Help for Alternative Firms
September 11, 2006- By Barry B. Burr
– Fiderion Group of Atlanta has established Fiderion Portfolio Services Group, a specialty division to help private-equity funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds find new portfolio deals, while providing executive searches.
``It's like outsourcing business development,'' said Robert Gallagher, leader of the division, who joined Fiderion as a managing director in June from Chicago-based Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.'s Atlanta office, where he was a principal and consultant.
``These companies are looking for deals, and there is a lot of capital on the sidelines,'' he said. ``We are talking to a lot of CEOs and other top executives every day. We can help private equity and hedge funds bird-dog a lot of opportunity that would never come on their radar screen.''
With private-equity funds and hedge funds exerting influence on boards and management to name new directors and top executives, the division also can help recruit candidates to fill those positions, Mr. Gallagher said.
``Hedge fund and private-equity managers want to meet CEOs and other top executives who are looking for a new gig, and we can reach out to those people'' to provide introductions, he said. ``Sometimes these people become investors in a fund or serve as a consultant to a fund to do due diligence or assess opportunities they could jump into as CEO.
``Good things happen when you talk to people on a regular basis.''