Stephanie Miller has joined JP Morgan Worldwide Securities Services as Global Head of the Alternative Investment Services business, reporting to Nick Rudenstine, Global Head of Investor Services for WSS. In this new role, Miller will oversee strategy and direction for WSS’ Private Equity & Real Estate Services and Hedge Fund Services. This strategic new hire demonstrates an ongoing commitment to strengthening the alternatives business within WSS.   Prior to joining WSS, Miller was a Managing Director for Citco Fund Services (USA) Inc, which offers full Hedge Fund and Private Equity administrative services. At Citco, Stephanie was responsible for all operations

Marcal Systems Corporation has been rebranded as Great Lakes Fund Solutions following the acquisition of the company by Mark Lancaster (pictured), the firm’s new President.  Marc Veeneman, the co-founder and former President of the Company, continues to serve as a consultant to the firm.  He says: “The approach that we took at the founding of the Company 28 years ago continues to drive its success.  Great Lakes Fund Solutions fulfills a wide array of operational and custom IT needs for both private and public fund sponsors.  The Company goes beyond traditional fund administration by supporting the operational elements of fund

Mark Proctor has joined Vinson & Elkins’ (V&E) Private Investment Funds practice as a partner in New York.   His practice will focus on structuring, forming, and operating private investment funds, as well as advising private funds in connection with their investment activities. Proctor will also advise clients on investments in private funds, and represent buyers and sellers in secondary transactions involving private fund interests. He joins a group of five V&E partners in New York and Texas who have an extensive practice representing investment funds as well as investors in private funds. Proctor joins V&E from Goldman, Sachs & Co,

Private funds specialist Timothy W Mungovan has joined Proskauer as a Partner in the firm’s Boston office. Mungovan was the founder and leader of the Private Fund Disputes team and was formerly the Practice Group Leader of the Commercial Litigation and Financial Services and Securities Litigation Practice Groups at Nixon Peabody. Mungovan will continue to focus his practice on litigation involving private investment funds and fund sponsors, including hedge funds, private equity funds, venture funds, and other investment vehicles. He has represented funds, fund sponsors, investment advisers, managers, principals, feeder funds, institutional and individual investors in various disputes, including control

Direxion has appointed Greg Blue as Senior Regional Sales Director focused on the Florida market. He will be based in Tampa. Blue is responsible for selling and distributing all of Direxion’s buy-and-hold alternative investment strategy products to financial advisors across all channels, including regional broker-dealers, registered investment advisors (RIAs) and wirehouses. He reports to John Cadigan, National Sales Manager of Direxion. "Greg’s drive, integrity and commitment to empowering advisors and their clients to utilise alternative investment strategies are a perfect match for our efforts to educate this audience about the opportunities that exist for these products," Cadigan says. "Greg’s track

Hedge Connection has named co-founder Rob Arthurs as CEO. Hedge Connection will continue to offer hedge fund managers access to pre-qualified investors, an suite of marketing services and Morningstar’s hedge fund database, one of the most comprehensive alternative databases in the industry. Arthurs is replacing Hedge Connection co-founder Lisa Vioni, who has accepted a position as Managing Director in the Investor Relations group of Cerberus Capital Management, LP, where she will initially focus on communicating Cerberus’ distressed mortgage investment strategies with existing and potential investors. "The past seven years at the helm of Hedge Connection have provided an exciting opportunity

Macro Risk Advisors (MRA), a provider of global market risk analysis and derivatives trade execution for institutional investors, has appointed Brian Bier as Managing Director and Head of Equity Derivative Sales and Trading. He will lead the sales and execution team, utilizing his expertise in option analytics and deep understanding of risk relationships to deliver superior pricing and advisory services to MRA clients. Bier brings to MRA years of experience in providing investors access to liquidity and achieving best execution by combining his extensive knowledge of trading technology, price discovery and option trading venues. He will lead a highly regarded

KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, has further expanded its alternative funds team by naming industry figures John Budzyna and Maurice Holmes to key posts. Budzyna, an internationally recognized leader and spokesman for the alternative investments industry, has been named KPMG’s National Leader, Market Development for Alternative Investments. Holmes, who also has extensive experience advising hedge funds and service providers to the hedge fund industry, has been named Managing Director, Market Development for Alternative Investments. "I am very excited to join KPMG’s growing alternative investments practice and look forward to working with their ever-expanding group of talented and