Expands Senior Leadership Team with Hires of Francesca Merlino as Chief Commercial Officer and Joseph Wittmann as General Manager

NEW YORK—June 3, 2024—Hudson Yards Experiences (“HYE”), operator of Edge (the highest indoor/outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere), CityClimb (the world’s highest aerial adventure course) and Peak (restaurant, bar and private event business), today announced the appointment of longtime entertainment, media and sports executive, Andrew Lustgarten, to the new role of Executive Chairman of HYE.

Joining HYE’s newly created senior leadership team headed by Mr. Lustgarten are Francesca Merlino as Chief Commercial Officer and Joseph Wittmann as General Manager. The new appointments bolster HYE’s strong operating capabilities and team, positioning HYE’s portfolio of marquee New York City attractions for continued growth and success.

“HYE presents a tremendous opportunity to build upon a portfolio of already distinguished New York brands,” said Mr. Lustgarten. “Edge offers a unique experiential destination that we will continue to position at the forefront of New York City’s live entertainment market through fresh experiences and partnerships that make it a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike.”

“Andy’s proven track record of building businesses, driving synergies across multi-venue operating portfolios, and orchestrating inventive consumer activations uniquely position him to lead Edge’s multifaceted business,” said Blaine MacDougald, Partner and Co-Head of KKR’s Strategic Investments Group. “We are delighted to unveil HYE’s newly created senior leadership comprised of executives behind some of the world’s most successful entertainment properties.”

“Hudson Yards’ success is a testament to the visionary talent driving every aspect of the neighborhood, and our commitment to continually investing in forward-thinking leaders like Andy,” said Mike Gilbane, Senior Vice President, Related Companies. “Edge is one of New York City’s most recognizable experiences and we look forward to leveraging Andy’s unparalleled entertainment expertise, alongside our impressive group of new and existing team members, as we continue to grow the business.”

Biographies of HYE’s new senior leadership team:

Andrew Lustgarten, Executive Chairman

Mr. Lustgarten is an Executive Advisor to KKR focused on sports and entertainment investment opportunities and was most recently CEO and President of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. and President of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. where he oversaw the overall business strategy and day-to-day operations for the Companies’ wide range of entertainment franchises, including the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and Radio City Rockettes as well as world-class venues Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, The Hulu Theater, The Beacon Theatre, The Chicago Theater, The LA Forum and the development of first-of-its-kind, entertainment venue, Sphere. He was also responsible for leading efforts to identify new initiatives and investments to advance the Companies’ business, such as driving numerous landmark marketing partnership deals across MSG’s portfolio, overseeing MSG’s acquisition of Tao Hospitality Group and Hakkasan and investments in DraftKings and Townsquare Media.

Mr. Lustgarten remains a member of the MSG Sports board of directors and is a member of Parella Motorsports Holdings board of directors.  Prior to joining Madison Square Garden’s family of companies, Mr. Lustgarten held senior positions at the NBA and Cablevision. He also previously served on the board of governors for the NBA and the NHL, the board of directors of Tao Group Hospitality, Boston Calling Music Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Counter Logic Gaming. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Lustgarten Foundation, the world’s largest private funder of pancreatic cancer research.

Francesca Merlino, Chief Commercial Officer

Mrs. Merlino will join HYE in July from Hornblower Group where she serves as Chief Marketing Officer and is responsible for engaging over 22 million visitors annually across a global portfolio of travel and experience offerings. At Hornblower, she oversees the organization’s marketing strategy, communications, brand, digital, revenue optimization, and analytics teams. Before Hornblower, she spent seven years at The Madison Square Garden Company overseeing media planning and marketing for a diverse array of entertainment and sporting franchises including the Radio City Rockettes, the New York Knicks, and the New York Rangers, as well as over 250 events annually across MSG’s iconic New York and Chicago venues. She spent the first six years of her career in marketing at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. She is a graduate of Fordham University.

Joseph Wittmann, General Manager

Mr. Wittman has over 20 years of experience directing some of the U.S.’s most iconic venues and attractions, including over a decade at The Madison Square Garden Company where he managed renowned performance venues including the 3,600 seat Chicago Theatre and 2,900 seat Beacon Theatre. He spent nearly five years at The Shed, a multi-disciplinary non-profit cultural intuition at Hudson Yards, where he oversaw facilities and operations.

