GTCR’s Aligned Appoints Director of Institutional Investments

Aligned Asset Managers, a portfolio company of private equity firm GTCR, has appointed R. Barney Walker the director of institutional investments. Walker will drive Aligned’s distribution and client service activities for its member firms. He has extensive industry contacts in the institutional marketplace and will also assist Aligned in sourcing new potential investments.

PRESS RELEASE

Aligned Asset Managers, LLC (“Aligned”), a portfolio company of leading private equity firm GTCR, announced today that it named Mr. R. Barney Walker the Director of Institutional Investments. Mr. Walker will drive Aligned’s distribution and client service activities for its member firms. He is focused on implementing Aligned’s strategic marketing plan across all institutional and retail distribution channels. Aligned expects to add additional resources to the distribution activity as it increases its member firms and products. Mr. Walker has extensive industry contacts in the institutional marketplace and will also assist Aligned in sourcing new potential investments.

Mr. Walker was previously a Senior Vice President and Director of Institutional Investments at Artio Global Management LLC, the former US institutional asset management arm of Julius Baer Holdings, where he joined in 2002 to help build an institutional asset management business. Artio Global Investors Inc. managed over $70 billion at its peak on behalf of its clients. Prior to Artio, Mr. Walker was a Senior New Business/Client Service Manager at Ark Asset Management LLC, where he started his career in 1996. He has a BS in Business Administration from Boston College.

About Aligned Asset Managers

Aligned Asset Managers is building a leading multi-strategy asset management platform through substantial equity investments in firms across alternative and traditional asset classes. Aligned provides managers with many options for realizing liquidity, re-equitizing their business and enhancing distribution capabilities while maintaining a stake in the upside growth of the firm. Aligned completed its first investment in The Townsend Group in late 2011.

About The Townsend Group

The Townsend Group (“Townsend”) is a global real asset investment advisory firm providing discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions to more than 90 clients and $115 billion of assets. Townsend’s investment solutions range from strategic advisory services to fully customized discretionary segregated mandates, including primary funds, co-investments and secondaries. With offices in Cleveland, San Francisco, London and Hong Kong, Townsend is able to provide its clients global perspective and locally sourced execution in the real estate, infrastructure, timber and agriculture asset classes.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Information Services & Technology industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy(TM) – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $10 billion in over 200 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.

For more information about Aligned or Townsend, please contact Barney Walker at 203-504-3204 or barney.walker@alignedam.com.

SOURCE: Aligned Asset Managers, LLC