M&A Associate

Infinedi Partners expands investment team with three private equity hires. September 9, 2026 Rohan Arora, Nitish Jindal and Rob DeSena Infinedi Partners has expanded its investment team with the additions of Rohan Arora as principal, Nitish Jindal as vice president and Rob DeSena as associate, adding dealmaking and transaction experience as the New York private equity firm builds out its lower middle-market investment platform. Arora joined Infinedi in March 2026 and is responsible for sourcing, leading, growing and exiting investments. He most recently served as a senior vice president in the private equity group at H.I.G. Capital, where he worked from 2022 through 2026. At H.I.G., Arora was involved in identifying, structuring, executing and financing investments, as well as implementing post-closing operational growth and value-creation initiatives. His investment work focused primarily on the consumer and business services sectors. Before H.I.G., Arora held leadership roles at Insignia and Novalpina Capital. He began his career at Evercore. "Infinedi presented a compelling 'ground-floor' opportunity paired with an exceptional standalone track record," Arora said. "I look forward to capitalizing on opportunities in our unique lower middle-market PE buyout strategy." Jindal joined Infinedi in July 2026 and, like Arora, is responsible for sourcing, leading, growing and exiting investments. He previously worked as an associate in the Technology Opportunities Fund at Charlesbank Capital Partners, where his investment focus included cybersecurity and vertical software businesses. Earlier in his career, Jindal was an analyst at Houlihan Lokey, advising technology companies on sell-side mergers and acquisitions. His background adds technology-focused investing and transaction execution experience to Infinedi's expanding team. DeSena joined the firm in June 2026 after serving as a senior analyst at BrightTower, a boutique investment bank focused on technology and marketing services. At BrightTower, he advised corporate and private equity clients on middle-market M&A transactions. The three additions expand Infinedi's investment execution capacity as the firm continues to pursue founder-owned companies where it can serve as the first institutional private equity investor. That positioning distinguishes its strategy from buyout firms targeting businesses that have already moved through one or more rounds of private equity ownership. "I am thrilled to announce the addition of these talented professionals to the Infinedi team," said Jay Hegenbart, founder and managing partner. Hegenbart said the firm expects to draw on their experience as it pursues investments and works to generate returns across its portfolio. Partner Carter Harned indicated that Infinedi expects to continue expanding its organization. "We are excited to add experienced professionals to our growing team and look forward to similar announcements in the near future as we build out our firm," he said. Founded by Hegenbart in March 2018, Infinedi focuses on partnerships with founder-owned businesses and financial entrepreneurs. Its investment model centers exclusively on situations in which Infinedi is the first private equity investor in a company. The firm typically pursues control investments while retaining significant founder reinvestment. Its strategy also calls for using less financial leverage and holding investments for longer periods than is typical in private equity, creating a structure intended to align founders and institutional capital around longer-term business development. That approach makes sourcing and post-acquisition execution central to Infinedi's model. Rather than applying a standardized transaction structure, the firm works with owners to develop investment arrangements around individual businesses and their stakeholders. Infinedi is backed by a group of institutional investors and is actively seeking additional investment opportunities. The latest hires increase the personnel available to source transactions, execute acquisitions and work with portfolio companies as the firm continues building its lower middle-market private equity platform.

Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey has appointed Mayra Fregonesi as managing director in its Financial Sponsors Group to lead coverage efforts across Latin America. Based in São Paulo, Fregonesi brings over 25 years of experience in private capital markets. She joins from Patria Investments, where she served as managing director and global head of key accounts, working with institutional investors on private markets strategies. Previously, she led investor relations at GP Investments and began her career at Merrill Lynch. Fregonesi will leverage her relationships across alternative investment firms, family offices, and sovereign wealth funds to connect clients with Houlihan Lokey's advisory services in M&A, restructuring, and capital solutions. The firm cited Latin America's evolving private capital cycle as creating opportunities for strategic solutions.

Rockpoint, Newbond Holdings buy Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale. Boston-based real estate private equity firm Rockpoint and real estate and hospitality investment platform Newbond Holdings acquired the Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale, Curio Collection by Hilton. The transaction builds on the firms' existing relationship, which includes their September 2025 acquisition of the Westin Tampa Waterside. The new owners plan targeted enhancements to Hotel Maren's food-and-beverage offerings and public areas as part of an effort to strengthen the property's positioning in the Fort Lauderdale Beach market. Built in 2021, Hotel Maren Fort Lauderdale is a 12-story boutique hotel located on a 0.8-acre waterfront parcel at 525 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, south of Las Olas Boulevard. The property has 141 guestrooms, each offering views of either the Atlantic Ocean or Intracoastal Waterway. Amenities include an oceanfront pool and sun deck, multiple dining and bar venues, retail offerings, meeting and social-event space, and a fitness studio. Wealth Enhancement Acquires Arbor Capital Management's Advisory Business Arbor Capital Management is an independent RIA with offices in Alaska. To read the entire story, you must be logged in. Gemspring's Airswift Buys Selected New Tech Global businesses New Tech Global serves customers across the upstream energy sector, providing specialized expertise and personnel supporting drilling, completions, field operations and other operational activities. To read the entire story, you must be logged in. Darcy Partners Purchases Kimberlite Oilfield Research Kimberlite Oilfield Research is a provider of proprietary voice-of-customer research to the global oil and gas industry. To read the entire story, you must be logged in. BlackArch Partners Adds Michael Mazhari as Director in Life Science & Healthcare Group Mazhari joins BlackArch from Houlihan Lokey, where he worked as a healthcare banker. To read the entire story, you must be logged in.