On the Move: September 2025 Hires and Promotions
Private equity firms, law firms, lenders, and others announced new hires and promotions this month
VSS Capital Partners: Brian Dreher and Elizabeth Green
VSS Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on healthcare, education, and business services, announced two new hires this month. Brian Dreher was announced as the firm’s Controller, replacing Michael Ambrose, who will be retiring at the end of the year. He joins the firm from Tiger Management. Elizabeth Green, meanwhile, has joined the firm as Vice President of Investor Relations. In the position, Green will focus on investor engagement and communications. She joins VSS from H.I.G. Capital, where she served as Vice President, Capital Formation.
BCI Private Equity: Nikhil Hanmantgad
Canada-based institutional investor British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) announced this month that Nikhil Hanmantgad has joined the firm’s private equity unit, BCI Private Equity. Hanmantgad joins as Managing Director, a role in which he will identify and execute new investments in global healthcare. He will also lead value creation opportunities within the firm’s existing healthcare portfolio. Hanmantgad brings two decades of experience in healthcare investing and operating. Most recently, he served at UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala as Private Equity Senior Principal. There, he helped lead the fund’s U.S. healthcare team.
Metropolitan Partners Group: Michael Egan
Private investment firm Metropolitan Partners Group, an investment firm that provides growth and situational capital to sponsored and non-sponsored small and mid-sized businesses, has announced the hiring of Michael Egan as Chief Data and Technology Officer. The newly created role will see Egan oversee data integration and automation across a variety of operations at Metropolitan Partners, including investments, asset management, finance, and investor relations. Egan has three decades of experience in data and technology transformation within the financial services and alternative investment management spaces. He joins the firm from Atalaya Capital Management, where he served as Director of Technology.
Perkins Coie: Jeff Beuche
Veteran M&A partner Jeff Beuche has rejoined global law firm Perkins Coie, according to a press release this month. Beuche returns to the firm at its Denver office, where he had previously led its M&A practice. His experience includes representing clients across a variety of sectors, including technology, software, semiconductors, healthcare, life sciences, retail, consumer products, agriculture, energy, and natural resources, the announcement noted. Perkins Coie noted that Beuche’s return to the firm follows several additional hires to its M&A and private equity practices earlier this year at its Dallas and Austin offices.
Percheron Capital: Manish Goyal
Manish Goyal has been named the newest Managing Director and Head of the Portfolio Support Group at Percheron Capital, a private equity firm focused on the essential services sector. As lead of the firm’s Portfolio Support Group, Goyal will focus on executing tailored value creation models to support organic growth and M&A for existing portfolio companies. Goyal brings more than 25 years of experience to the firm, having most recently served as an Operating Partner at Berkshire Partners. There, he oversaw value creation for the firm’s investments in software and tech-enabled services.
William Blair: Daniel Nilsson
Investment bank William Blair announced this month that Daniel Nilsson has joined as Managing Director within its Financial Sponsors Group. The hire expands William Blair’s private equity footprint in the Nordic region, with Nilsson based in Stockholm, where he will focus on delivering integrated advisory services to PE clients in the region, according to a press release. Nilsson joins with more than 20 years of experience advising private equity firms and other financial sponsors across the Nordic region and Europe. He most recently served as a partner at ABG Sundal Collier.
Avante Capital Partners: Chaz Cocuzza
Avante Capital Partners, a lower middle-market private equity firm, announced the hiring of Chaz Cocuzza this month. Cocuzza joins the firm as Managing Director, bringing more than two decades of experience in the lower middle-market private equity and private credit sector. He most recently served at Apogem Capital as a Managing Director.
Godspeed Capital Management: Dean Demetri
Dean Demetri has joined Godspeed Capital Management, a middle-market private equity firm focused on the defense and government services sectors, according to a LinkedIn post this month. Demetri joins the firm as Vice President of Business Development, bringing five years of investment banking and advisory experience within the defense and government space. Godspeed noted in its announcement that Demetri’s addition follows the recent hiring of Michael Roualet as Principal.
Athena Capital: Serena Dayal and Avi Golan
Global investment platform Athena Capital, which focuses on tech-enabled services preparing for an IPO or strategic exit, has announced two new hires. Serena Dayal and Avi Golan have each joined Athena as Investment Partners, a role in which they will source technology investments for the firm with a focus on cybersecurity, AI, software, and healthcare.
Dayal brings nearly 20 years of capital markets, M&A, and investing experience to Athena, having most recently served as a Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund. There, she led late-stage investments in high-growth technology companies. Golan brings more than 30 years of experience in the technology sector to the firm. He joins from serving as the CEO of Sygnia, a Temasek portfolio cyber technology and services company.
CenterOak Partners: Rich Reuter and Chris Golz
Private equity firm CenterOak Partners, based in Dallas, has announced two new additions. Rich Reuter has joined as Managing Director, while Chris Golz has joined as Chief Financial Officer. Reuter’s role will focus on providing senior support for the investment process, including deal origination, execution, and portfolio company value creation. He joins the firm from Garnett Station Partners, a lower middle-market investment firm, where he served as a Managing Director. Golz joins the firm from his previous role as CFO and Chief Compliance Officer at Latticework Capital Management, a lower middle-market private equity firm also based in Dallas. He brings more than a decade of experience in fund operations, financial reporting, and compliance to CenterOak.
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