Kelly McCarthy Joins The Vistria Group As Head of Impact

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Jan 19, 2023, 09:30 ET

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vistria Group ("Vistria") today announced that Kelly McCarthy, a pioneer in the investment impact space, will join the firm as Head of Impact. McCarthy's addition to the firm is another example of Vistria's commitment to aligning profit with purpose and actively engaging with portfolio companies to drive impact results and business value for the lives and livelihoods they support.

Kelly McCarthy, Head of Impact, Vistria PRG; Credit: Andrew Harnik

"The Vistria Group has the vision, drive, and momentum to help grow businesses that have the potential to make an extraordinary impact on our world, at a time when we need it more than ever. The challenges our society faces are urgent and growing, and every one of those challenges presents an opportunity for investors and businesses to contribute to positive, measurable outcomes. I am joining Vistria because now is a pivotal moment for evolving how private investment works with businesses to maximize positive impact," Kelly McCarthy said. "Vistria has shown tremendous leadership in delivering measurable outcomes for stakeholders most affected by today's challenges. I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to leverage the Firm's scale, expertise, and track record to elevate its role as a model in the impact investing industry."

"As we continue to elevate our impact capabilities, we are thrilled to welcome Kelly to our team, and we are excited about the value the entire Vistria portfolio will gain from her experience as a leader and innovator in the impact ecosystem," said Jon Samuels, Partner and Co-Head of Vistria PRG, LLC ("Vistria PRG"). "Kelly led the development of a global system of impact measurement that revolutionized the way thousands of organizations around the world measure and advance impact, and she is perfectly positioned to apply that expertise to further catalyze impact outcomes alongside financial performance across all we do at Vistria and within our companies."

McCarthy joins Vistria PRG, the in-house team of professionals at Vistria that supports management teams as they lead their companies to achieve top growth and performance potential. The growing PRG team is co-led by Jon Samuels and Tory Ramaker, and includes Susan Edwards, Operating Director, DEI & Impact, and Mackenzie Turner, Director of Impact & Policy, among others.

McCarthy most recently served as Chief Impact Officer at the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), an organization founded in 2008 to increase the scale and effectiveness of impact investing. In that role, McCarthy was instrumental in leading the organization's work to develop tools and infrastructure for integrating impact into investment management. She was the chief architect behind the IRIS+ system, the widely used impact investing standard that helps investors incorporate social and environmental factors into investment decisions. McCarthy also oversaw the strategy and development of the industry's first impact benchmarks.

As a well-known expert in impact measurement, management, and optimization, McCarthy also served on several committees that have played a foundational role in establishing standards for impact investing including the Impact Management Project, Principles for Impact Management led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), World Economic Forum's Accelerating Impact Measurement & Management effort, B Lab's Standards Advisory Council, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Transparency & Data Charter. She was also the Secretariat to the Impact Measurement Working Group of the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established by the G8.

"We founded Vistria on a principle of delivering financial returns combined with positive social change, and that is precisely Kelly's area of expertise. We are looking forward to the impact she will drive throughout the Vistria network of companies and beyond," said Marty Nesbitt, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of the Vistria Group. "Kelly has unique insights and capabilities that we know will deepen our perspective and Vistria's ability to capture the rich impact opportunities embedded in our work."

In October, Vistria released its fifth annual Impact Report, which details how the firm and its portfolio companies advance impact and are making progress on diversity, equity and inclusion, among other targets. The report spotlights the voices of patients, students, and customers served by portfolio companies and how their work is making a difference in their communities. To view the Impact Report, please visit https://vistriaimpact.com/.

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 and financial services that deliver value for investors as well as communities, employees, and consumers. 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. With over $10 billion in AUM, The Vistria Group believes it has delivered attractive returns for its investors while achieving positive outcomes for its portfolio companies, and the lives and livelihoods it supports. For more information, please visit www.vistria.com.

About Vistria PRG

Members of Vistria PRG, LLC ("PRG") provide various services to portfolio companies of private investment funds managed by The Vistria Group, LP, including without limitation, operational support, specialized operations and consulting services, and other related and unrelated services. PRG members are employees of Vistria PRG, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company owned jointly by Vistria's Co-CEO's that is under common control and ownership with Vistria. PRG members are not employees of Vistria, however in certain cases, may have attributes of Vistria personnel such as Vistria administrative support services or participation in general meetings or events for Vistria personnel.

SOURCE The Vistria Group