James “Jim” Rutherfurd joined 3i, the global private equity firm, from Veronis Suhler Stevenson as a partner leading fund investor relations.

He will work with Paul Waller, a managing partner of 3i’s global fund investor relations team in London; Rutherfurd will continue to work in New York.

At Veronis, Rutherfurd was executive vice president responsible for fundraising, IR and marketing. He worked there for five years; he also served as managing director of JPMorgan’s M&A group and also co-head of its media banking team. He also worked at First Boston and law firm Rogers & Wells.

“This is a terrific global platform,” Rutherfurd told the M&A Journal. “I was coming… from a firm that operated mostly in the US and Europe.

Additionally, Jennifer Dunstan, a 3i buyouts team veteran, is leaving that shop to join the private equity firm’s investor relations shop in London.

Dunstan has been a partner in the PE firm’s UK buyouts team since 2005 and head of its consumer sector; she worked on deals including Mayborn Group and TelecityRedbus.

Prior to joining 31, Jennifer spent nine years with Terra Firma Capital Partners and Nomura’s principle finance group. She has worked in Australia and London.

Lately, private equity firms have been on a roll making hires looking to recalibrate funds for the new economic environment.

Today, Huntsman Gay Global Capital revealed Donald Miller, a Gryphon veteran, and Ben Thorndike, a Bain Capital IR vet, both joined the firm in separate senior capacities.

Also, Justin Chang joined Colony Capital as a principal; he most recently worked with TPG Capital, but retired in 2008.

Financial services industry