People

James Abbott has joined Seward & Kissel LLP as a partner in the firm’s corporate finance department, where he will help lead its business transactions group. He previously was co-chair of the corporate department at Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP.

George Abraham has joined C.E. Unterberg, Towbin as a managing director, focused on developing relationships with VC funds and their portfolio companies. He co-founded SAS Investors in 2000.

AlixPartners, a Southfield, Mich.-based turnaround firm, has created the positions of co-president. It will be filled by managing directors Stefano Aversa and Peter Fitzsimmons, with Aversa responsible for the firm’s European and Asian offices and Fitzsimmons responsible for its North American offices. Michael Grindfors remains firm CEO.

Arsenal Capital Partners has promoted Aaron Davenport and Jack Norris to principal. Davenport joined the firm in 2001 after having focused on the pharmaceuticals industry for Braun Consulting. Norris joined in 2003 from Berkshire Partners. The New York-based firm focuses on middle-market manufacturing and service companies, and last year closed its second fund with $500 million.

Ian Bagshaw has joined Linklaters as a London-based partner in the law firm’s private equity practice. He previously was with Clifford Chance.

Lorie Beers has joined KPMG Corporate Finance as a managing director in the firm’s Special Situations Advisory group. She previously was director of business development of Gordian Group.

Peter Bitter has joined Home Depot as a director in the company’s strategic business development group. He previously was an I-banker with P&M Corporate Finance, which was focused on middle-market companies.

William Candelaria has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as a New York-based partner. He previously was with Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, and focuses on M&A, capital markets and private equity—with a focus on emerging markets such as Latin America.

Karen Christofferson has been named a vice president with Helix Associates, the private equity fund placement unit of Jefferies & Co. She previously was a vice president with JPMorgan Chase & Co and its predecessor firms.

William Donaldson, former SEC chairman, has joined Perella Weinberg Partners as chairman of the firm’s advisory council.

Paul Haggis is stepping down as CEO of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). The Financial Post reports that he was “pushed out by the board of directors due to a disagreement over… their differing view of the CEO role.”

Hampshire Equity Partners has promoted Michael McGovern and Jason Meyer to partner, and also promoted John Lenahan to vice president.

Alex Gendzier has joined Jones Day as a New York-based partner in the firm’s capital markets practice. He previously was a partner with King & Spalding LLP.

Chris Grew, Richard Eaton and Straun Penwarden have joined Heller Ehrman LLP as London-based partners in the firm’s corporate/venture law group. They previously were partners in WilmerHale’s London office.

GSC Group has promoted David Goret to senior managing director. He previously was a managing director, and serves as the firm’s general counsel and chief compliance officer.

Patrick Hanraty and Henry Hissrich have joined the Philadelphia office of Harris Williams & Co. Hanraty will serve as a managing director with Cobblestone Advisors’ lower-middle-market group, while Hissrich will serve as director of new business development.

Mark Kent has joined Sigma Designs (Nasdaq: SIGM) as chief financial officer. From 2001 through 2004, Kent served as CFO or interim CFO for Oak Investment Partners portfolio companies like Talisma Corp., Knowledge Networks and Securant Technologies.

Martin Lewis has joined Greenhill & Co. as a New York-based managing director focused on financial restructuring. He previously was with Rhone Group and, before that, was a co-founder of Miller Buckfire Lewis & Co. and a managing director with The Blackstone Group.

Houlihan Lokey has hired a team of bankers from Trammell Crow Co., in order to provide asset-level real estate solutions. Jonathan Geanakos joins existing Houlihan Lokey banker John Schoenfeld as co-head of the Real Estate, Lodging and Leisure Group. Along with Geanakos, senior vice president Stephen Pearlman, vice president Frank Muhlon and associate Nicholas Harris will focus on asset level real estate transactions. Equinox Partners managed the search on behalf of the firm.

John Koskinen has joined the board of American Capital Strategies. He is the former chairman of the Duke University Board, and also was president of restructuring firm The Palmieri Co.

Liquid Realty Partners has made three hires: Brendan MacDonald as an associate, after having been an associate with Babcock & Brown; John Wai as controller, after having been a senior auditor with PricewaterhouseCoopers; and Bryce Popoff as a senior accountant, after having been a senior fund accountant.

Fabian Mansson resigned as CEO of Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: EBHI), just one day after shareholders nixed a $9.25 per share buyout offer from Sun Capital Partners and Golden Gate Capital. Board member Howard Gross will serve as interim CEO.

Monument Group, a Boston-based private equity placement firm, has promoted six individuals to partner: Martin Anthonsen, Lori Campana, Teresa Kinsella, Bart Molloy, Ryan Mueller and Laurence Zage.

Charlie Parker has joined London-based private equity firm Frontiers Capital as a director. He previously was with Boston Consulting Group, where he focused on the tech/telecom sector, and also worked with private equity clients.

Ann Quinn has joined SC&H Capital, the M&A practice of management consulting and accounting firm SC&H Group LLC. She previously was managing director for the Maryland Venture Fund.

SAC Capital Advisors has hired Peter Berger to help launch a private equity group focused on Japan, according to Reuters. Berger previously was with Ripplewood, and will be joined by fellow Ripplewood pros Frank Barker and Jeffrey Hendren once their contracts expire this summer.

Khai Tan has joined Bridgepoint as a partner in charge of the firm’s new office in Warsaw, Poland. He previously oversaw Polish activities for Advent International.

Emma Thorpe has joined The Carlyle Group as director of European communications. She previously was with PR firm Penrose Financial. Thorpe succeeds Katherine Elmore-Jones, who has moved over to Carlyle’s investor relations group.

Trident Capital has promoted Evangelos Simoudis to managing director. He is a former Apax Partners pro who joined Trident in 2005 as a venture partner. Trident also promoted Arneek Multani to principal and Michael Biggee to vice president.

Watch Hill Partners LLC has made three promotions: Tim Whipple and Claude Shaw from associates to vice presidents, and Rob Kusick from analyst to associate.

David Wickham has joined Invesco Private Capital as a London-based principal, where he will focus on commitments to European funds. He previously was with Insight Investment.

Compiled by Dan Primack