Randall Whitestone, a former reporter who held top corporate communications posts in finance, has joined private equity giant The Carlyle Group in New York as principal and director of communications.
Carlyle filed in September to go public, joining rivals like Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. The IPO, expected to be as large as $1 billion, will likely come in the first half of 2012, according to Reuters.
"I am excited to join Carlyle at such a significant time in the firm’s history," said Whitestone, a former Bloomberg and Associated Press reporter in a two-decade journalism career.
Whitestone makes the move from investment firm Neuberger Berman, where has been global head of corporate communications. He was previously senior VP of corporate communications at Lehman Bros.
Chris Ullman, a ten-year Carlyle veteran, heads global communications for the firm.
Carlyle tapped Nike’s Rory Macmillan as principal and director of external affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in August.