About Hudson Yards Experiences:

Hudson Yards Experiences operates Edge, CityClimb and Peak on behalf of a joint venture ownership group led by KKR and Related.

Edge is the highest indoor/outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere offering unparalleled 360-degree views of New York City’s iconic skyline. Rising 1,131 feet in the air and extending out 65 feet from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, the outdoor viewing area features a thrilling glass-floor, angled glass walls and outdoor skyline steps from the 100th to 101st floors. The venue’s cantilevered terrace is an iconic part of the New York’s skyline and is featured regularly in film and media worldwide. For more information, please visit: https://www.edgenyc.com/.

CityClimb is the highest open-air building ascent in the world. The aerial adventure course allows guests, secured by harness and escorted by certified guides, to scale the outside of a skyscraper more than 1,200 feet above ground, then lean out and look down from the highest outdoor platform in New York City. For more information, please visit: https://www.edgenyc.com/en/cityclimb.

Peak’s roughly 10,000 square foot restaurant, bar, café and private event space is located on the 101st Floor overlooking Edge. For more information, please visit: https://www.peaknyc.com/.

Media Contacts:

KKR

Miles Radcliffe-Trenner
(212) 750-8300
media@kkr.com

Related Companies

Kathleen Anne Corless
(212) 801-1000
communications@related.com

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CapMan Growth appoints Timo Larjomaa as Senior Advisor

Timo Larjomaa has been appointed as Senior Advisor for the CapMan Growth team. Timo has long experience in international asset management from Intermediate Capital Group (ICG), where he worked for many years, most recently as Managing Director, Head of Nordics. Timo currently works as a private investor and is a co-investor in CapMan Growth’s companies Silmäasema and Fennoa.

“Timo brings us valuable know-how related to international business, larger-scale business operations and especially software business and healthcare services. We have already had the pleasure of working with him on several joint projects,” says CapMan Growth’s Managing Partner Antti Kummu.

CapMan Growth is the leading Finnish growth investor making significant minority investments in entrepreneur-led growth companies with revenues ranging between €10–200 million. We offer entrepreneurs an alternative to selling the majority of their business by facilitating a partial exit while also supporting growth and internationalisation. We have been part of building companies such as Coronaria, Cloud2, Digital Workforce, Fennoa, Fluido, Neural DSP, Picosun, Sofigate, Silmäasema and Unikie.

For more information, please contact:

Antti Kummu, Managing Partner, CapMan Growth, +358 50 432 4486

About CapMan

CapMan is a leading Nordic private asset expert with an active approach to value creation and €5.7 billion in assets under management. As one of the private equity pioneers in the Nordics we have developed hundreds of companies and assets creating significant value for over three decades. Our objective is to provide attractive returns and innovative solutions to investors by enabling change across our portfolio companies. An example of this is greenhouse gas reduction targets that we have set under the Science Based Targets initiative in line with the 1.5°C scenario and our commitment to net-zero GHG emissions by 2040. We have a broad presence in the unlisted market through our local and specialised teams. Our investment strategies cover real estate and infrastructure assets, natural capital and minority and majority investments in portfolio companies. We also provide wealth management solutions. Our service business includes procurement services. Altogether, CapMan employs around 200 professionals in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, London and Luxembourg. We are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 2001. www.capman.com

NEW YORK – May 7, 2024 – Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today announced the appointment of Philip Sherrill as Global Head of Insurance. In his new role, Mr. Sherrill will focus on growing the firm’s insurance platform globally, working closely with Gilles Dellaert, Global Head of Blackstone Credit & Insurance.

Blackstone’s insurance platform has tripled in size since 2020, recently surpassing $200 billion in assets under management. The platform leverages the firm’s scale and breadth to serve Blackstone’s insurance clients, to drive stronger long-term performance, and, ultimately to meet the needs of more policyholders.

Gilles Dellaert, Global Head of Blackstone Credit & Insurance, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Phil to Blackstone as Global Head of Insurance. Our credit and insurance business is experiencing enormous growth momentum, and we see a significant opportunity set ahead of us. Phil’s experience and expertise will be instrumental in taking our platform’s growth to the next level.”

