Laurie Deaton, CFA, Joins Kayne Anderson Rudnick As Director, Institutional Sales, Western U.S.

LOS ANGELES, March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS), today announced that Laurie Deaton has joined the Institutional Client Services Team in the position of Director, Institutional Sales. She is responsible for representing Kayne Anderson Rudnick's investment management strategies to institutional clients and consultants in the Western United States.

Deaton reports to Stephen A. Rigali, Executive Vice President. "Laurie has extensive experience in institutional sales in both consultant relations and direct marketing to institutional plan sponsors," said Rigali. "We are confident that her extensive knowledge and strong relationships across the institutional marketplace will help us cultivate and grow this important area of our asset management business."

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson Rudnick, Deaton was a Principal at Hall Capital Partners, where she was responsible for business development and institutional sales.  Prior to Hall Capital Partners, she was with Loomis, Sayles & Company and Wellington Management Company where she worked with institutional investors and their consultants throughout the Western United States.  She began her investment career at Pacific Enterprises where she managed a $2 billion pension fund with exposure to all asset classes.

Deaton earned both a B.S. in business with an emphasis in accounting and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

About Kayne Anderson Rudnick
Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management is a registered investment advisor based in Los Angeles, California, with more than $9 billion in assets under management, as of December 31, 2013. The firm's clients include affluent individuals, endowments, foundations, corporations, public funds, and pension plans for whom it manages a range of portfolios having a common disciplined, high-quality investment philosophy. It is an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners.

About Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. The company provides investment management products and services through its affiliated managers and select subadvisers, each with a distinct investment style, autonomous investment process and individual brand. Virtus Investment Partners offers access to a variety of investment styles across multiple disciplines to meet a wide array of investor needs. Additional information can be found at www.virtus.com.

SOURCE Kayne Anderson Rudnick