Amanda Heravi, Ben Silbert, and John Cafasso to Become Managing Directors
Anthony Russo to Assume Role of Director, Accounting and Operations
NEW YORK, January 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Avista Capital Partners (“Avista”), a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on healthcare, today announced a series of promotions of key members of its business management team. Effective January 1, 2022, Amanda Heravi (Head of Investor Relations & Director of ESG), Ben Silbert (General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer & CAO), and John Cafasso (Chief Financial Officer) will become Managing Directors and Anthony Russo (Controller) will become Director, Accounting and Operations.
As senior leaders of the business management team, all four professionals will draw upon decades of experience in the industry and institutional knowledge of Avista. They will focus on the execution of forward-looking initiatives across a spectrum of investor relations, ESG strategy, compliance and corporate responsibility, while maintaining a sharp focus on finance, transparency and accountability.
Avista Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner David Burgstahler said, “We are pleased to announce the promotions of Amanda, Ben, John and Anthony, each of whom have been with Avista for at least a decade, with Amanda and Ben serving as founding members of the firm in 2005. Each of them are deeply embedded in the fabric of our firm as we continue to grow our leading platform for the benefit of all stakeholders.”
Bios
Amanda Heravi, Managing Director, Head of Investor Relations & Director of ESG – Ms. Heravi was one of the founding members of Avista Capital Partners in 2005. Prior to Avista, Ms. Heravi was the Director of Finance and Administration at Dorset Capital Management, which she joined in 1999, where she was responsible for investor relations and the financial, operational and administrative aspects of the fund. Prior to Dorset, Ms. Heravi worked at Montgomery Securities. Ms. Heravi received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Ben Silbert, Managing Director, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer – Mr. Silbert was one of the founding members of Avista Capital Partners in 2005. Prior to Avista, Mr. Silbert was at DLJ Merchant Banking from 2001 to 2005. He advised DLJMB as internal counsel on a number of investments and divestitures, in addition to fund and partnership matters. Prior to joining DLJMB, Mr. Silbert was an Associate in the private equity and mergers and acquisitions practice group of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, which he joined in 1996. Mr. Silbert received a B.A. from Haverford College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
John Cafasso, Managing Director, Chief Financial Officer – Mr. Cafasso joined Avista Capital Partners in 2011. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Cafasso was a Director at Credit Suisse in the asset management division. He joined Credit Suisse in 2001 and was responsible for the accounting and reporting for Credit Suisse’s direct private equity funds. Prior to joining Credit Suisse, Mr. Cafasso was a Manager at KPMG, LLP in the financial services practice. Mr. Cafasso is a Certified Public Accountant and received a B.B.A. degree from Hofstra University.
Anthony Russo, Director, Accounting & Operations – Mr. Russo joined Avista Capital Partners in 2007. Prior to joining Avista, Mr. Russo was a Senior Auditor at Eisner LLP. Mr. Russo is a Certified Public Accountant and received a B.S. in Accounting from the University at Albany.
ABOUT AVISTA CAPITAL PARTNERS
Founded in 2005, Avista Capital is a leading New York-based private equity firm with nearly $8 billion invested in more than 40 growth-oriented healthcare businesses globally. Avista partners with businesses that feature strong management teams, stable cash flows and robust growth prospects – targeting product and technology businesses with clear scale potential across six sub-sectors experiencing strong tailwinds. The team is supported by a group of seasoned Strategic Executives enhancing the entire investment process through strategic insight, operational oversight and senior counsel, which helps drive growth and performance, while fostering sustainable businesses and creating long-term value for all stakeholders. For more information, visit www.avistacap.com.