Philip Sherrill said: “Blackstone has an unparalleled platform and an exceptional record of client service, putting it in a unique position to deliver value to insurance companies. I am privileged to become a part of this team and I look forward to joining Blackstone.”

Mr. Sherrill was previously Chief Strategy Officer at Global Atlantic Financial Group, where, for more than a decade, he led corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and other strategic initiatives across business lines, serving on the firm’s Management Committee, Investment Committee, Operating Committee, Risk Committee, and Capital Committee, among other leadership roles. Mr. Sherrill worked at Goldman Sachs prior to Global Atlantic’s separation from Goldman, and holds an A.B. in Social Studies from Harvard College.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which we invest. Our more than $1 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, credit, real assets, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.

Contact
Felix Lettau
+44 (0) 7587 020 020
Felix.Lettau@Blackstone.com

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Dutch Brings More Than Three Decades of Leadership Experience in Software, Financial Technology and Compliance.

AUSTIN, Texas, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Red Oak Compliance Solutions, a leading provider of regulatory compliance software for the financial services industry, announced today that Dave Dutch has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer and as a board member. Dutch joins Red Oak to lead the company through its next stage of growth. Joining him is Tripp Neville, newly appointed as the company’s Chief Revenue Officer. Co-founder and former CEO, Stephen Pope, will remain on the board and focus on strategic initiatives.

“I am excited and honored to be Red Oak’s new CEO at such a transformative time for the company,” Dutch said. “There is a growing need for compliance solutions specific to financial institutions, and we see an opportunity to continue to inject deep subject matter expertise into our software platform. This is a unique opportunity to continue shaping the way financial services firms manage their compliance programs using a platform that is already trusted and respected by hundreds of organizations globally.”

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Dutch brings a wealth of experience as a seasoned SaaS executive, having successfully scaled several growth-stage businesses in previous roles. Dutch’s background includes CEO positions at Paylease and OrderMyGear and extends to many board roles at SaaS companies like Clubspeed, Raken, and Trakref.

“Dutch’s track record of energizing and strategically leading high growth software companies align perfectly with Red Oak’s trajectory. We are pleased to welcome Dave to the team,” said Romir Bosu, who serves as the Executive Chairman of the board and has worked closely with Dutch at multiple companies over the past decade.

“Dave’s vast experience in financial technology, SaaS and compliance will be invaluable as Red Oak continues to build on its momentum and capitalize on the compliance market opportunity,” said David Farsai, Partner at Mainsail Partners, the growth equity firm that invested $51 million into Red Oak in June 2023.

Founded in 2010, Red Oak has distinguished itself by providing intelligent software solutions to global financial services and insurance industries, underpinned by a customer-centric culture. Co-founder, Stephen Pope, who was serving in the role of CEO prior to Dutch joining, says the company has been steadfast in its commitment to customers, consistently refining its product roadmap in response to customer needs and feedback, while aiming to stay ahead of innovation trends.

“With Dave Dutch at the helm, I am confident we will be able to deliver an even more powerful suite of compliance products to our valued customers. His industry expertise, his reputation as a fantastic and inspirational leader and his demonstrated commitment to thoughtful growth all strongly align with our core values,” says Pope.  Pope will continue to be involved in strategic initiatives and serving as a board director.

Since receiving a $51 million investment from Mainsail Partners in June 2023, Red Oak has experienced meaningful scale and recently completed the strategic acquisition of SiteQuest, a comprehensive intelligent compliance monitoring and website surveillance software firm, which significantly expanded the breadth of Red Oak’s product offerings. In addition, Red Oak has scaled its product and engineering teams and has launched a stack of innovative AI-powered ancillary compliance products, leading to the company being named to the AI FINTECH 100 list in 2023.

About Red Oak
Red Oak Compliance Solutions is a global advertising review software in the financial services and insurance industries, serving over 1,800 firms globally, ranging from single-state advisors to over half of the top 20 asset managers. Their flagship advertising compliance review software offers quick implementation timelines and agile technology that is 100% Books and Records/WORM compliant.

Clients of Red Oak typically see 35% faster approvals and 70% fewer touches, with many experiencing even better results. Overall, Red Oak allows firms to minimize risk, reduce costs, and increase compliance review process effectiveness and efficiencies. To learn more about Red Oak Compliance Solutions, visit www.redoakcompliance.com or follow them on LinkedIn.

