Thorne, Bitar and Puri will oversee the build-out and ensure the connectedness of private equity to BlackRock’s global investment platform with1,500 investment professionals that will provide the team with insights into industry dynamics, companies and management teams. They will report to Matthew Botein, managing director and Head of BlackRock Alternative Investors ( BAI ). As of March 31 2011, BAI represented USD115.3 billion of assets under management and included the firm’s hedge funds, hedge funds of funds, real estate, private equity funds of funds, opportunistic investment vehicles, commodities and currencies. “

 

Thorne, Bitar and Puri began working together at Merrill Lynch in 1990 and went on to found Merrill Lynch”s private equity business in 1994 where they remained until 2009 under Bank of America Corporation. Examples of notable private equity investments in which the team was involved include HCA, Debenhams and Hertz.

 

Thorne was the chairman, president and co-founder of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity. Prior to leading the private equity initiative, he served in a number of senior positions within Merrill Lynch's investment banking division. He began his career at Citibank, NY in 1976. Thorne earned a BA degree in English Language and Literature from Yale College in 1976.

 

Before joining Blackrock, Bitar was the co-head of North America and co-founder of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, the private equity arm of Merrill Lynch & Co. He earned a BS degree in Systems Engineering from Boston University in 1986 and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School in 1991.

 

Puri was previously the chief investment officer and co-founder of Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity where she developed and oversaw the investment approval and review process as well as the periodic review and valuation of investments. She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University in 1979 and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1986.