Promotions

New York-based specialty lender Abacus Finance Group has promoted Robby Abraham to vice president and Song Pettus to senior associate. Prior to joining Abacus, Abraham worked at York Street Capital Partners and H.I.G. Capital, while Pettus did stints at Churchill Financial and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Diamond Advisory Services.

Adveq has announced three promotions. The firm has promoted Viswanathan Parameswar, Sasha Kugler and Patrick Küntscher to executive director. Parameswar joined Adveq in 2009 to help set up Adveq’s global secondaries program as head of Adveq Secondaries and at the start of 2014 assumed the role as head of Adveq’s Asia program. Kugler joined Adveq in 2005 and is responsible for human resources and facility management. Küntscher joined Adveq in 2004 and is responsible for tax related matters.

Jackson Phillips and Rob Girardi have been promoted to principal from vice president at Avista Capital. Phillips was one of Avista’s first associates, joining Avista at its founding in 2005. Girardi joined Avista as a vice president in 2010.

Baird, an employee-owned financial services firm, has named Steve Booth to be its president. Booth takes on the new role in addition to his current responsibilities as chief operating officer and co-head of Baird’s Equity Capital Markets business. Booth became COO in 2013 as part of a plan that calls for him to succeed Baird chairman and chief executive officer Paul Purcell and become CEO in January 2016.

Berkshire Partners has promoted Jon Meyer and Anil Seetharam to managing directors. Meyer and Seetharam join 17 current managing directors in managing the firm and affiliated investment funds. The two will continue in their roles within Stockbridge Investors, the group within Berkshire that focuses on marketable securities.

The Blackstone Group has appointed, James Carnegie, one of its senior advisers, to head its Australia business, Reuters reported. Carnegie, an Australian private equity veteran and a former partner at domestic firm Archer Capital, will be a senior managing director at Blackstone and will assume a direct deal-making role.

The Carlyle Group has promoted 48 professionals to senior positions. The firm has promoted nine to partner, 13 to managing director and 26 to principal/director.

Mid-market buyout firm Castle Harlan has promoted Heather L. Faust to managing director. Also, the company has hired Heidi Petroff and Eric Schwartz as vice presidents. Prior to joining Castle Harlan, Faust worked at Baker & Taylor, where she served as a director, while both Petroff and Schwartz worked at the firm’s Australian affiliate CHAMP Private Equity.

Eureka Growth Capital has promoted Alexandra Oswald to vice president. Oswald, who joined Eureka full-time in 2009 as an associate after working with the firm as a summer intern in 2008, was formerly a senior associate. The firm has also hired Brendan Stancato as an analyst on the investment team. Stancato was formelry an analyst at Harris Williams & Co.

Lincoln International has promoted Michael Fisch, Christopher Stradling, Alysia Tan and Christine Tiseo to managing directors, effective immediately. Each of the promoted executives started at Lincoln as associates and then promoted to vice president, director and now managing director.

Maranon Capital has promoted Rommel Garcia to principal and Angelica Mariscal to vice president of marketing. Garcia is responsible for evaluating new business opportunities along with transaction execution and portfolio management. He joined Maranon in 2008 as an associate. Mariscal is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s branding and communication strategies as well as market research and investor reporting. She joined in 2008.

New York Life has elected John Kim vice chairman. Kim will oversee the company’s technology function in addition to his current responsibilities. Kim will continue as president of New York Life’s Investments Group, as well as chief investment officer of New York Life Company. With his combined roles, Kim oversees about $400 billion in assets.

NutraSweet, which is owned by J.W. Childs Associates, has promoted William L. DeFer to CEO. DeFer is currently the company’s president and chief operating officer. He will replace Craig R. Petray. Based in Augusta, Georgia, NutraSweet is the maker of the artificial sweetener that bears its name.

New York buyout firm Pine Brook has promoted three staffers. Edward Donkor and Ted Maa have been promoted to principal on the energy investment team while Scott Schaen has been upped to principal on the financial services investment team. Donkor has been with Pine Brook since October 2010 and has nine years of investment experience. Maa joined Pine Brook in July 2012 and has eight years of investment experience. Schaen has been with Pine Brook since August 2010 and has nine years of investment experience.

Riverside Partners, a Boston-based buyout shop focused on mid-market healthcare and technology companies, has promoted two investment professionals: David Del Papa, who moves to principal, and Shahan Zafar, who moves to vice president. Del Papa has more than five years of private equity experience and joined Riverside in 2012 as a vice president. Zafar joined Riverside in 2012 as a senior associate.

Spindletop Capital Management, a healthcare-focused private equity firm, has promoted Steve Whitlock and Bob McDonald to managing directors. Both Whitlock and McDonald have been with Spindletop since 2011. Spindletop was formed in 2011 to provide expansion capital for commercial stage healthcare companies.

Global growth equity firm Summit Partners has promoted four of its staffers. Leonard Ferrington is now managing director, while Andrew Collins, Matthew Hamilton and Jay Pauley have been promoted to principal. Ferrington and Collins are based in the firm’s Menlo Park, California, office. Hamilton and Pauley work out of Summit’s Boston office.

Tegra Medical, a portfolio company of Riverside Partners, has promoted J. Mark King to CEO. Prior to this new appointment, King was the company’s chief operating officer. Headquartered in Franklin, Massachusetts, Tegra Medical is a medical device company.

TM Capital, a mid-market investment bank, has promoted Craig Gibson and Jarrad Zalkin to managing director and Kevin Atchue to associate. All three are based in the firm’s Boston’s office.

Vestar Capital Partners, a mid-market buyout firm, has promoted Michael Gross and Winston Song to vice president. Prior to joining Vestar, Gross worked at Credit Suisse Securities while Song was at Lehman Brothers.