Trailblazing leader to bring unparalleled public sector and impact investment expertise to Chicago-based next-generation private investment firm
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Deval Patrick, former two-term governor of Massachusetts and impact investment leader, has joined The Vistria Group as Senior Advisor. Patrick will leverage his expertise across fundraising, deal sourcing, and portfolio performance to further The Vistria Group’s goals of achieving both strong financial returns and significant social impact. Patrick is a pioneer in impact investing, having launched Bain Capital Double Impact, the first such fund in a major investment firm, in 2015 after leaving the governor’s office.
“As a true believer in impact investing, a long-time friend of the firm, and a Chicago native, I’m excited by the opportunity to work with The Vistria Group,” Patrick said. “Like the founders, I believe that private capital should be the engine for innovation and prosperity, and that’s what The Vistria Group is all about. I look forward to working with the team to build upon their impressive record of generating superior outcomes for investors and broader stakeholders alike.”
Patrick brings extensive public and private sector experience to The Vistria Group. After serving as a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a partner in two Boston law firms, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Justice Department in the Clinton administration, and a senior executive at both Texaco and Coca-Cola, Patrick was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2006. In his two terms as the governor of Massachusetts, Patrick focused on job growth, healthcare expansion, education reform, improving transportation infrastructure, and far-reaching climate initiatives. Under his leadership, the commonwealth emerged from the Great Recession with nation-leading outcomes in employment, healthcare coverage, student achievement, and energy efficiency. More recently, in addition to his work at Bain Capital, Patrick has been a Professor of Practice and Co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School.
“Governor Patrick shares our strong conviction that private capital is an essential lever to help build a thriving economy and society. Since our founding in 2013, our focus has been building value in sectors that are at the intersection of the public and private sectors including healthcare, knowledge and learning solutions, financial services and housing. Governor Patrick’s experience will be invaluable in driving outsized social impact in these areas,” said Marty Nesbitt, The Vistria Group’s Co-CEO and Senior Partner.
“We’re excited to welcome Governor Patrick to our team — someone whose private and public sector work represents the bold, innovative, and transparent leadership we foster at The Vistria Group. Attracting leaders who are passionate about long-term value creation and community is essential to our next decade of growth,” said Kip Kirkpatrick, The Vistria Group’s Co-CEO and Senior Partner.
Deval Patrick was raised on Chicago’s South Side. As an eighth grader, he earned a scholarship to a boarding school outside Boston and eventually graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He also clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Patrick is a Rockefeller Fellow, a Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, the author of two books, and the recipient of twenty honorary degrees. He will split his time between western Massachusetts and Chicago, where a block on Wabash Avenue, where he was born and raised, is named in his honor.
About The Vistria Group
The Vistria Group is building a new kind of private investment firm that seeks to deliver both financial returns and societal impact. It invests in essential industries like healthcare, knowledge and learning, financial services and real estate that deliver value for investors as well as communities, employees, and consumers. With over $11 billion in AUM, The Vistria Group works as a true partner with its portfolio companies, drawing on its deep sector knowledge, operational expertise, unique network, diverse team, and impact orientation to achieve transformational growth. To learn more about The Vistria Group’s approach to investing, click here. For more information, please visit vistria.com.
