NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueMountain Capital Management (BlueMountain), a private investment firm with over $12 billion in assets under management, is pleased to announce that James E. ("Jes") Staley will join the firm as its ninth Managing Partner. Mr. Staley joins the firm from J.P. Morgan, where he recently served as CEO of the investment banking division.  Along with becoming an integral part of the executive team, Mr. Staley will focus on cultivating relationships and developing new strategies that harness BlueMountain's strengths, capture opportunities in the market, and deliver them to clients.

"Jes is one of the most experienced and successful leaders in the industry and has played a key role at one of the world's most successful financial institutions. Not only has he had a front row seat for the evolution of the financial industry, but he's also one of the most ethical people we've worked with," said Andrew Feldstein, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of BlueMountain. "He shares our enthusiasm for the scale of the opportunities that exist in the market and the unique value proposition that BlueMountain delivers to its clients."

Mr. Staley will join BlueMountain after more than 34 years at J.P. Morgan, where he served in various executive positions within the bank including heading both the Investment Bank and J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Prior to running the bank's asset management division, Mr. Staley served as the head of J.P. Morgan's private bank and was one of the founders of J.P. Morgan's equities business.

Mr. Staley will join BlueMountain's Management Committee, its Risk Committee and its Investment Committee and will purchase a stake in the firm.  Proceeds from the sale will be invested in new infrastructure, technology and talent.

"I'm very excited to be joining BlueMountain at a time when sea changes in the financial industry combined with the firm's unique strengths open up enormous possibilities to deliver value to clients," said Mr. Staley. "I want to thank all my colleagues at J.P. Morgan, my home for the last 34 years, and I look forward to working with them in the future."

About BlueMountain Capital Management

BlueMountain Capital Management is an investment firm focused on the global credit markets and equity derivatives markets. 

BlueMountain, founded in 2003, is led by a senior and experienced management team of the following eight Managing Partners who work together in close collaboration: Andrew Feldstein, Alan Gerstein, Peter Greatrex, Michael Liberman, Bryce Markus, David Rubenstein, Stephen Siderow and Derek Smith.  The firm has been SEC-registered since its inception and is QPAM qualified.

BlueMountain's investment approach integrates fundamental company research, advanced quantitative methods and market and product knowledge.  Its investment strategies range from highly fundamental to nearly pure arbitrage. BlueMountain's edge lies in its focus on the seams and intersection of markets characterized by a high degree of artificial boundaries amongst instrument types and investment mandates.

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SOURCE BlueMountain Capital Management