Private Equity Firms

The Carlyle Group is making a talent acquisition from Cogentrix Energy LLC, the power producer it agreed in September to acquire from Goldman Sachs Group. The firm is appointing Robert Mancini as managing director and co-head of its infrastructure fund alongside Robert Dove. Mancini, currently also the CEO of Cogentrix, will join Carlyle formally once the deal is completed, expected in the fourth quarter.

The head of CVC Capital Partners‘ Australian unit has resigned, as the company stares at losses of up to $1.8 billion from its investment in Nine Entertainment, dealing a blow to the private equity firm, Reuters reported. The departure of Adrian MacKenzie, a key player in the A$5.3 billion ($5.6 billion) debt-funded acquisition of Nine and 17-year veteran at CVC, means the television network could fall into the hands of its lenders while wiping out CVC’s equity.

Equity International chief executive Gary Garrabrant has left the U.S. private equity firm for undisclosed reasons and company founder Sam Zell will act as the interim CEO, Reuters reported, citing the Wall Street Journal. Thomas McDonald, chief strategic officer has also exited the company, according to the paper. In a written statement made available to Reuters, Zell, the billionaire real estate investor who founded the company in 1999, said he is “actively engaged in the business.”

Global growth investor General Atlantic has opened a new office in Munich, Germany led by principal Jörn Nikolay. General Atlantic opened its first European office in 1998 and has invested more than €2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) to support the growth of Europe-based companies since then.

H.I.G. Capital has hired Ahmed Hamdani and Duncan Priston as managing directors at Bayside Capital, H.I.G.’s distressed debt and special situations affiliate. Hamdani was previously a portfolio manager at Trafalgar Asset Managers; Prison was previously a partner and head of European trading at Strategic Value Partners. Separately, H.I.G. Whitehorse has brought aboard as a managing director Haseeb Aziz. Aziz was formerly a partner at Hutton Collins Partners, a subordinated debt and preferred equity fund manager. H.I.G. Whitehorse is the credit arm of H.I.G. Capital, which specializes in providing debt capital to mid-market companies in Europe and the United States.

Highland Capital Management said Jess Larsen has joined as a managing director, heading business development for Europe and the Middle East. Most recently, Larsen was a director, capital introductions, at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in London.

David Cranston has rejoined international alternative asset manager Investcorp to as a managing director in the group’s hedge funds group. He previously held a similar role with the firm from 2005 through 2010. Before rejoining Investcorp, Cranston was a partner at North Creek Advisors, an independent hedge fund seeder.

Oak Hill Advisors is adding a pair of managing directors. Dalia Cohen is joining as managing director and head of investor relations; she comes from JLL Partners. Eric Storch is also climbing on board from GSO’s Customized Credit Strategies Group, where he was managing director and co-head of institutional marketing. Oak Hill Advisors manages funds invested in performing and distressed leveraged loans, high yield bonds and other credit-focused securities.

OMERS Private Equity, the private equity arm of Canadian pension fund Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, has appointed Isabelle Pagnotta as a director and Bryony Marshall as an associate in its London office. Pagnotta was most recently a principal in private equity at the investment bank Arcapita in London, focusing on the pan-European midcap LBO market. Marshall spent more than four years in corporate finance at the advisory firm Hawkpoint in London, advising UK and European private equity firms and corporates on mid-market transactions. OMERS set up its London office in 2009 and has invested $640 million so far in the European market.