The Vistria Group has appointed Jeff Hawkins as Head of its Portfolio Resources Group, adding an experienced operating and transformation executive to the private investment firm’s portfolio value creation organization.
Hawkins brings more than two decades of experience spanning technology, healthcare, professional services, management consulting, private equity and operating leadership.
He will work closely with David Schuppan and Phil Alphonse, Co-Presidents of Vistria’s Flagship Funds, as well as the firm’s investment teams and portfolio company management teams.
His responsibilities will focus on accelerating growth, improving operations and helping portfolio companies execute strategic transformation initiatives.
The appointment comes as Vistria continues to expand its value creation capabilities following the return of more than $1 billion to investors in 2025.
Hawkins previously held senior leadership roles at TPG, Aon and AlixPartners and has served in operating positions including Chief Operating Officer, President and Chief Revenue Officer.
He began his career as an intelligence collections officer in the U.S. Air Force before joining the National Security Agency.
After his military service, Hawkins joined Deloitte, where he helped build the firm’s strategy practice, and later moved to JPMorgan Chase to lead a similar initiative within its consumer bank.
His operating experience includes serving as interim Chief Revenue Officer of a healthcare services company with approximately $1.3 billion in revenue. In that role, he helped reposition the company’s care model and accelerate growth across consumer and enterprise businesses before an eventual sale to UnitedHealth Group.
Hawkins also served as CEO of a $70 million enterprise technology company, leading changes to its go-to-market strategy, product focus and international operations. Vistria said the transformation ultimately resulted in a 6x return on exit.
In another assignment, he led a product and go-to-market transformation at a real-time operating systems technology company with approximately $300 million in revenue. The strategy shifted the company toward increasing penetration within its largest customers and ultimately generated a 14x return on exit.
Vistria also announced a leadership change involving Jon Samuels, who will become Senior Partner and Chief Impact and Policy Officer.
Samuels will continue leading Vistria’s policy and regulatory activities while overseeing its impact investment strategy.
The Vistria Group manages approximately $18 billion in assets and invests across healthcare, knowledge and learning solutions, financial services and housing.
KEY QUOTES:
“Jeff brings a rare combination of strategic rigor and hands-on operating experience. He has walked in the shoes of the CEOs and executive teams he’ll be partnering with, and that perspective is exactly what our portfolio companies need as we scale PRG’s impact across the firm.”
Kip Kirkpatrick, Co-CEO of The Vistria Group
“Vistria’s sector-focused approach is built on helping companies execute against their most important strategic priorities. Jeff’s experience driving operational improvement and organizational transformation makes him an ideal partner for management teams across our portfolio.”
Phil Alphonse, Co-President of Vistria’s Flagship Funds and Co-Head of Knowledge & Learning Solutions
“I’m drawn to organizations that need to build something new, not just optimize what already exists. What I heard from the team at Vistria is that there are real opportunities across the portfolio for the kind of growth transformation work I’ve spent my career on. The timing, and the fit, felt right.”
Jeff Hawkins, Head of the Portfolio Resources Group at The Vistria Group
“The Portfolio Resources Group is a key part of how we help portfolio companies translate strategy into results. Jeff brings a proven track record of leading transformation, driving growth, and partnering with executive teams, making him an ideal leader for the next chapter of PRG.”
David Schuppan, Co-President of Vistria’s Flagship Funds and Co-Head of Healthcare
