Tech-focused growth equity investment firm Edison Partners has appointed Ben Laufer as a Principal in the firm’s investment team. Laufer is the firm’s tenth new hire in the last 18 months following last week’s appointment of three investment and value creation professionals.

Allen & Overy (A&O) has appointed Kfir Abutbul as Head of US Energy Private Equity and a partner in its US Corporate Private Equity and M&A practice. Abutbul joins from Paul Hastings, where he was Vice Chair of the Energy & Infrastructure practice.

Valor Capital Group (Valor), a cross-border venture capital and growth equity firm focused on the United States, Brazil, and Latin American technology markets, has appointed Paulo Passoni as a Managing Partner. 

Kainos Capital, a food and consumer-focused private equity firm, has appointed Doug Reader as a Senior Managing Director. Reader will lead the firm’s Operations Team and serve as a strategic partner to portfolio companies.

Gen II Fund Services, an independent private capital fund administrator, has appointed Marlene Pelage as the firm’s  new Chief Financial Officer, effective 31 July. Pelage joins Gen II from IPG Mediabrands where she served as Global CFO.

Crestbridge has appointed Stacey Moody as a Director in its Corporate Services team. Moody will be responsible for supporting the needs of Crestbridge’s global corporate client base, and evolving the business’s existing suite of services and solutions. Moody has over 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry, during which

Global financial services provider Apex Group Ltd has appointed Qasir Bashir as Country Head – Denmark, with responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the firm’s single-source solution to Danish clients.

MidOcean Partners, a New York-based alternative asset manager specialising in middle-market private equity and alternative credit investments, has appointed John B Kahan, former Chief Data Analytics Officer of Microsoft, as an Operating Partner.

Dan Dickinson, Managing Partner at HCI Equity Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm that focuses on partnering with founder-owned distribution, manufacturing and service companies, is to transition to the role of Executive Chairman.