Kim Kardashian Hires Wall Street Talent to Bulk Up Buyout Firm

Kim Kardashian’s private equity firm hired a half-dozen financial-industry professionals, including a new chief operating officer who previously worked at alternative investment giant Apollo Global Management Inc.

SKKY Partners now has almost a dozen employees and expects to surpass 15 by the end of this year, according to former Carlyle Group Inc. partner Jay Sammons, 47, who co-founded the firm with Kardashian last year.

“We’ve made a lot of headway in only a few months and are looking forward to seeing our first investments come to life,” Kardashian, 42, said in an emailed statement, stressing the firm has “an incredibly diverse team and dynamic culture.”

That team includes six women and two employees who identify as LGBTQ. The firm’s new COO, Kaitlin May, previously worked for Apollo, Citigroup Inc. and Putnam Investments, where she served as head of global institutional management. Brittany Serafino, who joined from L Catterton, and former Bain Capital employee Zachary Litner both joined as vice presidents.

Boston-based SKKY invests in consumer products and the media industry, with Kardashian and Sammons serving as co-managing partners and co-founders.

While Kardashian first became famous for the reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” she’s also launched a number of businesses, including undergarment company Skims. Sammons, a 17-year Carlyle veteran, worked on investments including Beats by Dre, skincare company Philosophy and cosmetics company Beautycounter.

The new firm has also hired Riyanka Ganguly, formerly at Blackstone Inc., as a senior associate. Ashley Baxter, who worked at the growth investment firm Stripes, joined as an associate. A director of finance, Mark Urso, has joined from Petra Funds Group, and last year the firm added a managing director, David Brisske, from Permira.

“Kim and I have both experienced the power of diverse teams and highly inclusive cultures that bring the most impactful and creative thinking out of everyone,” Sammons said. “It’s the right way to make the best decisions, and the way we are building SKKY is no different.”

By Sonali Basak

Learn more:

Skims Plots Its Next Moves: ‘We Don’t Have the Luxury of Failing’

Following its Series B funding round, Skims is valued at $3.2 billion. Its hopes are that the cash infusion will allow the brand to continue growing in new categories, like swim, and new geographies while remaining profitable.