HighVista Strategies has appointed Raudel Yanez as Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Secondaries, as the firm launches a dedicated GP-led secondaries strategy focused on the lower middle market.
The move represents an expansion of HighVista’s longstanding private equity platform, building on its experience investing in lower middle market companies. The firm said GP-led secondaries, particularly continuation vehicle transactions, are becoming an increasingly important tool for sponsors seeking liquidity while maintaining exposure to high-performing assets.
HighVista believes the lower middle market presents a compelling opportunity for GP-led secondaries, driven by inefficiencies that can be accessed through differentiated sourcing, deep sponsor relationships, and disciplined underwriting.
Yanez brings more than a decade of experience in secondaries investing. Prior to joining HighVista, he was a senior investor at Kline Hill Partners and previously held roles at Spring Bridge Partners and Coller Capital. He holds an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Based in Boston, HighVista manages more than $11 billion in assets across private and public markets, including private credit, venture capital, and hedge strategies.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’re excited to welcome Raudel to HighVista. Our investment focus has long been on identifying opportunities in inefficient markets, and GP-Led secondaries reflects that approach. We see a large, durable opportunity in the lower middle market that rewards experience, deep sponsor networks, and disciplined execution. Raudel’s background and experience will enhance our ability to lead and execute GP-Led secondary transactions effectively. GP-Led secondaries are a compelling adjacency to our lower middle market private equity investing and build on how HighVista has approached private equity for more than two decades. That includes underwriting high-quality businesses, partnering closely with sponsors, and structuring transactions to support long-term value creation.”
Raphi Schorr, Deputy Chief Investment Officer at HighVista; John Dickie, Co-Head of Private Equity at HighVista
“For private equity sponsors, GP-Led secondaries have become an essential tool for creating liquidity while continuing to back their highest conviction businesses. I look forward to bringing my experience to HighVista and partnering with sponsors to lead transactions involving their best assets. Our goal is to deliver structures with strong alignment that meet the evolving needs of investors.”
Raudel Yanez, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity Secondaries at HighVista Strategies
