Vestar Capital Partners has promoted John Stephens to Co-Head of the firm’s Business Services and Industrial Products Group, Ben Funk to Vice President, and Jonathan Williams to Senior Associate.
Mr. Stephens, a Managing Director of the firm, joined Vestar in 2006. He has been a member of the Business Services and Industrial Products Group for several years and has also served in Vestar’s Consumer group. Before joining Vestar, he was a member of the leveraged finance group at Wachovia Securities and also worked at L.E.K. Consulting. He has a BA from Middlebury College.
“John has brought insightful thinking and outstanding execution to the Business Services and Industrial Products Group,” said Rob Rosner, Co-President of Vestar and a founding partner of the firm as well as head of the Business Services and Industrial Products Group. “His promotion to co-head of the group is a recognition of the value he has delivered to Vestar and our investors.” Nearly half of Vestar’s investments over time have been in the Business Services and Industrial Products sectors, including business services companies such as Institutional Shareholder Services, Presence Marketing, and Duff & Phelps; industrial and commercial products companies such as Mobile Technologies, Argo-Tech, Prestone, AZ Electronic Materials, and Wabtec; and financial services companies such as Triton and Wilton Re.
Mr. Funk, most recently a Senior Associate at Vestar, joined the firm in 2012 as an Associate. Previously he was an analyst at Perella Weinberg Partners, where he focused on a wide range of M&A and restructuring transactions. Mr. Funk has a BS degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
“Ben has shown outstanding performance, diligence, and promise since he joined our firm,” said Brian O’Connor, Managing Director and co-head of the Consumer Group. “Attracting and developing talent has always been a hallmark of Vestar and we consider Ben to be a fine example of the depth of our bench and the strength of our teams at every level.”
Mr. Williams joined Vestar in 2014 as an Associate. Prior to Vestar, he was an analyst at Moelis & Company, where he executed a number of M&A and restructuring transactions across a variety of sectors, including healthcare, telecommunications, and consumer/retail. Mr. Williams has a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania.
“Since joining Vestar, Jonathan has made a tremendous contribution to the firm and distinguished himself with his energy and dedication,” said Ken O’Keefe, Managing Director and COO of Vestar. “He excels as a member of several Vestar teams and provides essential support for the firm’s initiatives. We congratulate him on his well-deserved promotion.”
Vestar specializes in management buyouts and growth capital investments. The firm targets equity investments from $50 million to $150 million in middle-market companies with enterprise values ranging from $250 million to $1 billion. Sectors of interest include consumer; diversified industries; healthcare; and financial services. Since the firm’s founding in 1988, Vestar has completed more than 78 investments in companies with a total value of more than $40 billion. Vestar has offices in New York, Boston, and Denver (www.vestarcapital.com).
© 2017 Private Equity Professional | February 7, 2017
