On the Move: January 2023 Hires and Promotions

Harvest Partners: Joshua Carter, Kenneth Chen, Chris Peyser, Chris Schaller, David Swanson and Ethan Soodak

New York-based private equity firm Harvest Partners announced new promotions in a recent press release.

Promoted to principal is Ethan Soodak, who joined the firm in 2020 as part of its Portfolkio Support Group.

Promoted to partner are Joshua Carter, Kenneth Chen, Chris Peyser, Chris Schaller and David Swanson. Carter joined the firm in 2015 as a member of the investment team. Chen joined in 2021 as part of its Capital Markets and Credit teams. Peyser and Schaller both joined in 2017 as members of the Harvest Partners Structured Capital Fund investment team. And Swanson joined in 2018 as a member of the investment team with a focus on the business services sector.

Capstreet: Kevin Johnson and Evan Harmon

Houston-based lower middle-market private equity firm Capstreet announced a new hire and new promotion this month. Kevin Johnson has been promoted to partner. He joined Capstreet in 2014, and currently serves on the boards of several portfolio companies and is a member of the firm’s investment committee. Evan Harmon joined Capstreet in 2019 as an associate, having previously served as an analyst at Stephens Inc. focusing on M&A and financing transactions across a variety of industries.

Gamut Capital Management: Sam Powell, James Shanahan, Ryan Brady, and Brian Gramolini

New York-based middle-market private equity firm Gamut Capital partners named two new promotions to partner and two new promotions to principals.

Sam Powell and James Shanahan have been promoted to partner. Powell joined the firm in 2019, having previously served as principal at Silver Lake Partners. Shanahan has been with the firm since 2016, and most recently served as senior associate at KPS Capital Partners.

Ryan Brady and Brian Gramolini were named as the firm’s newest principals. Brady joined Gamut in 2019 as an associate, and previously held a position at Credit Suisse. Gramolini joined the firm in 2020 as an associate, previously serving at Citigroup.

Clarest Health: Terrye Enslow

Clarest Health, which recently rebranded from its former name ProCare LTC, announced that Terrye Enslow has transitioned to the role of CFO. Enslow joined ProCare as CFO, and then remained in the role upon the company’s rebrand and expansion via multiple acquisitions. In a statement provided to Middle Market Growth, Clarest said Enslow “stands at the forefront of the Clarest mission to be an ally for patients providing innovative, technology-enabled, Personalized Medication Management.” Clarest is a portfolio company of lower middle-market private equity firm Sverica.

HCI Equity Partners: Nate Novak, Ben Choi, Josh DiBiasi, Sam Hoehn, Michael Allen and Emma Pollock

HCI Equity Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm, announced a slew of promotions within the firm.

Nate Novak has been promoted to principal, having been with the firm since 2014 and focusing on executing HCI’s investment mandate.

Ben Choi, Josh DiBiasi and Sam Hoehn have all been promoted to vice president. Choi joined HCI last year from Sentinel Capital Partners, DiBiasi joined in 2020 from Gladstone Capital Corporation, and Hoehn joined in 2018 from Northlane Capital Partners.

Michael Allen was named HCI’s newest senior associate. He first came to HCI in 2021 from Adams Street Partners as an associate in its private credit group.

Finally, Emma Pollock has been named senior portfolio operations analyst. She joined HCI’s operations team last year from IBM.

Crossplane Capital: Greg Balliro, Katie Oswald, Michael Bertrand, Patrick Lynch, David Harris, Will Huntsman, Harrison Finkelstein and Jerry Lopez

Crossplane Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm, named six promotions and two new hires this month.

Greg Balliro has been named partner, Katie Oswald was promoted to managing director – Business Development, Michael Bertrand was promoted to vice president, Patrick Lynch and David Harris were promoted to senior associate, and Will Huntsman was promoted to senior analyst.

In addition, Crossplane announced that Harrison Finkelstein joined the firm in November 2022 as vice president, while Jerry Lopez joined this month as part of the Crossplane Operations Team.

Angeles Equity Partners: Elizabeth Crowe

Angeles Equity Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm, named Elizabeth Crowe as vice president, Operations for Angeles Operations Group. In the new role, Crowe will support the group’s due diligence process and value creation plans. In a statement, Angeles Equity Partners cofounder and managing partner Tim Meyer pointed to Crowe’s “significant experience in conducting buy-side due diligence, as well as creating and implementing growth strategies for sponsor-backed portfolio companies.”

Katten: Harold Davidson

Law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman (Katten) announced Harold Davidson has joined its middle market-focused Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity practice in New York, according to a recent press release. Davidson’s expertise focuses on private and public M&A, principal and private equity investments, SPACs, startups and more. He joins the firm from McDermott Will & Emery, where he was a partner. In a statement, Kimberly T. Smith, global share of Katten’s Corporate department, said Davidson’s “experience in strategically advising clients on challenging, high-value deals enhances our capabilities and reputation of being at the forefront of sophisticated transactions.”

