On the Move: October 2025 Hires and Promotions

ArcLight Capital Partners: Sara Graziano

ArcLight Capital Partners, an investment firm focused on infrastructure, has announced the hiring of Sara Graziano as its newest partner. She brings more than two decades of industry and investment experience to the firm, particularly in the areas of power, battery storage, renewable, and energy environmental. Most recently, Graziano was at SER Capital Partners, where she served as Partner and Chief Investment Officer, originating and executing investments, as well as managing the firm’s portfolio.

Thoma Bravo: Jeff Levin and Kunal Soni

Software-focused investment firm Thoma Bravo has announced two new hires to expand its private credit platform. The firm has welcomed Jeff Levin and Kunal Soni, both Morgan Stanley executives, as partners on the Thoma Bravo Credit platform, with Levin joining as head of the platform. Levin comes to Thoma Bravo from Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Private Credit business, of which he was a founder. He most recently served as Co-Head of the firm’s North America Private Credit platform. Soni joins Thoma Bravo from Morgan Stanley, where he served as Morgan Stanley Investment Management’s Private Credit business Head of the Western Region and Technology Lending.

CriticalPoint: Alexander Chefetz

CriticalPoint, an investment banking and private credit platform, has welcomed Alexander Chefetz to its Investment Banking practice in New York. Chefetz joins as Managing Director. In the position he will focus on sourcing and executing mergers and acquisitions, as well as financing transactions, in the consumer sector. Chefetz brings more than three decades of experience in the middle market to the role, most recently focused on the consumer and business services sector at Cowen, Lazard, and Thomas Weisel Partners.

BayPine: Amy Harsch

BayPine, a private investment firm, has named Amy Harsch as its newest Partner, Head of Capital Formation and Investor Relations. In the role, Harsch will oversee the firm’s fundraising and investor engagement strategy. She is based in New York and brings more than 20 years of experience in capital formation and investor relations. That experience includes 15 years at American Securities, where her most recent role was a Managing Director, leading fundraising, investor relations, marketing, and public relations. She also led several fundraises.

Colbeck Capital: Michael Smith

Colbeck Capital Management, a private credit firm focused on strategic lending in the middle market, announced this month the hiring of Michael Smith. He joins as a managing director on the investment team, based in New York. Smith brings nearly two decades of experience in private credit and corporate lending across sponsored, non-sponsored, and special situations investment strategies. He comes from Muzinich & Co., where he served as co-head of its U.S. Private Debt strategy.

Barnes & Thornburg: Brantley Hawkins, David Sur, Drew Bader, and John Martin

Law firm Barnes & Thornburg is strengthening its funds platform with the addition of Brantley Hawkins as its newest partner in New York. Hawkins specializes in private funds and investment management, joining B&T from Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres, where he was a partner. He also served as a senior associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell. In addition to Hawkins, B&T also welcomed two corporate associates, David Sur and Drew Bader. They have similarly joined the firm’s New York office.

Separately, B&T also announced this month the hiring of John Martin as its newest partner in the Corporate Department in Chicago. Martin brings more than 20 years of experience to the firm, and joins from financial services-focused law firm Chapman and Cutler. His experience spans advising public and private companies, private equity firms, and high net-worth individuals on M&A transactions.

Nexa Equity: Peter Stefanski, Blake Shott, and Conor Barber

Private equity firm Nexa Equity announced three additions in San Francisco, hires that build on the firm’s recent $390 million fundraise for its Fund II. In a press release this month the firm said Peter Stefanski has joined as a partner, coming from Thoma Bravo and bringing nearly 15 years of experience in private equity. Nexa also announced Blake Shott has come on-board as a principal from Sumeru Equity Partners, where he served as a vice president and focused on sourcing, executing, and scaling investments in application software. Finally, the firm announced Conor Barber has joined the firm as its fourth dedicated operating partner. He will focus on technology and AI at Nexa, and he comes from Lead Edge Capital and LLR Partners.

Frost Brown Todd: Sarah Nasman

Sarah Nasman is the newest addition to Frost Brown Todd, a national corporate law firm. She joins as a partner in the firm’s Commercial Finance practice, bringing her experience in private credit and lower middle-market leveraged buyouts. Naseman joins the firm from Porter Hedges, where she served as a partner in Houston representing corporate clients on a variety of matters, including debt and equity finance.

Squire Patton Boggs: Heather E. Rees

Heather E. Rees is the newest addition to law firm Squire Patton Boggs, a recent announcement said. The firm welcomed Rees as its newest partner in the Financial Services Practice Group, joining Squire Patton Boggs’ global platform with a focus on the U.K. and U.S. Rees advises on a variety of cross-border financing transactions including private equity-led financings, leveraged buyouts, and others. She joins the firm from K&L Gates.

Windjammer Capital: Evan Klebe, Beth Lesniak, and Meredith Stein

Private equity investment firm Windjammer Capital, focused on control equity investments in the middle market, announced three additions to the firm. Evan Klebe and Beth Lesniak have joined as managing director and principal, respectively, on its investment team, while Meredith Stein has joined as Head of Investor Relations, according to a press release issued this month. Klebe joins from Beach Point Capital, where he helped found and lead its private equity group. Lesniak comes from Norwest Equity Partners and specializes in identifying, evaluating, and executing investments across a variety of sectors.

Middle Market Growth is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To learn more about the organization and how to become a member, visit www.acg.org.