Peak Rock Capital has appointed Jim Lott as Managing Director of Peak Growth Consulting LLC (PGC), a Peak Rock subsidiary that provides operational expertise to the firm’s portfolio companies.Lott joins from GTCR, where he spent the last seven years as Chief Information Officer. As CIO, he worked with GTCR and their portfolio companies to drive value creation initiatives, evaluate investments, and enhance cybersecurity. Drawing on Lott’s extensive experience leading operational initiatives, he will focus on enhancing the firm’s technology related capabilities and execution within its portfolio.   Lott says: “I’m thrilled to join the Peak Rock family. They have built

Leading global investor services group IQ-EQ is expanding its Luxembourg senior team with the appointment of senior director Bram Eijsbouts as its new Head of Business Development. Eijsbouts will report directly to Fèmy Mouftaou, IQ-EQ Luxembourg’s chief commercial director. This newly created position reflects the increasing market opportunity identified in the sector, both in Luxembourg and more broadly across the global group. An experienced commercial director with a demonstrated international track record of 17+ years in the financial and corporate services sector, Eijsbouts has held a number of strategically important commercial roles, each of which arm him with the necessary skills

Blackstone has appointed John Stecher, formerly Group Chief Technology Officer and Group Chief Innovation Officer at Barclays, as Chief Technology Officer. Stecher will lead Blackstone’s global technology organisation and help advise the firm’s investing teams and portfolio companies on technology-related matters. He will report to Michael Chae, Blackstone’s Chief Financial Officer, and will begin this role on 24 February. He succeeds Bill Murphy, who led Blackstone’s best-in-class technology platform over the past eight years. Murphy will continue to serve as a Senior Advisor to the firm as well as serve on the boards of various Blackstone portfolio companies. Jon Gray, Blackstone

Pappas Capital, an investor in early-stage life sciences companies, has appointed Karen LeVert as Venture Partner to help lead the expansion of the firm’s Specialised Fund Management business, with a focus on identifying attractive investment opportunities in agricultural and other related technologies. LeVert has a track record of progressing early stage technologies from university research labs to commercialisation, and most recently co-founded two independent innovation labs, Southeast TechInventures (STI) and Ag TechInventures, LLC (AgTI). “Karen is a highly accomplished entrepreneur, whose significant experience developing early stage companies and meaningful impact on the Research Triangle community will be invaluable as we expand

Graycliff Partners has appointed Ryan Supple as a Principal of the firm.  Supple, former Vice President at HKW, will primarily support the deal sourcing function of Graycliff’s private equity business.At HKW, Supple helped manage business development and deal sourcing efforts, including evaluation of acquisition opportunities and coordination of the deal flow process. Prior to joining HKW, Ryan developed and led the deal generation function at HBM Holdings Company. Ryan holds an MBA from The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and a finance degree from the University of Kentucky.    “We are fortunate to have Ryan joining the team,”

Riverwood Capital, a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, middle-market companies in the technology, technology-enabled, and other related industries, has promoted Harish Belur, Joaquim Lima, and Scott Ransenberg to Partner.“During the past decade, Harish, Joaquim, and Scott have significantly contributed to building the Riverwood platform, not only as great technology investors but also as experienced operators who have helped our portfolio companies scale their operations,” says Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, Co-Founding Partner and Managing Partner at Riverwood Capital. “These promotions are not only a recognition of their hard work, but also reflect their leadership and ability to continue expanding our franchise.

Praesidian Capital, a provider of capital for small and mid-sized businesses, has promoted Bill Johnston from Senior Associate to Vice President.Johnston joined Praesidian in 2016 with three years of investment banking experience. In his time with the firm, he has undertaken financial analysis, due diligence, execution of new investments, and investor communications, along with monitoring Praesidian’s portfolio. In the past year, he has made significant contributions to the firm’s recently launched private equity strategy. “Bill has continued to prove himself at Praesidian and we look forward to his continued contributions to our success,” says Jason Drattell, Founder and Managing Partner

Global law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has hired Anton Chambers as a partner in the firm’s London office.Chambers, previously at Clifford Chance, is an experienced aviation finance lawyer who advises financial institutions, arrangers, owners, lessors, operators, insurers and OEMs in respect of the full range of asset financing techniques. He will focus largely on servicing clients throughout EMEA. BCLP’s global transport and asset finance practice regularly works on market-leading, innovative and complex aviation, shipping and rail sector financings.    BCLP has dedicated aviation financing practitioners throughout North America, Europe (London, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg), Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore,

City law firm McCarthy Denning has appointed Guy Avshalom as its Head of TMT (Technology, Media and Telecoms). Avshalom, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry who served as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Lionsgate UK for nearly a decade, has strengthened McCarthy Denning’s venture capital (VC) and private equity practices in the TMT sectors.   With 20 years’ experience structuring and negotiating cross-border deals at the forefront of the media and technology industries, Avshalom specialises in resolving complex transactional matters as he possesses a unique skill and insight into the interplay between the legal and business worlds.

After a strong 2019, GP Bullhound has made a number of significant promotions across its Investment Banking, Investment Management, Marketing and Strategy teams.Jonathan Cantwell promoted to Partner, Investment Banking Based in our San Francisco office, with 15 years of technology investment banking experience, Cantwell leads our efforts in the SaaS sector. Jon has completed over 70 transactions with public and private technology companies, including many cross-border deals. Recent transactions include advising Partnerize, EcoVadis, AppBuddy, Falcon.io, Synthesio, Rant & Rave and TextRecruit.   Iman Crisby promoted to Executive Director, Marketing Having joined the firm in 2013, Crisby is in charge of