People Briefs

George Ackert has joined Evercore Partners as a senior managing director who will form and lead a Transportation & Infrastructure advisory practice. He also will lead the development of a new Sports advisory business. He previously was with Merrill Lynch, most recently as global head of Transportation & Infrastructure.

Didier Bench, former CEO of Cartesis and iMediation, has joined Silver Lake Sumeru as a London-based advisor.

The Blackstone Group has appointed Ambassador Gérard Errera as a Special Advisor to the firm. Errera will be based in Paris and focus on business development in France and Continental Europe.

Peter Boneparth has joined Irving Place Capital (f.k.a. Bear Stearns Merchant Banking) as a senior advisor, with a focus on the retail and consumer sectors. Boneparthis the former CEO of Jones Apparel Group.

Ricardo Caupers has joined Palamon Capital Partners as a vice president. He previously was a principal in the London office of Boston Consulting Group.

Janet Christensen has joined NewOak Capital as managing director of marketing. She previously was with Tegris and The Blackstone Group.

John Costas and Michael Hutchins, former co-heads of defunct UBS-backed hedge fund Dillon Read Capital Management, reportedly are reuniting to form a new financial services firm to be called VinsonForbes.

Nancy-Ann DeParle is stepping down as a managing director of CCMP Capital, in order to become director of the White House Office for Health Reform. She focused on healthcare investments at CCMP, before which she was administrator for what is now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Robert Emmert has joined McCarthy Capital as a partner, and head of the Omaha-based firm’s Boston office. He previously was a general partner with Alta Communications.

Michael Flynn and Thomas L’Helias have joined Fulbright & Jaworsky LLP. Both lawyers are formerly of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. Flynn represents private equity funds, venture capital funds and growth stage companies. L’Helias represents large financial institutions and funds in principal transactions.

James Hawkes has joined Clayton, Dubilier & Rice as an advisor. He recently retired from mutual fund company Eaton Vance Corp. (NYSE: EV), where his roles included chairman, CEO and chief investment officer.

Stephen Johnson has joined US Airways (NYSE: LCC) as executive vice president, corporate and general council. He previously was a partner with Indigo Partners, a Phoenix-based private equity firm.

KPMG has named Shawn Hessing as national managing partner of its U.S. private equity group. He joined the firm in 1979, and was named a partner in 1993.

Darcy Lai has left Barclays, where he served as head of Asia-Pacific investment banking. No word yet on the reason for his departure, or on a successor. He joined the firm in 2001, anmd also was in charge of debt capital markets.

Lazard has named Antonio Weiss as global head of M&A, according to the Wall Street Journal. He is based in Paris, and had been the firm’s vice chairman of European investment banking since 2006.

Les Lyall has joined Toronto-based Kirchner Private Capital Group as a managing partner of the firm’s fund management subsidiary. He most recently was chief operating officer of GrowthWorks Capital.

Amanda McCrystal has joined HarbourVest Partners as head of investor relations and communications for HarbourVest Global Private Equity Ltd., a closed-end investment company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. She previously was with Bramdean Asset Management.

Eric Pathé has joined U.K. secondaries firm Greenpark Capital as an investment director. He previously was with mid-market buyout firm Langholm Capital.

Erik Prince has stepped down as CEO of private security firm Xe (f.k.a. Blackwater Worldwide), in order to focus on an unrelated private equity effort.

Quadrangle Group has promoted Amanda Siegel to principal, and Alex Hocherman, Sebastien Briens and Mark Brennan to vice presidents. Each of the promoted professionals work in the firm’s private equity group.

Robert Tessier has been named chairman of Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the largest pension system in Canada. Tessier is the former CEO of gas distributor Gaz Metro LP.

Joseph Walsh, a former managing director with Fortress Investment Group, has joined Amherst Holdings as president.

Andrew Williams has stepped down as director and CEO of SVG Advisors, the fund arm of SVG Capital.

Francois Wohrer has joined Close Brothers as a France-based managing director, with a focus on the advanced manufacturing, water and waste management markets. He previously was with UBS.