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Ata Invest loses managing director

Mehmet Sami, the managing director and executive board member of Ata Invest, has left Ata to pursue other opportunities in the private equity advisory sector.

Operating Partners Forum: LPs demand value-add details

Fund managers are increasingly expected to explain precisely how they created operational value in portfolios, according to speakers and delegates at PEI’s 2012 Operating Partners Forum.

First Round: Green unpleasant land

When The Blackstone Group’s Chad Pike – a US national who was previously co-head of the firm’s real estate arm and is now vice-chairman of Blackstone Europe – bought a family home in Edington, a tiny Wilshire village not far from Stonehenge, he probably thought he was acquiring a little slice of English country paradise (albeit largely for weekend use only).

Yucaipa gains Altius’ former head of Europe

Michael Russell, former head of Europe for Altius Associates, has resurfaced at billionaire supermarket mogul Ron Burkle’s private equity firm.

Threadneedle bolsters emerging market debt team

Following a restructuring, Threadneedle Investments has bolstered its emerging markets debt capabilities by hiring John Peta from Acadian Asset Management.

Biden goes after carry in VP debate

Thursday night’s Vice Presidential debate included a pointed reference to carried interest’s tax treatment, which Vice President Joe Biden referred to as a loophole.

Jim Schiro named to CVC advisory board

Former PricewaterhouseCoopers CEO Jim Schiro has been appointed to CVC's advisory board as the firm sets out to deploy $6bn in uninvested capital.

PA State Employees’ hires alternatives professional

Michael Beblo, former head of private equity at the Alfred l. duPont Testamentary Trust, has joined the system as a director on the alternatives team.

Sykes becomes chairman of SVG

The appointment of Andrew Sykes follows the decision of current chairman Nicholas Ferguson to retire from the board.

Internal e-mails used in collusion case

Private equity executives’ emails are being used as evidence that some of the world’s most prominent firms allegedly colluded on mega-buyouts between 2003 and 2007, in an effort to drive down prices and limit competition.