People Briefs

Robert Aguallo Jr. has been named a managing partner of the Cardinal Americas Fund, a $150 million buyout fund focused on the infrastructure space. He is the former general manager of the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System (LACERS).

Loren Balsam has joined Perseus Realty Partners as a managing director. He previously was the senior investment officer of Fidelity Management & Research’s private equity real estate group.

Jean-Philippe Barade and Alasdaire Thomson have joined Morgan Stanley Private Equity as London-based executive directors. Barade was previously with Permira, while Thomson comes over from Apax Partners.

Joseph Basile has joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP as a Boston-based partner in the firm’s private equity and hedge fund practice groups. He previously was a partner with Bingham McCutchen.

John Brunjes has joined Bracewell & Giuliani as a partner in the firm’s private investment funds practice. He is a former Connecticut assistant attorney general in the finance and antitrust divisions.

Fred Buenrostro announced that he is stepping down as chief executive of CalPERS, to pursue private sector opportunities.

Bryan Corbett has joined The Carlyle Group as a principal on the firm’s government and regulatory affairs team. He will be based in Washington DC, and will report to David Marchick. Corbett most recently served in the Bush Administration as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and as Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt at the Treasury Department.

Steven Chua has joined Third Avenue Management as a research analyst. He previously was with Goldman Sachs as an associate in the leveraged finance group.

Thomas Cresante has joined Blue Point Capital as an operating partner in the firm’s Seattle office. He previously was CEO of Special Devices Inc.

Ronan Cunningham is stepping down as head of private equity for Ireland’s National Pensions Reserve Fund, and will join General Atlantic Partners, according to LBO Wire. He will start at GA this summer, and focus on investor relations. Prior to joining the Ireland pension, Cunningham was a London-based partner with Adams Street Partners.

Mark Del Col has joined LaCrosse Global Fund Services as global head of sales and marketing. He previously was a managing director with SWIFT.

Miles Flint, former president of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, has joined Silver Lake Partners as a senior advisor.

Daniel Galante has joined Alvarez & Marsal Transaction Advisory Group as a managing director and national practice leader. He previously was a senior managing director of FTI Consulting.

Goldman Sachs has begun making cutting staff in its leveraged finance business, according to Reuters. This goes beyond both the 5 percent cuts Goldman announced last month, and the 1,500 firm-wide cuts related to year-end performance reviews.

Robert Goodman has joined Sterling Stamos Capital Management as global head of private equity and real assets. He previously was vice chairman of Deutsche Asset Management.

Michael Henkin and Steven Strom have been named co-heads of the restructuring and recapitalization advisory group at Jefferies & Company, according to Dow Jones. The pair replace Thane Carlston and William Derrough, who left Jefferies last summer to join Moelis & Co.

James Holzer has joined Brown Brothers Harriman as head of software and tech-enabled services, within the firm’s M&A group. He previously was with CIBC World Markets.

Mark Hootnick has joined Broadpoint Capital as a managing director in the firm’s recapitalization and restructuring group. He previously was a managing director with Imperial Capital.

David Hudson has joined Darby Overseas Investments as senior managing director in charge of the firm’s Asia operations and global infrastructure initiatives. He will be based in Hong Kong, and previously was with ING Group as president and CEO of wholesale banking in the Americas.

Adrian Johnson is stepping down as CEO of LGV Capital, the private equity investment unit of UK insurer Legal & General, after almost 20 years with the group. No word on the reason for his departure, or on his successor.

Jones Day has made two additions to its private equity team in Pittsburgh: Fran Muracca II as a partner and Samuel Goncz as counsel. Both men previously were with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.

F. Stephen Larned and Daniel Lieber have joined Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe as senior operating executives. Larned most recently served as chief marketing and strategy officer for DigitalGlobe Inc., while Lieber was chief operating officer for Union Site Management.

Edward Liddy, the retiring chairman of Allstate Corp., is joining Clayton Dubilier & Rice as a partner.

Morgan Stanley said that it plans to cut around 5 percent of its staff this year, excluding its retail brokers.

Morrison & Foerster LLP said that buyout partner Thomas Chou will relocate from Shanghai to Hong Kong. The firm also has hired Japan-based intellectual property attorney Yukihiro Terazawa as a partner.

Alyssa Morrisroe has joined Lincoln International as a vice president focused on the aerospace and defense markets. She previously was a vice president at Jeffries Quarterdeck.

Norwest Equity Partners has promoted Todd Solow to partner, and Tom Schauerman and Andrew Cantwell to principal.

Paine & Partners, a San Francisco and New York-based private equity firm, has named Bjarni Armannsson and Frank O. Reite as operating directors. Armannsson and Reite will focus on opportunities in the Nordic region, with an emphasis on the seafood, energy and financial services industries. Armannsson works in Iceland; Reite in Norway.

Claus Peter reportedly is planning to leave Société Générale, where he runs the firm’s German leveraged buyout group. Dow Jones reports that Peter will join German Private Equity Partners, a buyout firm formed by former Deutsche Telekom CEO Kai-Uwe Ricke.

Gary Pritchard has joined Palamon Capital Partners, a European mid-market private equity firm, as chief financial officer. He previously was with Catlin Group, most recently as CFO of its UK division and head of finance operations.

Russell Read is stepping down as chief investment officer of CalPERS, the nation’s largest public pension fund. He had joined the system in June 2006, and plans to pursue investments in green technologies. No word on if he plans to do so individually, or as part of a larger institution. CalPERS said that Anne Stausboll will succeed Read on an interim basis.

Benjamin Silver has joined Babson Capital Management as a managing director in the firm’s mezzanine and private equity group. He will work out of Babson’s Los Angeles office, and previously was with GE Commercial Finance as a senior vice president of corporate lending.

Devinjit Singh has agreed to join The Carlyle Group as a managing director focused on Indian buyouts. He currently heads Citi’s India M&A business.

Shannon Smith has left Blue Point Capital Partners, where he was a managing partner running the firm’s Charlotte office. The decision was due to “family reasons.” Smith joined the mid-market buyout firm in 1998, after having previously spent eight years with Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. His Blue Point portfolio companies included Apex Companies, Callison Architecture, MarketPoint Direct, New Northwest Broadcasters and Nexcel Synthetics.

Lorne Somerville has joined CVC Capital Partners as head of the firm’s telecoms practice. He previously was with UBS as joint global head of telecoms and head of its European communications group.

Ryan Watson is leaving Stone Tower Capital to join Fortress Investments, where he will work in the Macro Fund focused on special situations and distressed credit. The move is effective May 12.

Compiled by Dan Primack