Oppenheimer & Co. announced the launch of its new Global Fund Placement and Advisory Group ("FPA Group"). The FPA Group will provide services to leading alternative investment firms to help them fulfil their fundraising ambitions and strategic plans. Services will include strategic and tactical advice as well as fundraising services, both for primary funds and transactions.

Robert Lowenthal, Oppenheimer's Senior Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking, said, "The Investment Banking Division is expanding its efforts around private capital formation with a focus on institutional private market investors. The FPA Group will provide the Division with enhanced capabilities to offer alternative investment firms an even broader and deeper portfolio of value-added services that complements the resources, relationships and thought leadership of the global Oppenheimer platform. The service the FPA group will provide includes a specialized level of expertise in advising global alternative investment firms. We are excited to launch this new Group as we establish a greater presence in the rapidly-growing global fundraising market."

The Global Fund Placement and Advisory Group will be led by Tanya McHale, Managing Director, who will be based in London. Ms. McHale will report to Mr. Lowenthal, Head of Investment Banking in North America, and Max Lami, Oppenheimer EMEA Chief Executive and Head of Investment Banking.

Ms. McHale will be joined by Managing Director Andrew Roberts, Director Marcus Klasse and Associate Curran Gaur, who all join Oppenheimer from MVision Private Equity Advisers ("MVision"), a widely-respected independent international alternative assets advisory firm. The team will operate globally with further hires in process in the US and Asia.

Max Lami said, "It is a pleasure to welcome Tanya and the team to Oppenheimer. This team brings over 30 years of combined experience in successfully advising alternative investment firms and raising private equity funds. This talented and entrepreneurial group brings a proven track record of developing long-term relationships with private equity firms and institutional investors on a global basis. Adding this new dimension to our service platform is an important step toward strengthening our private capital markets business and will provide powerful growth opportunities for many of our clients."

Prior to joining Oppenheimer, Ms. McHale served as a Managing Director at MVision, which she first joined at its founding in 2001. At MVision, Ms. McHale was a member of the firm's leadership team and played a prominent role in global origination, execution and strategic advisory work for leading alternative investment firms, as well as distribution to institutional investors. Prior to MVision, she held positions at Credit Suisse First Boston and DLJ in London.

At MVision, Mr. Roberts played a leading role in origination, fundraising execution and strategic advisory work, as well as distribution, with a focus on investors in the UK and DACH region. Prior to MVision, Mr. Roberts worked at Cebile Capital in London for five years. Mr. Klasse spent five years at MVision, working on a number of leading fundraisings in EMEA as well as distribution, with a focus on investors in the Nordic region. Mr. Gaur focused on origination and research during his four years at MVision, as well as distribution to investors in the UK and Gulf Cooperation Council.

Ms. McHale said, "With Oppenheimer's depth of expertise, global scale and prominent relationships, our new FPA Group will be ideally positioned to play a leading role in the global funds placement market. On behalf of my team, we are very pleased to be joining such a strong international platform, and we are excited about the synergies the FPA Group can bring to complement the services already offered by Oppenheimer while contributing to its further growth and success."