On the move, 9.14.2015

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS

HGGC has named Hudson D. Smith Jr. and Neil H. White managing directors. Both were previously principals who joined the firm in 2009. Also, the middle-market-focused private equity firm has upped Farouk J. Hussein and Steven A. Leistner to principal.

Aequitas Capital has expanded its capital markets team. The firm hired Jeff Mazer, a former Bank of America Merrill Lynch executive, as senior managing director of capital markets and treasury. He will be responsible for managing the firm’s portfolio of investment offerings, executing senior and junior debt and credit strategies and working as an advisor to executive management. The firm also brought on Katya Baron as a managing director of capital markets. Baron previously worked at Sterne Agee, Gleacher, Barclays Capital and J.P. Morgan Securities.

Angelo, Gordon & Co has named Joshua S. Baumgarten as senior managing director and head of credit. Baumgarten, who is currently a senior managing director at Blackstone, will start his new position in 2016.

BelHealth Investment Partners has appointed Burt Zweigenhaft as an operating partner. Prior to joining BelHealth, Zweigenhaft founded and was CEO and vice chairman of Onco360.

Black Diamond Capital Partners Ltd has named Robert Torres as CEO and Anthony Clark as chief operating officer. The firm announced that co-founder Jeffrey Howard has resigned as chairman and CEO “to pursue other endeavors.” Prior to his new appointment, Torres was the executive vice president of North America operations for Black Diamond.

Carlyle Group’s nominee on the board of China Fishery Group has stepped down, a few months after the U.S. private equity firm declined to take part in the Singapore-listed company’s rights issue.

CITIC Capital Partners has named Zhang Haipeng as a senior managing director. Haipeng was the founding CEO of China Resources Healthcare Group Limited. He is also a former partner at McKinsey & Company.

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Diversified Royalty Corp, which acquires royalties from businesses and franchisors in North America, has named Greg Gutmanis as chief financial officer, vice president of acquisitions and corporate secretary. Gutmanis rejoins the firm after previously serving as the company’s interim CFO from March 2014 to January 2015. He is the former CFO and vice president of Maxam Opportunities Fund II LP.

Silverfleet Capital has promoted Alfa Chan, David Mackenzie and Joachim Braun to partners. Also, the European private equity firm said that Adam Ahern will join as an associate at the end of the month.

Strategic Value Partners LLC said it named Flip Huffard to its advisory council. Huffard was previously with the Blackstone Group, where he was a Senior MD and one of the leaders of the firm’s Restructuring and Reorganization Group.

Twin Brook Capital, a lending subsidiary of Angelo, Gordon & Co, has tapped Mike LaBelle as a vice president, according to a source at the company. Previously, LaBelle worked at National Express LLC as a director. Prior to that, LaBelle was a senior underwriter at Madison Capital.

Atlanta-based growth equity firm Fulcrum Equity Partners has promoted Philip Lewis to principal. Lewis has been with Fulcrum since 2007 when he joined as an analyst.

PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

Permira-backed snacks maker BFY Holdings I LLC has named Paul Nardone as president and CEO. Previously, Nardone was an operating partner at Sherbrooke Capital.

McClarin Plastics LLC, which is backed by Blackford Capital, has appointed Wade Walcott as vice president and general manager of its Dynamic Fabricators unit. Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, McClarin is a maker of composites and fiber-reinforced plastic components. 

SourceLink, which is owned by Aterian Investment Partners, has named Don Lewis as chief financial officer. Lewis has been with SourceLink since 2013 and prior to that he worked at KPMG. Based in Itasca, Illinois, SourceLink is a direct marketing services provider.

Vendavo, which is backed by Francisco Partners, has named Bruno Slosse as president and CEO. Slosse succeeds John Trzeciak, an operating partner at Francisco Partners. Previously, Slosse was president of Ascend Learning‘s clinical health division. Silicon Valley-based Vendavo is a provider of margin and profit optimization solutions.

Protection 1, which is backed by Apollo Global, has promoted Jamie Haenggi to chief revenue officer. Protection 1 is a security monitoring company.

SERVICE PROVIDERS

Private equity advisor TorreyCove Capital Partners has promoted Kyson Hawkins to vice president. Hawkins has been with TorreyCove since 2014. Previously, he worked at Sterling Partners. 

Investment bank 7 Mile Advisors has named Steven Cowan as a managing director. In his new role, Cowan will lead 7 Mile Advisors’ newly formed energy and industrial services team. Cowan previously held senior banking positions at Jefferies & Company, Deutsche Bank and Canaccord Genuity.

Arcis Capital Partners announced that Steven Sorensen has joined the boutique advisory firm as a partner. Previously, Sorensen was international operations vice president of Manhattan Regional Center.

Reinsurance programs provider Beechwood Re has appointed David Kaplon as chief financial officer. Previously, Kaplon worked at Aquiline Capital Partners as an executive advisor. Prior to that, he worked at Blackstone’s Bayview Asset Management mortgage investment platform.

Heartland Financial USA has appointed Nancy Tengler as chief investment officer for its private client services unit. In addition to her new position, Tengler will continue in her role as wealth advisory services market leader for the Phoenix market. She is a former president, CEO and chief investment officer of Fremont Investment Advisors.

Law firm Sidley Austin LLP has added Vijay S. Sekhorn as a partner at its Southern California office. Sekhorn is joining the firm’s M&A and private equity practices. Sekhorn is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.

Private equity advisor TorreyCove Capital Partners has named Matthew Coyne as a vice president. Coyne recently worked at Pathway Capital Management as a senior associate.

LIMITED PARTNERS

The Dallas Police & Fire Pension System named James Perry as chief investment officer, a newly created position. Perry will oversee all investments in the system’s $3.1 billion portfolio. Perry currently works as assistant vice chancellor and assistant CIO for Texas Tech University System, a $1.1 billion endowment. Previously, Perry was a senior investment officer with the San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association, working across public and private markets including equity, fixed income, real estate and private equity.