BlueMountain Capital Management, a private absolute return investment firm with USD22 billion in assets under management, has expanded the responsibilities of three members of the firm’s executive team.
Marina Lutova Meyers, a partner and portfolio manager at BlueMountain, has been given expanded responsibilities for overseeing performing credit globally. She will also continue to lead the firm’s long/short credit portfolio in North America, as well as its index arbitrage strategies. Meyers also oversees global trade execution, and is a member of the management and investment committees.
Meyers joined BlueMountain in 2007 from Bridgewater Associates, where she began as a senior investment associate in the portfolio analytics group, and later worked with the CEO in a management capacity in the technology group. Prior to Bridgewater, Meyers worked as a business analyst at McKinsey & Company, focusing on the financial services industry.
Omar Vaishnavi, partner and portfolio manager, will now be responsible for overseeing the firm’s distressed strategy globally. He was previously responsible for the distressed portfolio in North America and is also a member of the firm’s management committee.
Prior to joining BlueMountain in 2009, Vaishnavi was a distressed debt analyst at Silver Point Capital, with a focus on healthcare investments. Earlier, he was an investment banking analyst at UBS. Vaishnavi is a member of the board of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, where he has served since 2011.
Partner Louisa Church will serve as CEO for Europe. In addition, she continues her role as head of client advisory – Europe, Middle East and Australia, which includes primary responsibility for covering UK, European, Middle Eastern and Australian institutional investors, consultants and high net worth individuals and their advisers. Church also is a member of the firm’s management committee.
Prior to joining BlueMountain in 2010, Church was responsible for business development at Odey, a UK long/short equity manager. She began her financial services career at Ferox, a convertible arb fund manager. Church had shared the role of co-CEO of Europe with Nicholas Pappas, who recently resigned to accept a position with a London-based asset management firm.
“The expanded responsibilities of several key members of our firm demonstrate the strength and depth of BlueMountain’s team,” says Andrew Feldstein (pictured), chief executive officer. “The elevation of Marina Meyers and Omar Vaishnavi to oversee our global performing and distressed strategies, respectively, reflects our confidence in their ability to manage broader portfolios and our desire to take a unified global approach to the investment opportunities in those portfolios. The appointment of Louisa Church as CEO of our European business is a recognition of her strong leadership and many contributions to the firm.”
