Vistra taps rival TMF Group to expand Americas private equity business

The four new appointments will help the fast-growing administrator to expand its North America private equity fund services capabilities.

By Joe Parsons

Vistra has hired four senior directors from rival fund services provider TMF Group for its North America alternatives fund services business, with the aim to expand its private equity fund administration capabilities.

The new senior executives will serve clients in both the global private equity and hedge fund markets, and will be based out of either Vistra’s New York or San Francisco offices.

All four appointments join from fund administrator TMF Group, including Anastasia Williams, the former head of its private equity fund services practice in North America. In her new role, Williams will be working with Vistra’s global private equity clients and their portfolio companies to help them operate more efficiently and expand into new markets

The other hires include Maria Scofield and Michelle Hopfner, who both served as a vice president of global sales for private equity and real estate, and Tamara Sablic, a former vice president of business development.

Both Hopfner and Sablic have been appointed commercial sales directors, while Scofield will serve as commercial sales relationship manager.

Following the appointments, Vistra plans to add new private equity fund services capabilities later this year. “These ongoing efforts show our commitment to providing a single-source solution in the private equity space, including the ability to support a growing need to outsource,” said Scott Kraemer, managing director of alternative investments, North America, Vistra.

Over the past year, the fast-growing fund administrator has made a number of key appointments to grow its reach. In September, it hired Jervis Smith, a 25-year veteran of Citi, as its country manager for Luxembourg, and then a month later, it made two senior appointments recruiting a new chief commercial officer and a new managing director for the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, and the Middle East.

Vista is aiming to capitalise on the surge of private equity firms looking to outsource burdensome operations to third-party providers. According to research carried out by the firm in January, nearly three-quarters of general partners are outsourcing at least one function to a fund administrator.

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