By David G. Barry
Adams Street Partners, LLC, a private markets
investment firm with $50 billion under management, is poised to have a new
global head of fund investments.
Brijesh Jeevarathnam is being promoted to fill that role. He’ll succeed Kelly
Meldrum, who is retiring after 17 years as a partner and head of primary
investments. Meldrum will transition her duties at year-end.
In a statement, the firm’s managing partner and head of investments, Jeff
Diehl, said Meldrum “has made innumerable contributions to the firm, not
the least of which was building a terrific team of seasoned partners who make
material contributions to our clients’ success.” He added that he is
“confident” that Jeevarathnam “will build on [Meldrum’s] success after a smooth
leadership transition over the next six months.”
Jeevarathnam joined Adams Street as a partner in primary investments in 2016
and will become a member of the firm’s executive committee as part of his new
role. The firm said he’s been “instrumental” in the creation and scaling of its
Venture Innovation and Leaders programs as well as being a portfolio manager on
multiple separately managed accounts.”
Previously, he spent 10 years at Commonfund Capital where he helped manage a
$14 billion global private capital portfolio.
As part of the leadership transition, Saguna Malhotra will be promoted
to partner and head of global buyout fund investments. She joined Adams Street
in 2015 from Stanford Management Co., where she oversaw a $6 billion global
private equity portfolio.
A Chicago-based private markets investment firm, Adams Street has investments
in more than 30 countries across five continents.