Blackstone Hires Financing Specialist

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Blackstone Group today announced the appointment of Vikrant Sawhney as a Managing Director in the firm’s Private Equity group. He will lead Blackstone’s activities in financing and capital markets and help oversee certain credit market related investment activities.

Mr. Sawhney was previously with Deutsche Bank for nine years. He was a Managing Director in Deutsche Bank’s Financial Sponsors Group where he worked with many private equity firms, including Blackstone, and distinguished himself in the leveraged finance arena. Before joining Deutsche Bank he was an associate with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.

Tony James, Blackstone’s President and Chief Operating Officer, said “Vik has built a reputation as one of the leading leveraged finance professionals on Wall Street and will further enhance our private equity, client advisory and debt investment capabilities. We have worked closely with Vik through the years and are delighted to have someone of Vik’s experience and stature in this important role.”

While at Deutsche Bank, Mr. Sawhney worked with Blackstone on transactions including Celanese, Cumulus Media, Houghton Mifflin, Michaels Stores, New Skies Satellite, Nielsen (formerly VNU), and Sungard Data Systems.

About The Blackstone Group

The Blackstone Group is a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. Its alternative asset management businesses include the management of corporate private equity funds, real estate opportunity funds, funds of hedge funds, mezzanine funds, senior debt funds, proprietary hedge funds and closed-end mutual funds. The Blackstone Group also provides various financial advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advisory, restructuring and reorganization advisory and fund placement services. www.blackstone.com