Osceola Capital: Patrick Watkins, Will Newbrander and Kurt Schwab

Osceola Capital, a private equity firm focused on the lower-middle market with an emphasis on the facilities, tech-enabled, healthcare and manufacturing services sectors, announced its newest promotions and a new hire.

The firm announced Will Newbrander has been promoted to partner and CFO. He joined the firm in 2018 as a director and sits on its investment committee to oversee financial and operational aspects within Osceola.

Patrick Watkins has been promoted to partner as well. He also joined Osceola in 2018 as vice president and sits on the investment committee. Watkins currently serves on the boards of several portfolio companies.

Finally, Osceola announced the hiring of Kurt Schwab into the role of vice president. He comes to the firm from old Bore Capital, where he was a senior associate, and has also held positions at BMO Capital Markets, J.P. Morgan and Cambridge Associates.

Burns & Levinson: Bryan Natale

Bryan Natale, a partner at law firm Burns & Levinson, has been named to the Board of Directors of the Turnaround Management Association. He replaces Scott Moskol, who completed his year-long tenure as president and member of the Board of the TMA’s Northeast Chapter. As a member of the board, Natale “will guide the organization’s mission to help businesses that are navigating critical turning points and transitions to get to the next level,” the press release said. Natale focuses on M&A, leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, and other areas within Burns & Levinson. He is also a member of the Association for Corporate Growth’s Boston chapter and serves on its Deal Hunters Committee for Young Professionals.

The DAK Group: Melvyn Threatt-Peters II, Marvin Ma, Mark LaVilla and Alex Slawinski

Investment bank The DAK Group, which specializes in middle-market M&A and other advisory services, announced four promotions this month. Melvyn Threatt-Peters II has been promoted to director, Marvin Ma was promoted to an associate, and Mark LaVilla and Alex Slawinski have been promoted to senior analysts. In a statement, The DAK Group CEO Alan J. Scharfstein said the four “have proven to be exceptional corporate finance professionals.”

Swander Pace: Alex Litt and Robert Vassel

Private equity firm Swander Pace Capital, which focuses on the consumer space, announced the promotions of Alex Litt and Robert Vassel. Litt has been promoted to director after joining the firm in 2013. He has worked on 12 portfolio company investments, a press release said. Robert Vassel, meanwhile, has been promoted to director of Business Development & Growth. He joined the firm in 2016 and has focused on closing new investments and working closely with portfolio companies.

Prairie Capital Advisors: David Horvath

David Horvath has been hired at corporate advisory and investment banking firm Prairie Capital, according to an announcement. Horvath, a CPA, is joining the firm as managing director, a role in which he will focus on ESOP advisory services and sustainability. Prairie said the addition of Horvath will also enable the firm to broaden service offerings to include compensation and employee benefit consulting services, while supporting its focus on connecting to prospective ownership transition clients.

Cascadia Capital: Kerri Hagen and Jim Stone

Investment banking firm Cascadia Capital announced two new hires this month.

The first is Jim Stone, who joins the firm’s Austin office as managing director in its technology practice. He’ll focus on M&A, capital raise and corporate finance advisory services to the software and technology-enabled services spaces in a variety of end markets, including FinTech and healthcare IT.

The second is Kerri Hagen, who joins the firm’s Financial Sponsor Coverage group as a director. She’ll focus on expanding the platform by strengthening relationships with middle-market private equity firms and other investors in the Northeast, a press release said. She joins the firm from Gemspring Capital.

Kian Capital: Caldwell Zimmerman and Carter Fields

Private investment firm Kian Capital Partners has promoted Caldwell Zimmerman to Principal and Carter Fields to Senior Associate, according to an announcement sent to Middle Market Growth. Both Zimmerman and Fields will source, execute and manage new and existing investments; Zimmerman will take a greater role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction, while Fields was described as Kian cofounder and partner Kevin McCarthy as “an indispensable member” of several portfolio companies’ management teams. The promotions come as Kian gears up for continued growth this year, the firm noted.

Audax Strategic Capital: Brian Doherty and Grant Chryssicas

Audax Strategic Capital, which provides mid-hold capital solutions for private equity sponsors investing in middle-market businesses, announced the hiring of Brian Doherty and Grant Chryssicas. Doherty will join the firm as a vice president, coming from DWS Private Equity where he also served as a VP.

Chryssicas joins as an associate from AGC Partners, where he served as a technology and growth equity investment banker. Audax Strategic Capital launched last month from Audax Group to serve as a partner to financial sponsors.