New York, New York, May 13, 2008 – Greenhill & Co., Inc. (NYSE: GHL), a leading independent investment bank, announced today plans to form a Fund Placement Advisory group to assist private equity funds in raising capital from a global set of institutional and other investors. Christopher D. Kirsten, who has served as Global Head of the Private Fund Marketing Group at Lehman Brothers, will join the Firm to lead that effort. In addition, the Firm announced that Patrick S. Dunleavy and Neil Banta will join the Firm as Managing Directors, along with Dave Brown, who will join as a Principal, and Meghan Kelly, who will join as a Vice President, each having served in the Private Fund Marketing Group at Lehman.
Collectively, Messrs. Kirsten, Dunleavy, Banta, Brown and Ms. Kelly have participated in more than 60 fundraisings on behalf of fund sponsors located in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Asia-Pacific, securing capital from a global investor base of public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, insurance companies and family offices.
Robert F. Greenhill, Chairman of Greenhill, said “We believe this new business is a natural fit for a firm like Greenhill. Just as our M&A and Restructuring clients value our team’s deep experience and independent perspective, institutional investors choosing funds in which to invest will benefit from those same characteristics.”
Scott L. Bok, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Greenhill, added, “The unique challenges faced by many of the large securities firms are causing talented professionals to choose firms with simpler, more focused business models such as Greenhill. Our continued success has put us in a strong position to benefit from this phenomenon on a highly selective basis.”
Robert H. Niehaus, Chairman of Greenhill Capital Partners, said, “In our own merchant banking funds, we have seen the value of a team like this in raising capital in a competitive institutional marketplace. These individuals bring a wealth of experience to Greenhill that should immediately transform us into an important player in this large and growing market.”
Mr. Kirsten has led the Private Fund Marketing Group at Lehman Brothers since 2003 and has been responsible for managing fundraising programs for private equity, venture capital and other private funds sponsored by Lehman as well as independent fund sponsors. Prior to joining Lehman, he most recently served as a senior member of Deutsche Bank’s private equity finance group. Mr. Kirsten received his MBA from Columbia Business School and BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Dunleavy has been Managing Director and global head of origination for Lehman’s Private Fund Marketing Group. Prior to that, he most recently was a senior member of the private fund advisory group at Lazard. Mr. Dunleavy’s advisory experience spans over a dozen years working with many pre-eminent private equity firms. Mr. Dunleavy received his JD and BA from the Fordham University of Law and Fordham University, respectively.
Mr. Banta has been a Managing Director of Lehman’s Private Fund Marketing Group. Prior to joining Lehman, he most recently helped lead the fundraising business at Citigroup for over 8 years. Mr. Banta holds a BA from Amherst College.
Mr. Brown has served as a Senior Vice President of Lehman’s Private Fund Marketing Group, and prior to that was a Director of New York Life Investment Management. Prior to joining New York Life, Mr. Brown played in the National Football League for 10 years as a quarterback for New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. Mr. Brown received his BA from Duke University.
Ms. Kelly has served as a Vice President in Lehman’s Private Fund Marketing Group. She joined Lehman in 2004 after receiving her MBA from the Wharton School and BA from Yale University.