Blue Harbour Group Appoints Claxton and Haslip to Address Growing Interest in Active Ownership and Corporate Governance Investing

GREENWICH, Conn., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Private investment firm Blue Harbour Group today announced the appointments of Jose R. Claxton and Joseph J. Haslip to manage growing institutional investor interest in Active Ownership investment strategies.  Since 2004, Blue Harbour has successfully pursued a private equity approach to the public markets by acting as a lead minority shareholder and working collaboratively with managements and boards to create and unlock shareholder value.

Blue Harbour Founder and Chief Executive Officer Clifton S. Robbins stated, "Institutional investors are recognizing that the corporate governance environment is ripening.  The financial crisis gave renewed momentum to the long-term trend of boards and management teams increasingly listening to their major shareholders, particularly those who can bring well-considered ideas for creating and unlocking shareholder value.  These corporate governance trends - and the robust M&A environment and high levels of cash on corporate balance sheets - make it a particularly opportune time for Active Ownership investors like Blue Harbour.  Blue Harbour is very pleased to provide institutional investors with two outstanding and dedicated professional resources to assist them in developing their approach to Active Ownership investing."  

Mr. Claxton is Managing Director, Capital Strategies and Client Relations.  He previously was Managing Director for Sales at an event oriented credit hedge fund, and Managing Director and Head of North American Institutional Client Services for Lehman Brothers Alternative Investment Management.  Mr. Claxton also served on the State of New Jersey Investment Council as an appointee of Governor Jon Corzine.

Mr. Haslip joins Blue Harbour as Managing Director, Public Plan Relations.  Prior to joining Blue Harbour, Mr. Haslip was Assistant Comptroller for Pensions in the Office of the New York City Comptroller, where his responsibilities included serving as the designated trustee representative to four of the City of New York's pension funds and serving on the advisory boards of several alternative investment funds.

After nearly 20 years as a private equity investor with KKR and General Atlantic, Mr. Robbins formed Blue Harbour Group in 2004 to pursue a private equity approach to investing in the public markets. Mr. Robbins continued, "Improvements in the corporate governance environment allow major public market investors to benefit from the same kind of value-creating ideas that private equity firms implement in their acquisitions, but with the advantages of making investments without paying control premiums and enjoying significantly greater liquidity."  

"We look forward to continuing our six year track record of working collaboratively with boards and management teams to develop and promote ideas for creating and unlocking value that benefit Blue Harbour's investors as well as all shareholders," Mr. Robbins concluded.

SOURCE Blue Harbour Group