Eaton Expands Professional Staff to Support the Firm’s Operations, and Strengthen its Origination, Execution and Distribution Capabilities

ROWAYTON, Conn., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Partners, a leading global placement agent, is pleased to announce the addition of several key professionals to their Rowayton, London and Shanghai offices. Joseph Scanlon and Ajay Ahuja based in Rowayton, Silvia Calvo-Alcala and Charles Vernudachi based in London, and Chris Lerner, based in Shanghai, have all recently joined Eaton Partners to support the firm’s operations, and strengthen its global origination, execution and distribution capabilities.

Rowayton, CT

Joe Scanlon joins Eaton as a Partner in hedge fund/liquid products distribution and brings over 33 years of experience in asset management.  Prior, Joe was a Principal at CRT, where he formed CRT's asset management platform, Harbor Drive Asset Management.  Previously, he served for 22 years as a Member of the Board of Directors, Managing Director/Director of Marketing and Sales at Ark Asset Management Co., Inc.  Prior to Ark Asset Management, he worked at Lehman Management Company as a Senior Vice President.  Joe began his career in the asset management sector in 1972 with Citibank.  

Ajay Ahuja joins Eaton Partners as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, with 20 years of professional experience in managing, accounting, finance, operations, and compliance functions for financial institutions and alternative asset managers. Prior, Ajay was the Chief Financial Officer for Sagard Capital, a private equity fund investing in publicly traded small-cap companies.  Previously, he held financial leadership roles for Singer Partners (recently acquired by William Blair), a start-up global macro hedge fund, Vertical Capital, a structured product and distressed asset manager, and Five Mile Capital Partners, a fixed income hedge fund and private equity firm.

London

Silvia Calvo-Alcala will focus on European distribution efforts and brings over 10 years of private equity experience. Prior, Silvia worked at Jefferies Fund Placement Group (formerly Helix), CBRE Investors (Investor Relations) and Bear Stearns Private Funds Group (formerly Crane Capital) where she played a key role in European origination and distribution. Previously, she worked in Leveraged Finance at Citigroup. Silvia began her career in Audit at Arthur Andersen in Spain.

Charles Vernudachi will focus on European hedge fund/liquid products distribution and brings over 10 years of institutional marketing experience. Prior, he worked at Key Asset Management (SEB Group) where he was responsible for the distribution of a variety of alternative funds to European investors. Previously, he was a partner and co-founder of Fairway Capital Partners (UK) LLP, a London based placement agent focused on hedge fund distribution. Before founding Fairway, Charles was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs where he spent more than 6 years in Fixed Income Sales.

Shanghai

Chris Lerner will be responsible for leading the firm's origination and execution of alternative funds in Asia. He brings over 13 years of investment banking and direct investment experience with over $10 billion in completed transactions.   Prior,  Chris was a Managing Partner for Mercer Street Capital, an independent strategic advisory and investment firm specializing in 'venture to growth' capital and cross-border transactions between the US and Asia. He started his career with Citigroup and its predecessor firm, Salomon Smith Barney. He was the firm's first investment banking expatriate based in Mainland China and helped establish the department's Asia Pacific Financial Institutions Group.

In addition to these new senior hires, Eaton has also added several Associates in its Rowayton, CT office.  Christie Czernik and Andrew Symons join the team as Project Management Associates, focusing on the firm's origination efforts and the execution of various alternative funds marketed by the firm. In addition, Melissa Iorio joins as a Distribution Associate, supporting the firm's general distribution efforts.

Christie has over five years of experience in financial services, specifically in Investor Relations for hedge funds, and most recently served as an Investor Relations Analyst at Owl Creek Asset Management.  Andrew, who began his career in the advertising and marketing field, previously worked in Private Banking at Credit Suisse, where he designed and implemented asset allocations for high net worth individuals and middle market institutions.  Melissa brings several years of experience in the financial services industry and formerly served as a Marketing and Investor Relations Associate at FirstMark Capital, a venture capital firm in New York City.

Charlie Eaton, founder of Eaton Partners, said, "We are pleased to add such seasoned professionals to our already talented team. Joe possesses invaluable relationships and years of experience and expertise, strategically enhancing the team's distribution and management efforts. Ajay is a distinguished leader who exemplifies the firm's dedication to strengthening all facets of our operations. In bringing Chris, Silvia, and Charles on board, we are further solidifying our commitment to growing our global franchise. Each addition provides a valuable skill set and years of proven experience. We all look forward to our shared success."

Eaton Partners has experienced increased demand for its alternative fund offerings in the past 12 months, and has therefore strengthened its organization to better capitalize upon these fundraising opportunities and the increased demand for global placement agents.

About Eaton Partners

The Firm is a leading alternative asset placement agent, having raised over $33 billion of institutional capital across 70 funds. Since its founding in 1983, Eaton Partners has been dedicated to raising capital for investment managers throughout private equity, real estate, real assets and hedge fund/liquid strategies. Eaton Partners' global platform consists of 50 employees located in five offices: Rowayton, Connecticut; Houston, Texas; La Jolla, California; London; and Shanghai.  Eaton is currently distributing 16 alternative investment funds, targeting over $8.0 billion of capital.  To learn more, please visit www.eatonpartnersllc.com.

For more information, please contact:

Jeffrey S. Davis
Eaton Partners, LLC
Rowayton, CT
(203)831-2970
[email protected]

SOURCE Eaton Partners, LLC