Variant Investments Names Kristi Combs Chief Operating Officer, Expands Teams Amid Growth of Interval Fund Strategies

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Variant Investments, LLC (Variant), an employee-controlled alternative credit and interval fund specialist, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Kristi Combs as chief operating officer, a new position. Variant also hired four more new employees in October across the firm's investment, operations and investor relations teams.

Combs joined Portland, Oregon-based Variant on Oct. 30 and is part of the firm's management team that consists of Bob Elsasser, Curt Fintel, and J.B. Hayes, principals and co-founders. She has more than 25 years of public and private industry experience, including 18 years of senior level roles serving family offices.

Variant's client assets have increased to more than $3 billion as of Oct. 31, 2023 from $2.3 billion at year end 2022, and this year alone the firm has expanded its team to 24 from 15. In addition to Combs, the following employees joined Variant in October:

• Joe Forgione, senior vice president, risk management
• Lauren Bean, vice president, forensic audit
• Courtney Warren, vice president, investor relations
• Jordan Skipper, associate, operations

"We're pleased to attract these five talented professionals to our growing investment boutique," Elsasser said. "Kristi's leadership acumen will help us identify and execute on the opportunities for continued growth. Joe and Lauren deepen our investment expertise, and Courtney and Jordan broaden Variant's investor relations and operations resources."

Variant seeks to invest in uncorrelated income-generating assets in niche private markets, offering its strategies to investors, primarily registered investment advisors, through institutional closed-end interval funds.

The Variant Alternative Income Fund (NICHX), with nearly $3 billion in assets, was introduced as an interval fund on Oct. 1, 2018. It invests in specialty finance, litigation finance, royalties, and other income-generating opportunities outside the investment mainstream. The Variant Impact Fund (IMPCX), with more than $55 million in assets, was launched on Nov. 1, 2021 and seeks to provide a high level of current income. The Variant Impact Fund also aims to target investment opportunities that support financial inclusion, equitable growth, and responsible consumption, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Before joining Variant, Combs was managing director and head of client relations at Greycourt & Co., Inc., an independent financial advisory firm serving family offices and ultra high net worth individuals. Earlier, she was director of marketing for CTC Consulting, Inc. and a key accounts manager at Schwab Institutional. She has a bachelor's degree in finance from Miami University in Ohio.

Forgione was an investment manager at Bohemian Asset Management, a Forbes 400 Family Office, before joining Variant. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and an MBA, both from the University of Portland.

Bean served as chief financial officer for Sortis Capital before joining Variant and before that held several accounting roles. She is a CPA and received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Portland State University.

Before joining Variant, Warren worked for NYDIG in institutional sales. Earlier she was an associate for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. She has a bachelor's degree in law, letters, and society from the University of Chicago.

Skipper worked as a staff accountant at Capstone CPA before joining Variant. Previously, he was a U.S. Army officer. He has a bachelor's degree in history from Oregon State University and is currently pursuing an MBA from there.

About Variant Investments

Established in 2017, Variant Investments is an employee-controlled SEC-registered alternative credit manager. Variant's strategies are focused on uncorrelated income-generating private investments in niche markets and are offered to investors through institutional closed-end interval funds. For more information, visit www.variantinvestments.com.

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An investment in the Fund is speculative, involves substantial risks. The Variant Alternative Income Fund and the Variant Impact Fund are continuously offered, non-diversified, registered closed-end funds with limited liquidity. There is no guarantee the Funds will achieve their objectives. An investment in the Funds should only be made by investors who understand the risks involved, who are able to withstand the loss of the entire amount invested and who can bear the risks associated with the limited liquidity of Shares. A prospective investor must meet the definition of "accredited investor" under Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933.

Shares are an illiquid investment. You should generally not expect to be able to sell your Shares (other than through the repurchase process), regardless of how the Funds perform. Although the Funds are required to implement a Share repurchase program only a limited number of Shares will be eligible for repurchase by the Funds. 

Before investing you should carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. This and other information is in the prospectus, a copy of which may be obtained from (877) 770-7717 or www.variantinvestments.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.

Foreside Fund Services, LLC, distributor. 

SOURCE Variant Investments, LLC