Greg Best, CFA, Joins Kayne Anderson Rudnick as Director, Institutional Sales, Western U.S.

LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS), today announced that Greg Best has joined its Institutional Client Services team in the new position of director, institutional sales. He is responsible for representing Kayne Anderson Rudnick's asset management strategies to institutional clients and consultants in the Western United States.

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Best reports to Stephen A. Rigali, executive vice president. "Greg has a strong background in both consultant and client relations," said Rigali. "We are confident that his extensive knowledge and strong relationships across the institutional marketplace will help us cultivate and grow this important area of our asset management business."

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson Rudnick, Best was director of institutional sales and client service for Rainier Investment Management, where he was responsible for consultant relations, sales, and client service efforts with West Coast-based corporations and endowments. Prior to Rainier, he spent more than nine years with AllianceBernstein as part of the institutional sales and client service team focused primarily on defined contribution investment-only relationships. He began his investment career at Oppenheimer Funds working with registered investment advisors and other financial intermediaries.

Best earned a B.S.B.A., with a major in finance and a minor in English, from the University of Florida and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder, a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) charterholder, and a member of both the CFA Institute and CAIA Association.

About Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management

Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management is a registered investment advisor based in Los Angeles, California, with more than $5 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2011. The firm's clients include affluent individuals, endowments, foundations, corporations, public funds, and pension plans for whom it manages a range of portfolios having a common disciplined, high-quality investment philosophy. It is an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners.

About Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.

Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. The company provides investment management products and services through its affiliated managers and select subadvisers, each with a distinct investment style, autonomous investment process and individual brand. Virtus Investment Partners offers access to a variety of investment styles across multiple disciplines to meet a wide array of investor needs. Additional information can be found at www.virtus.com.

SOURCE Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.