Free & Clear. Ideal Option provides treatment and behavioral counseling services for individuals suffering from opioid use.

Calero Software, a provider of communications and cloud lifecycle management software, named Kelly Hunt EVP finance. Hunt previously was vice president of accounting at PowerPlan. Calero is a portfolio company of Riverside Partners.

Biocoat, recently acquired by 1315 Capital, named Steven Bell CFO. Bell’s background includes the CFO post at Research Pharmaceutical Services, CareScience and MRC Group. Biocoat is the Horsham, Pennsylvania, developer of biomaterial coatings for medical devices.

DCS Global: Dominick DeRosa joined as chief growth officer. DeRosa most recently served as SVP of commercial strategy and partnerships at nThrive. DCS Global is a portfolio company of Tritium Partners.

Nubox, backed by Riverwood Capital, hired Pablo Vittori as CTO. Nubox provides small-business financial software as a service in Latin America.

Innovex Downhole Solutions, backed by Intervale Capital, named Kendal Reed CFO. Kendel previously was vice president at Intervale.

Emerald Textiles, a portfolio company of Pacific Avenue Capital Partners and Highland Avenue Funds, named Richard Bott CEO. Greg Anderson becomes executive chairman. Bott previously served as director of Intermountain Healthcare’s supply chain services.

ATC Drivetrain, the Oklahoma City remanufacturer of automotive-drivetrain parts, named Greg Heald president and CEO. He previously worked at Key Safety Systems. ATC Drivetrain is a portfolio company of Crestview Partners.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Campbell Lutyens: Peter Siapikoudis joined the firm as an advisory director in Asia-Pacific. Siapikoudis most recently was a principal consultant and head of infrastructure at Frontier Advisors, an Australian asset consultancy.

Evercore named John Startin a senior managing director in its advisory practice. Startin previously was a managing director in the investment banking division, head of metals and mining in the Americas, and a member of the M&A group at Goldman Sachs.

Goodwin Procter named Joshua Soszynski a partner in the law firm’s PE group in New York and Gregor Klenk a PE partner in the Frankfurt office.

Hunt Capital Holdings: Rachel Diller joined as a senior managing director and head of private real estate equity strategies. Diller founded and was managing partner of UrbanView Capital.

Northern Trust named Kimberly Evans head of private capital fund administration in North America. Evans joined the firm in 2010.

Lincoln International, the Chicago investment bank, named Bob Lockwood managing director in the TMT group. Lockwood had led Raymond James & Associates’ internet and digital media practice in the firm’s technology and services group.

DG Partners named Tony Fenner-Leitao to head marketing and business development in relation to Systematic Strategies in North America. Fenner-Leitao had been managing director and global head of sales and marketing at Passport Capital.

Lazard Asset Management: Jennifer Anderson and Nikita Singhal joined the firm as co-heads of sustainable investment and ESG. Anderson was previously an investment manager at TPT Retirement Solutions. Singhal was a portfolio analyst with ClearBridge Investments.

Accordion, the PE-focused financial consulting and technology firm, promoted Gary Appelbaum and Srin Subra to managing director and Brandon Beal, Rajan Raval and Larry Steenvoorden to senior director.

ShoreView Industries named Brittney Oake director of business development. She previously was director of deal solutions in the New York office of Donnelley Financial Solutions.

Ropes & Gray named Carolyn Vardi a partner in the law firm’s PE practice. She most recently was a partner at White & Case.

LIMITED PARTNERS

Lance Milken, the son of Michael Milken, left Apollo Global Management to set up a family office, the Financial Times reported. The younger Milken, 43, joined Apollo in 1998 and was a senior partner the FT said. He focused on consumer and was involved in several large restaurant deals, including the buyout of Qdoba last year, the parent of Chuck E Cheese in 2014, and CKE Restaurants, which owns Carl’s Jr, in 2010, the FT said.