Vista hires new CFO

The private equity giant’s current CFO is retiring.

Private equity giant Vista Equity Partners has hired Lauren Dillard to be its new CFO, based in Austin, as John Warnken-Brill retires after 15 years in the position.

Dillard will report to COO and president David Breach, and starts on April 11, according to a letter sent to investors and viewed by Private Funds CFO.

Dillard, who also comes on as senior managing director, joins from NASDAQ, where she was executive vice president of the Investment Intelligence group, according to the letter. There she “was responsible for leading the strategic direction of the fast-growing division, driving expansion across NASDAQ’s index, data and investment analytics businesses for a diverse client base of global asset managers, asset owners, consultants, retail brokers and fintechs.”

Dillard will be replaced at NASDAQ by Oliver Albers, currently senior vice president and global head of data for the Investment Intelligence group.

Dillard was also part of the executive team responsible for the company’s strategic decisions, capital allocation and M&A, according to the letter. Before NASDAQ, Dillard spent 17 years at Carlyle Group, most recently as partner and head of the Investment Solutions unit, “overseeing more than $40 billion in assets and 200 professionals across offices in six countries.” She was also on the management committee. Prior to that, she was in the tax practice at former “Big Five” accounting firm Arthur Andersen.

Warnken-Brill will remain “on board” to ensure a smooth transition. The letter also says that he was a “critical part of creating the foundation for Vista’s growth,” and oversaw a successful 2021, in which the firm added 100 new investors across various strategies, closed the firm’s third credit fund, as reported by affiliate title Buyouts at the time, and took four companies public.

In its first ESG report, issued last fall, Vista reported at 44 percent of its workforce is comprised of women, as of June 30, 2021. That number has grown to about 50 percent as of this year.

In July last year, Vista hired Shelby Wanstrath, former co-head of Teacher Retirement System of Texas, as managing director of Corporate Growth Initiatives. It’s Endeavor Funds are co-led by Rene Stewart and Rachel Arnold. Arnold was promoted last year.