About Mainsail Partners
Mainsail Partners is a growth equity firm that partners with founders of bootstrapped software companies to help them realize their potential. For more than 20 years, Mainsail has been helping management teams navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with rapidly scaling a software company. The firm includes women and men who are former software company operators who have seen these challenges first-hand. Mainsail offers assistance across various functional areas, including talent, finance, customer success, sales and marketing, product management, and R&D. With offices in Austin and San Francisco, the firm has raised over $2.2 billion in committed capital and invested in more than seventy companies. For more information, visit www.mainsailpartners.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn.

CONTACT: Amy Watson, awatson@redoakcompliance.com

SOURCE Red Oak Compliance Solutions

CHICAGO/LONDON – April 24, 2024 – Today, Baird Capital announced two new Global Private Equity team hires: Anthony Zhu as Principal in Chicago and Samuel (Sam) Pollard as Investment Associate in London.

Zhu joins Baird Capital in Chicago from Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP), where he served as Private Equity Director. His experience with growth equity and leveraged buyout investments spanned across several industry sectors, including Technology, IT Services and Distribution, Telecom Infrastructure, and Payments. Before MDP, he was with J.P. Morgan. Zhu attended Cornell University and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.

“We are so fortunate to add Anthony to the Baird Capital platform,” said Gordon Pan, President. “His deep experience and background will enhance our investment capabilities. He is a tremendous addition—from an investment and culture perspective.”

Pollard joins Baird Capital in London from PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he served as a Manager within Corporate Finance, after completing his accountancy training with KPMG. Pollard attended the University of Birmingham, where he earned first-class honors in economics. He is a Chartered Accountant and has a CFA Institute certificate in ESG investing.

“Our London-based team is delighted to welcome Anthony and Sam aboard,” said James Benfield, Partner. “Bolstering our US expertise and further developing our local investment team is key to supporting UK-based companies’ growth ambitions in US. Anthony and Sam joining our team further supports our aim to be the first-choice partner for companies looking to grow globally.”

Baird Capital is proud to be a lower-middle-market investor that seeks opportunities to invest more than financial capital; instead, partnering with companies where it can deliver additive resources, relationships, and expertise to accelerate growth.

For more information on Baird Capital and its global private equity and venture capital teams, please visit BairdCapital.com.

About Baird Capital

Baird Capital manages two investment platforms, Venture Capital and Global Private Equity, and invests in B2B technology & services-focused companies worldwide. Founded in 1989, the group focuses on investing in sub-sectors where it has deep institutional knowledge and leveraging global operating capabilities to support the operational and growth needs of partner companies. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. For more information, please visit BairdCapital.com.

 For additional information, contact:

Rachel Berkowitz
Baird Public Relations
publicrelations@rwbaird.com

EQT AB (publ) today announced that the Nomination Committee proposes Richa Goswami as new Board member in EQT AB, bringing experience and expert knowledge within Brand & Marketing.

Richa Goswami has in-depth knowledge and multi-sector experience from leading positions within Brand & Marketing across multiple geographies in the financial services and FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) industry. Most recently she has worked at Fidelity International as their Group Chief Marketing and Brand Officer based out of Singapore.

Prior to joining Fidelity International, Richa was the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at HSBC, where she has spent over a decade in various capacities in Asia, Europe and United States. She has also been the Global Chief Digital Officer at Johnson & Johnson and the Global Head, Next Generation Banking, at Standard Chartered Bank and brings vast international experience within her field.

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairperson of the Nomination Committee, comments: “Richa Goswami’s experience from building international brands across multiple industries will add vital perspectives to EQT’s continued journey. In today’s global market it is imperative to have a strong brand to be able to attract future talent and customers.”

Johan Forssell has declined re-election, after serving on the Board for nine years. Conni Jonsson, Chairperson of the EQT AB Board, comments: “Johan is the longest serving Board member in EQT and his focus on long-term value creation and ownership has been much appreciated in the Board room. I am grateful for Johan’s contributions, especially during the IPO process, his support was instrumental in our first step as a listed company.

