Martin Donnelly To Join Blackstone in Australia

New York and Sydney, The Blackstone Group (NYSE:BX) today announced that Martin Donnelly has joined the firm as a Managing Director in its Sydney, Australia office. Mr. Donnelly will head business development and client relations in Australia and the Pacific Rim for Blackstone Alternative Asset Management (BAAM), the world’s largest provider of customized hedge fund solutions for institutional investors. He was most recently Deputy Chief Executive Officer at ING Investment Management Australia.  He joins Philip Levinson as the second Managing Director in Blackstone’s Sydney office. This office opened in December 2009.

Commenting on the appointment, J. Tomilson Hill, Blackstone’s Vice Chairman and Head of BAAM, said: “We are delighted to have someone with Martin’s depth of experience in asset management join us. As investors look both for attractive returns and capital preservation, they are increasingly turning away from traditional investment vehicles to our customized solutions, using uniquely tailored combinations of hedge funds and other proprietary exposures created by BAAM.”  

Added Martin Donnelly: “Blackstone is one of the world’s leading asset managers. With Australia as one of the largest and most sophisticated markets in the region, I anticipate a growing demand for what BAAM offers both here and in the region.”

Before joining ING in 2007, Mr. Donnelly was a Director of Institutional Business at Barclays Global Investors. Before Barclays, Mr. Donnelly spent seven years with Deutsche Asset Management, both as a Senior Associate Director in Business Development and later as a Vice President at DB Capital Partners.

BAAM, as of December 31, 2010, manages $US 33 billion for its clients globally.

About The Blackstone Group:

Blackstone (NYSE: BX) is one of the world’s leading investment and advisory firms. Blackstone seeks to create positive economic impact and long-term value for its investors, the companies it invests in, the companies it advises and the broader global economy. The firm accomplishes this through the commitment of its extraordinary people and flexible capital. Blackstone’s alternative asset management businesses include the management of private equity funds, real estate funds, funds of hedge funds, credit-oriented funds and closed-end mutual funds. The Blackstone Group also provides various financial advisory services, including financial and strategic advisory, restructuring and reorganization advisory and fund placement services.

Further information is available at www.blackstone.com.

Contact:
Peter Rose: 212-583-5871