Advent International bolstered its operations team with the hiring of Pam Patsley as an operating partner focused on opportunities in the financial services space, specifically payments and transaction processing. Patsley joins the Boston-based firm, which recently closed a $10.4 billion fund, from First Data Corp., where she spent over seven years as the president of its international arm First Data International.

Patsley left First Data in 2007. As president, she grew First Data International’s revenues from $300 million to $1.7 billion. As part of the expansion, Patsley oversaw the business units covering merchant acquisitions, merchant transaction processing, issuer processing and ATM network solutions. Prior to First Data, Patsley served as CEO of Paymentech, which was eventually sold to First Data roughly nine years ago.

Patsley’s hiring is in line with other recent moves the private equity firm has made. In January, Advent brought in Conor Boden, who was previously at 3i Group, to serve as the head of portfolio board management, a new positioned designed to augment its operating partner program. Meanwhile, in March, the firm hired another 3i veteran, Alice Escoffier, as the assistant director in its Paris office. In its press materials, Advent cited Escoffier’s experience in the finance sector.

Advent has invested in the financial services space in the past, including earlier deals for payment processors Euronet, CSU CardSystems, and PaySys (which was sold to FirstData). On the transaction services side, Advent also invested in Long Term Care Group, National Bankruptcy Services and Equiniti, among others.



Career moves