Conni Jonsson continues, “I’m very much looking forward to welcoming Richa Goswami to the Board, her energy and multifaceted background will be an excellent addition and will also contribute to a better balance of the Board composition. Richa Goswami’s comprehensive track record of building global brands in a wide range of different sectors will strengthen EQT’s growth journey. I would also like to thank the members of the Nomination Committee for their dedicated work in this process.”

The Nomination Committee’s complete proposals to EQT AB’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting are included in the notice and the nomination committee’s motivated opinion, published on EQT’s website. The Annual Shareholders’ Meeting will be held on 27 May 2024. The election of Richa Goswami as new Board member is subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

The Nomination Committee has been appointed based on the ownership structure as of 31 August 2023, and consists of Jacob Wallenberg (Chairperson), appointed by Investor AB, Harry Klagsbrun, appointed by Bark Partners AB, Cynthia Lee, appointed by Jean Eric Salata, Anders Oscarsson, appointed by AMF Pension & Funds and Conni Jonsson, Chairperson of the Board of EQT AB.

Contact

Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

About EQT

EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization focused on active ownership strategies. With a Nordic heritage and a global mindset, EQT has a track record of three decades of developing companies across multiple geographies, sectors and strategies. EQT has investment strategies covering all phases of a business’ development, from start-up to maturity. EQT has EUR ‌​​242​‌ billion in total assets under management (EUR ‌​​‌132​‌ billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets.

With its roots in the Wallenberg family’s entrepreneurial mindset and philosophy of long-term ownership, EQT is guided by a set of strong values and a distinct corporate culture. EQT manages and advises funds and vehicles that invest across the world with the mission to future-proof companies, generate attractive returns and make a positive impact with everything EQT does.

The EQT AB Group comprises EQT AB (publ) and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, which include general partners and fund managers of EQT funds as well as entities advising EQT funds. EQT has offices in more than 25 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas and has more than 1,800 employees.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram

• Peter will lead EQT’s private wealth efforts across the region
• Peter brings more than 25 years of private wealth experience; previously led intermediary distribution for TPG Angelo Gordon
• Marah Marshall will take on a newly created role leading EQT’s global private wealth strategic partnerships

EQT is thrilled to announce the appointment of Peter Aliprantis as partner and head of EQT’s fast-growing Private Wealth Management business in the Americas. Peter will report to Peter Beske Nielsen, partner and global head of private wealth, and will be based in EQT’s New York office.

Helping our private wealth clients gain access to private market investments is among EQT’s key strategic growth initiatives. Private wealth represents about 9% of total client commitments across active EQT funds today. We remain laser focused on continuously innovating new ways to give individual investors the same opportunity to benefit from EQT’s track record of value creation and strong performance, based on our active ownership approach, as our global institutional clients have enjoyed for the past three decades.

“With more than 25 years of private wealth experience, working across private banks, wirehouses, family offices and digital platforms, Peter is the perfect fit to lead our growing private wealth team in the Americas. He takes an entrepreneurial approach to expanding new strategies and clearly exemplifies EQT’s values,” said Suzanne Donohoe, EQT’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Now that the EQT Exeter Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. (EQRT) has broken escrow, and with other products under development, we continue to be excited about the opportunities to expand our private wealth focus in the region. I would like to thank Marah Marshall, who will move to a newly created global role focused on EQT’s strategic partnerships in the private wealth space, for her tireless dedication and leadership of the Private Wealth Management team thus far.”

Peter Aliprantis said, “EQT has already built an impressive private wealth business globally and in the Americas. I could not be more excited about the growth opportunity ahead of us, particularly for a firm with such a strong track record of performance and active ownership. I look forward to helping EQT continue to expand its footprint in this space across the region.”

Peter joins EQT from TPG Angelo Gordon, where he spent 12 years as a managing director focused on new business development and Intermediary Distribution. Prior to joining TPG Angelo Gordon, he was a partner and managing director of Global Intermediary Distribution at FrontPoint Partners, LLC, where he managed the global distribution of the firm’s alternative investment products to Ultra-High Net Worth investors, Family Offices, and Investment Advisors.

Contact
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com

About EQT

EQT is a global leading investment firm with EUR 242 billion in total assets under management, within two business segments – Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership.

More info: www.eqtgroup.com
Follow EQT on LinkedIn, X, YouTube and Instagram