Private Advisors ramps up IR efforts

Alternative investment firm Private Advisors has hired two investor relations professionals as it expands its private equity activities. Bruce Barrett will be based in the firm’s New York office, and Peter Fink will be based in Toronto.

Bruce Barrett

Barrett was previously a managing director of institutional business development at credit and distressed investment manager Highland Capital Management. Before, he worked in institutional business development at Credit Suisse Asset Management, and at DLJ Asset Management Group prior to its acquisition by Credit Suisse.

Peter Fink

Fink was most recently director of alternative investment business development for the US at Russell Investment Group. Before, he was a managing director at Citigroup in charge of developing relationships with North American pension funds and endowments.

The two new hires are part of Private Advisors’ larger plan to ramp up its IR efforts. In the past the firm has relied on the strength of its returns to attract investors, said the firm’s UK chief executive, Jens Bisgaard-Frantzen. But in the past year Private Advisors has realised that it must devote more time and resources to approaching and interacting with limited partners.

Private Advisors runs a hedge fund business as well as a private equity fund of funds business. The firm has raised four US private equity fund of funds since 1998, but in July hired Bisgaard-Frantzen to expand its private equity activities and LP base globally. Bisgaard-Frantzen’s team is currently in the midst of raising the firm’s latest fund of fund, which will target small cap, middle market fund managers.