Vistria Appoints Jeff Hawkins to Lead PRG

The Vistria Group has appointed Jeff Hawkins as Head of its Portfolio Resources Group, bringing more than two decades of operational transformation and revenue growth experience to the private investment firm. Hawkins will work with Co-Presidents of Vistria’s Flagship Funds David Schuppan and Phil Alphonse, alongside the firm’s investment teams, to help portfolio companies accelerate growth and create long-term value. The appointment follows Vistria’s return of more than $1 billion to investors in 2025. Vistria has $18 billion in assets under management and invests in healthcare, knowledge and learning solutions, financial services and housing.

Operational Leadership Experience

Hawkins joins Vistria following a career across management consulting, operating leadership and private equity. He began as an intelligence collections officer in the U.S. Air Force before joining the National Security Agency, and has held senior leadership roles at TPG, AON and Alix Partners, as well as leadership positions at portfolio companies.

His previous operating positions have included COO, President and CRO roles, where he guided organisations through transformational change and accelerated growth.

Kip Kirkpatrick, Co-CEO of Vistria, said:

“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.”

Record Of Value Creation

Hawkins has led several transformation and value-creation assignments. As interim Chief Revenue Officer at a healthcare services company with $1.3 billion in revenue, he repositioned its care model against traditional insurance offerings and accelerated growth across its consumer and enterprise businesses, ahead of an exit to UnitedHealth Group.

He also served as CEO of a $70 million enterprise technology company, leading changes to go-to-market strategy, product focus and international operations that resulted in a 6x return on exit. At a real-time operating systems technology company with $300 million in revenue, he led a product and go-to-market shift towards deeper penetration within its largest accounts, resulting in a 14x return on exit.

Phil Alphonse, Co-President of Vistria’s Flagship Funds, said:

“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.”

Portfolio Resources Group Expansion

Hawkins holds an MBA and began his post-military career at Deloitte, where he helped build the firm’s strategy practice before moving to JPMorgan Chase to lead a similar effort within its consumer bank. His new role places him at the centre of Vistria’s Portfolio Resources Group as the firm expands its value-creation capabilities.

Jeff Hawkins, Head of the Portfolio Resources Group at Vistria, said:

“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.”

Policy And Impact Leadership

Jon Samuels will become Senior Partner, Chief Impact and Policy Officer as part of the same evolution of Vistria’s value-creation platform. He will continue to lead the firm’s policy, regulatory and impact investment work, including the integration of measurable social and economic outcomes into its investment approach.

Martin Nesbitt, Co-CEO of Vistria, said:

“As Vistria continues to grow and evolve, Jeff's leadership will be instrumental in strengthening the operating capabilities we bring to our portfolio companies, while Jon's leadership will further strengthen our policy and impact platform.”