Private Equity Firms

Advent International has named Angelo C. Brisimitzakis to its operating partner program as a consultant. Brisimitzakis is the former CEO and president of Compass Minerals International. Headquartered in Boston, Advent International is a global private equity firm.

UK-based Business Growth Fund has appointed Matt Widdall as a senior investment manager based in its Manchester office and Greg Norman as an investment manager in its Bristol office. They will be responsible for identifying investable local businesses and working with them to achieve their growth plans.

Counsel RB Capital has entered into mutual separation and transition agreements with each of its departing co-CEOs, Adam Reich and Jonathan Reich, both of whom resigned effective June 30. According to the agreements, both relinquished 400,000 shares of common stock that each held in the company; however, each will retain their initial equity stake in the company. Ross Dove and Kirk Dove, managing partners of Counsel RB’s subsidiary, Heritage Global Partners, are now leading the company’s operations, while Ken Mann will continue to lead Counsel RB’s Equity Partners subsidiary. Also, the company’s board has approved a proposal to change its name to Heritage Global. Based in Toronto, Counsel RB Capital is a provider of distressed and surplus capital asset transactions.

Encore Consumer Capital announced that Daniel Gross has rejoined the firm as a vice president. Gross is responsible for deal origination and execution as well as portfolio company oversight. He was previously with Encore from 2008 until 2011 before attending the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

UK-based Hermes Global Private Equity said that CEO Alan MacKay will be leaving his position. Hermes said the reason for MacKay’s departure is because the firm is “shifting the emphasis from an integration build-out phase to one of growth, with more distinct positioning of our private equity and infrastructure capabilities.” MacKay will remain as a company shareholder while Peter Gale runs the private equity business and Peter Hofbauer continues to lead the infrastructure business.

Insight Venture Partners has named Ross Devor as vice president. In his new role, Ross will focus on leveraged buyouts and majority recapitalizations in the software sector. Prior to joining Insight, Ross worked at Thoma Bravo, where he was a member of the investment team. Based in New York, Insight Venture Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm.

Intervale Capital, an energy-focused private equity firm, has hired Jason Turowsky as a vice president. Turowsky was previously with Falconhead Capital, where he focused on evaluating, executing and monitoring investments.

Lightyear Capital, a New York-based private equity firm focused on financial services investing, has named Richard Korhammer as senior adviser. Korhammer is co-founder and former chairman/CEO of Lava Trading.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co has appointed Martin Moore as a senior adviser to the firm. Moore will advise KKR on real estate investments in the UK and Europe. Moore retired as chairman of M&G Real Estate, which was previously Prudential Property Investment Managers, at the end of June.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co said that William Sonneborn, who heads its corporate credit and equity investments and is chief executive of its publicly traded specialty finance company KKR Financial Holdings LLC, would step down to pursue a new challenge, Reuters reported. KKR expressed disappointment with Sonneborn’s decision but praised his contribution to the firm. A spokeswoman did not elaborate on the 43-year-old executive’s new challenge but said he would serve as a senior adviser to the firm, Reuters wrote.

MVC Capital has named Scott J. Schuenke as its chief financial officer. The appointment will become effective Nov. 1. Schuenke will succeed the company’s current CFO, Peter Seidenberg, who will transition into becoming a senior investment professional with the firm. Based in Purchase, New York, MVC Capital is a provider of long-term equity and debt investment capital to fund growth, acquisitions and recapitalizations of small and mid-market companies.

Pembrook Capital Management has named Paul D. Mullaney as managing director of underwriting. Mullaney previously worked as a managing director at NXT Capital and before that was a full-time consultant at Blackrock Financial Management. With offices in New York and Boston, Pembrook Capital Management is a commercial real estate investment firm.

Peterson Partners has hired Nick Jean-Baptiste to be vice president of its investment team. In this newly created position, Jean-Baptiste will help identify investments and work with portfolio company executives to accelerate growth. Jean-Baptiste is a former vice president at Macquarie Capital. Peterson Partners is a private equity firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Stenham Asset Management has appointed Damian Brannan to the position of managing director. Brannan has more than 22 years of investment experience and will be a member of Stenham’s investment advisory committee. Brannan was most recently head of hedge fund advisory, UK and Asia, at Union Bancaire Privee. His new role of managing director will allow Kevin Arenson, chief investment officer, to focus exclusively on investment management and risk control.

Summer Street Capital Partners has appointed Amy Standing its chief financial officer. Summer Street’s current CFO, Ron Fleissner, will begin his transition into retirement. Standing joined Summer Street in June 2013 from Discover Financial Services, where she worked in business development and was chief of staff.

TwinFocus Capital Partners has named Orlando Mendoza as managing director of the company’s newly established private equity advisory unit, where he will oversee a co-investment program and spearhead a private equity initiative involving tracking, monitoring, and relationship management. Prior to joining TwinFocus, Mendoza was a vice president at Harvard Management Co. Based in Boston, TwinFocus Capital Partners is a global investment firm.