Private equity firm GTCR has entered into a partnership with David Minella to form Aligned Asset Managers (AAM), which will focus on building a multi-strategy asset management platform through substantial equity investments in firms across alternative and traditional asset classes.
GTCR, the firm that pioneered the Leaders Strategy of partnering with proven executives in growing industries to create market-leading companies, plans to invest up to USD200 million of equity capital to support the strategy, while Minella will serve as CEO of Stamford, Connecticut-based AAM.
Minella, a 35-year financial services industry veteran, was formerly CEO at Value Asset Management (VAM), a multi-manager platform he built and managed from 1997 to 2007. Prior to VAM, Minella held roles as CEO of Lichtenstein Global Trust, the Bank of Liechtenstein’s global asset management business, and National Sales Manager and US President at GT Investments, a firm focused on international mutual funds. He began his career at Putnam Investments, where he rose to the position of Vice President and Global Head of Mutual Fund Sales. Most recently, Minella was CEO of a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) formed in 2007, which merged into Kennedy Wilson, a real estate investment manager and services provider, in 2009.
“The current asset management marketplace does not provide managers with many options for realising liquidity, re-equitising the business and enhancing distribution capabilities while maintaining a stake in the upside growth of the firm,” says Minella. “There are a wide variety of managers who are currently looking to take their business to the next level, and I am excited to begin exploring investment opportunities with quality managers that want to have access to more distribution to grow their business. GTCR’s strong track record of working with management teams across financial services to invest in growth and build leading companies makes them an ideal partner in this venture. Furthermore, AAM has begun recruiting for an experienced institutional sales team to develop the various distribution channels.”
