On the Move: March 2024 Hires and Promotions
New hires and promotions across private equity, law firms, lenders, investment banks and other M&A partners
BGL: Jason Myler
Investment bank and financial advisory firm Brown Gibbons Lang & Company announced the hiring of Jason Myler as its newest managing director in the firm’s Technology team. BGL established its Technology vertical launched last year to enhance the firm’s advisory services to middle-market businesses. Myler brings more than 25 years of experience advising vertical software clients in buy- and sell-side M&A, as well as in private. Capital raising and debt capital markets transactions. His expertise in vertical market software spans the real estate, restaura,t retail, travel and hospitality markets, a press release said.
Wells Fargo Insurance: Richard Colton
Wells Fargo Insurance has hired a new head of its Mergers and Acquisitions Industry Practice. Richard Colton is joining the firm to support Wells Fargo Insurance’s middle-market and large corporate customers pursuing private equity-related opportunities through insurance, risk, due diligence and employee benefit solution offerings. He will also lead the practice’s sales and growth initiatives, a press release noted. Colton is based in New York.
JLL Partners: Vikas Mouli and James Shillito
New York-based middle-market private equity firm JLL Partners has named two new managing director promotions. Vikas Mouli and James Shillito have been appointed to the new position. Mouli first joined the firm in 2017 as vice president, focusing on healthcare investments. Shillito joined in 2022 as a principal and similarly focuses on healthcare investments. JLL targets the healthcare, aerospace and defense, and business services markets. In a statement, JLL Managing Partner Dan Agroskin said he is confident that Mouli and Shillito “will continue to be important contributors to JLL’s focus of building industry-leading healthcare companies.”
True Wind Capital: Emily M. Brakebill
True Wind Capital, a private investment firm focused on the technology space, announced the hiring of Emily M. Brakebill as partner and head of investor relations. She will join the firm’s Investment Committee, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the financial services space. She most recently served at HMI Capital Management, where she was a cofounding partner. There, she held the positions of partner, head of investor relations, COO and CCO. “I look forward to broadening the firm’s network of investment partners,” Brakebill said in a statement.
Deerpath Capital: Tai Watanabe
Deerpath Capital Management, a cash flow-based senior debt financing company targeting the lower middle-market in North America, is expanding its operations into Japan, and has hired Tai Watanabe as senior vice president to support that expansion. Watanabe will be based in Tokyo and marks the firm’s first hire for its Japan Investor Partnerships team. In Tokyo, Watanabe will develop and maintain relationships with investors in the country and across the Asia region, a press release said. In a statement, Deerpath global head of investor relations and capital formation Antonella Napolitano said the firm’s expansion into Japan is “a response to heightened demand for performing private credit products across our growing network of institutional and private wealth investors in the APAC region.”
Legacy Corporate Lending: Sean Spring
Legacy Corporate Lending, an asset-based lending firm that launched in May of 2023 with the support of Bain Capital Credit, has hired Sean Spring as its executive vice president of portfolio management. He will be based in Plano, Texas and will lead efforts to maintain compliance with the firm’s Portfolio Management Guidelines and Credit Policies for existing and new transactions. Spring first began his career in asset-based lending with Heller Financial, according to an announcement.
HighPost Capital: Jay Steinle
Jay Steinle has been named as managing director and head of investor relations at consumer-focused private investment firm HighPost Capital, according to a recent announcement. At the firm, Steinle will lead fundraising and investor relations activities. He’ll be based in West Palm Beach, bringing two decades of investor relations and institutional fundraising experience. He most recently served as partner of investor relations at lower middle-market private equity firm Atlantic Street Capital.
Wynnchurch Capital: Mike MacKay, et. al.
Wynnchurch Capital, a middle-market private equity firm, announced a slew of promotions this month. They include MikeMacKay, promoted to principal on the investment team; Ramsay McLearie, promoted to principal on the business development team; Ben Cherry and Chris Waldock, both promoted to vice president on the investment team; and Evan Kluck, promoted to senior associate on the investment team. In a statement, managing partner Chris O’Brien pointed to the newly-promoted’s “performance, work ethic and dedication” to the Wynnchurch team.
O’Melveny: James Brownstein
Law firm O’Melveny has hired private equity partner James Brownstein at its Century City office, according to a press release this month. In the firm’s Private Equity Group, Brownstein will support expanding the firm’s M&A offerings on the west coast. He joins the firm with extensive experience in both the northern and southern California markets, particularly pertaining to middle-market M&A platform and add-on acquisitions, the announcement noted. He joins the firm from his previous role at Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in its M&A/Private Equity practice.
Freshfields: Neal J. Reenan and Ian N. Bushner
Law firm Freshfields announced this month two new private equity M&A hires. The firm has named Neal J. Reenan and Ian N. Bushner as partners at the New York office. Reenan is joining as global c-head of private capital, while Bushner is joining as head of U.S. private capital. Both have more than two decades of experience representing global, U.S. large cap and middle-market private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on various strategic matters, a press release noted. “Their history of recruiting, developing and leading diverse cross-functional, cross-geography client teams fits incredibly well with how Freshfields practices,” stated the firm’s global co-heads of private capital Charles Hayes and Arend von Riegen of the new hires.
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