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Weekly People Roundup: 30 July 200830/07/2008. Source: AltAssets. 
 All the week's most important people stories from across the globe. Essential reading for those who need to keep up-to-date with the private equity industry's key staff moves.
UK venture capital firm Mayfield Fund has appointed three new entrepreneurs in residence to target the cleantech and enterprise sectors. The new team members are Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning and James Phillips. Mayfield's investment sectors include communications/wireless, consumer/media, enterprise software and semiconductors. The firm has over $2.4bn under management and a team of ten investing professionals.
US early stage venture capital firm Voyager Capital has hired Daniel Ahn as a second managing director based in the firm's Menlo Park office, where he will join current managing director Curtis Feeny. Ahn will focus on the firm's web and enterprise infrastructure, wireless and core technology investments. Previously he was at Woodside Fund, most recently as a managing director, concentrating on investments in infrastructure and core technology. He served as the founding venture capitalist in companies such as Analogix Semiconductor and Berkeley Design Automation and led and managed Woodside's investments in numerous other companies also. Voyager Capital has $370m under management with offices in Seattle, Menlo Park and Portland.
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has appointed Alison Barad as associate director of private equity for its $6bn investments portfolio. Barad will succeed Denise Strack, who was recently appointed as the foundation's CIO. Barad will manage the foundation's private equity portfolio, which has a long-term target allocation of 12 per cent. Previously, Barad served as an associate on the foundation's private equity team. Prior to that, she was in the M&A practice in the investment banking division at Morgan Stanley in New York. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation seeks to advance environmental conservation and scientific research around the world and improve the quality of life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
London-based private equity firmPaul Capital Partners has promoted Dr Ken Macleod to partner. Based in the firm's London office, Dr Macleod is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and negotiating European and Asian healthcare investment opportunities for the Paul Capital Healthcare funds. Most recently, in April 2008, the firm invested up to $28m in pharmaceutical company Plethora Solutions Holdings
Alternative asset manager and private equity fundAmerican Capital has made some changes to its senior management team. Steven W Burge will assume the newly established position of president, North American private finance. Ira Wagner will become president, European private finance and also continue as president of European Capital Financial Services. John Erickson will become president, structured finance and CFO. Gordon O'Brien will become president, specialty finance and operations. Malon Wilkus, the company's chairman and CEO, will continue his existing responsibilities, although with four new presidents, he will no longer have the title of president, the firm said.
Life sciences venture capital firm Quaker BioVentures has promoted Dr Geeta Vemuri to partner. Dr. Vemuri joined Quaker as a senior associate in 2003, before being promoted to vice president, and later principal. She is a former board member of Protez Pharmaceuticals, and is also a current member of the board of directors at Argolyn BioSciences, Cellatope and Immune Control. She is also a board observer for Optherion, Regado, Tengion and Tranzyme. Prior to Quaker, she was an associate at Toucan Capital. Quaker has $700m under management, dedicated to investing in life sciences companies in the US Mid-Atlantic region.
Venture capital firm Walden International has appointed Bill Li as a managing director, based in the firm's Beijing office. In his new role he will focus on opportunities in the internet and communications sectors. Li has experience at Google, where he was responsible for the launch of mobile products and services, such as China Mobile. In addition, Yimin Zimmerer, in Shanghai, and Dr Hing Wong, in Beijing, were also promoted to managing directors. WI targets investments in the US and Asia. The firm has offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Singapore, Bangalore, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
New York-based buy-out giant J.C. Flowers & Co. has appointed Dr David Morgan as an operating partner and chairman of the firm's Australian operations. Prior to joining J.C. Flowers, Dr Morgan was chief executive of Australia's Westpac Banking Corp, where he retired in January 2008. He remains a director of BHP Billiton, the Australian mining company. J.C. Flowers advises J.C. Flowers I, a $900m fund formed in 2002, and J.C. Flowers II, which closed on $7bn in 2006, and focuses on investments in the financial services sector.
Belgium-based private equity and venture capital firm GIMV has appointed Hansjörg Sage as a partner. He will head the firm's information and communication technology investment activities in the German-speaking region. Prior to joining GIMV, Sage was a director in 3i's global venture capital team, focused on early and late stage investments in European technology start-ups, primarily operating in the electronics, semiconductor and cleantech sectors. Before that, he worked at Lehman Brothers. GIMV has also hired two investment managers, Raffi Kamber and Johan Reynaert, working out of the firm's Paris and Antwerp offices, respectively. In their new roles, they will focus on the electronics and telecommunication sectors.
UK-based mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has appointed Jonathan Heathcote as a partner. He joins the firm's London-based team, which will focus on further developing investment opportunities across the UK. Prior to joining Palamon, Heathcote was a partner at private equity firm European Acquisition Capital. Before that, he was a senior engagement manager at McKinsey & Company. Heathcote began his career with the Royal Marines. Palamon manages Palamon European Equity and Palamon European Equity II, capitalised at €1.1bn.
DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, the private equity investment arm of Credit Suisse, has appointed Nicole Arnaboldi as chairman of the firm and its investment committee. The move follows the retirement of Steven Rattner, former head of DLJ MBP. Arnaboldi is currently co-head of illiquid alternatives, a role she will continue following the new appointment. Senior partners Ed Johnson, Kamil Salame, Susan Schnabel and Colin Taylor will report to Arnaboldi and together comprise DLJ MBP's management committee. Arnaboldi is a vice chairman of Credit Suisse in alternative investments in the asset management business, based in New York.
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