Crux Capital has added two new hires and promoted two investment professionals as it scales operations following the September 2025 close of Crux Capital Fund I, L.P., which raised $342 million in capital commitments.
The Dallas-based lower-middle-market private equity firm said it hired Ryan Panyard as Director of Finance and Chief Compliance Officer and added Levi Jobe as an Associate on the investment team. Crux also promoted Kale Kolbe to Vice President and Christopher Herrod to Associate.
Managing Partner Wayne Moore said the firm is “focused on building a world-class team” after the Fund I close and positioned the hires as key support for accelerating deployment across the Sunbelt. Moore highlighted Panyard’s role in strengthening the firm’s finance infrastructure and described Jobe’s transaction background as supportive of the firm’s continued investment pace in founder-led and family-owned businesses.
Panyard will lead Crux’s financing, accounting and tax functions, and oversee compliance responsibilities. He previously served as Controller and Chief Compliance Officer at Havencrest Capital Management and earlier worked at Sixth Street and Ernst & Young. In a statement, Panyard said he plans to help scale Crux’s back-office capabilities while maintaining operational discipline as the platform grows.
Jobe joins from Stephens, where he worked in leveraged finance, and will focus on evaluating and executing new investments and supporting portfolio companies.
On the promotions, Crux said Kolbe’s elevation to Vice President expands his responsibilities across underwriting, diligence and deal structuring, as well as value-creation work with portfolio management teams. Kolbe previously worked at Kainos Capital, where he focused on food and consumer products investing.
Herrod, promoted to Associate, will continue supporting sourcing, execution and portfolio monitoring. Before joining Crux, he was an investment banking analyst at Cowen.
Partner James Kay said the firm is recognizing Kolbe and Herrod for their contributions to executing Crux’s strategy and emphasized their alignment with the firm’s values as they take on greater leadership responsibilities.
Crux Capital invests in consumer and services businesses across the Sunbelt, targeting founder-led and family-owned companies and partnering with management teams to drive long-term value creation.
KEY QUOTES:
“With the recent closing of our Fund I, we are focused on building a world-class team to support our growing portfolio of high-quality businesses. We are thrilled to welcome Ryan and Levi to the Firm. Ryan’s leadership in our finance function and Levi’s transaction experience will be invaluable assets as we continue to scale our platform and deploy capital across the Sunbelt.”
Wayne Moore, Managing Partner, Crux Capital
“I am honored to join the Crux Capital team at such a pivotal time in the Firm’s trajectory. I look forward to working with the team to scale the back office to support growth and maintain operational excellence.”
Ryan Panyard, Director of Finance and Chief Compliance Officer, Crux Capital
“We are incredibly proud to recognize the contributions of Kale and Christopher with these well-deserved promotions. Both have demonstrated a strong commitment to our values and have played key roles in executing our strategy. We look forward to their continued professional growth and leadership as they take on increased responsibilities within the Firm.”
James Kay, Partner, Crux Capital
