NextGen Growth Partners, a private equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs-in-residence and management teams to invest in sustainable, growing companies, has hired Jim Bland as a partner, with a specific focus on the firm’s new investment and portfolio company efforts.

“Jim brings an immediate positive impact to our team and business,” says Brian O’Connor, NGP founder and managing partner. “His extensive investing and operating experience, ability to lead others and care for the legacy of the businesses we invest in are evident in everything he does. We are thrilled to welcome Jim as a Partner at NGP and are excited about all he brings in our early days of investing out of NGP Fund II and well beyond.”

Bland joins NGP from HCP & Co. where he was a partner responsible for sourcing, evaluating, structuring, and negotiating transactions along with portfolio management across two institutional funds.

“I’m thrilled to join Brian and the NGP team,” Bland says. “NGP has developed a sterling reputation in the private equity community, specifically through their unique ‘entrepreneurship through acquisition’ approach to investing and has developed a highly effective and differentiated approach to private equity investing. NGP is the go-to equity partner for entrepreneurs who wish to acquire and operate middle-market companies. NGP has demonstrated they have the best approach to source both talented entrepreneurs and quality companies. I look forward to sustaining and building upon the current success to ensure NGP is the most logical partner for an owner who desires to transition their company to a talented entrepreneur-operator.”

“Jim is joining at a very exciting time,” says Ron Wexler, NGP’s director of business and talent development. “His leadership track record will prove invaluable as the team expands in size and capability. This is surely a monumental event for both Jim and all of us at the firm.”