Crux Capital, a leading lower-middle-market private equity firm, today announced significant additions and promotions within its team. These organizational developments follow the Firm’s closing of Crux Capital Fund I, L.P. with $342 million in capital commitments in September 2025.
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To support the Firm’s continued growth and investment activity, Crux Capital has hired Ryan Panyard as Director of Finance and Levi Jobe as an Associate. Additionally, the Firm is pleased to announce the promotions of Kale Kolbe to Vice President and Christopher Herrod to Associate.
“With the recent closing of our Fund I, we are focused on building a world-class team to support our growing portfolio of high-quality businesses,” said Wayne Moore, Managing Partner of Crux Capital. “We are thrilled to welcome Ryan and Levi to the Firm. Ryan’s leadership in our finance function and Levi’s transaction experience will be invaluable assets as we continue to scale our platform and deploy capital across the Sunbelt.”
New Additions to the Crux Capital Team
Ryan Panyard joins Crux Capital as Director of Finance and CCO, where he leads the Firm's financing, accounting, and tax functions. Ryan brings significant private equity financial management experience to the team. Prior to joining Crux Capital, he served as Controller and Chief Compliance Officer at Havencrest Capital Management and previously worked at Sixth Street and Ernst & Young LLP.
“I am honored to join the Crux Capital team at such a pivotal time in the Firm's trajectory,” said Ryan Panyard. “I look forward to working with the team to scale the back office to support growth and maintain operational excellence.”
Levi Jobe joins the investment team as an Associate, responsible for evaluating and executing new investments and supporting portfolio companies. Prior to joining Crux, Levi was a member of the leveraged finance group at Stephens investment bank.
Promotions Within the Investment Team
Kale Kolbe has been promoted to Vice President. In this elevated role, Kale manages thematic underwriting, investment diligence, and deal structuring. He also works extensively alongside portfolio management teams to drive value creation strategies. Prior to joining Crux, Kale was an Associate at Kainos Capital, where he specialized in the food and consumer product industries.
Christopher Herrod has been promoted to Associate. Christopher focuses on identifying, evaluating, and executing investment opportunities, as well as monitoring portfolio performance. Prior to joining Crux Capital, he served as an Investment Banking Analyst at Cowen.
“We are incredibly proud to recognize the contributions of Kale and Christopher with these well-deserved promotions,” said James Kay, Partner at Crux Capital. “Both have demonstrated a strong commitment to our values and have played key roles in executing our strategy. We look forward to their continued professional growth and leadership as they take on increased responsibilities within the Firm.”
About Crux Capital
Crux Capital is a Sunbelt-based private equity firm focused on the support and growth of founder-led or family-owned businesses in the consumer and services sectors. The Firm partners with a select number of high-quality businesses and works with management teams to build value over the long term. Crux Capital’s team comprises seasoned professionals with deep operational and investment experience who implement strategies to unlock value in partnership with company management. For more information, visit www.crux-cap.com.
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Media Contact:
Amanda Kennelly
Vice President of Administration, Crux Capital
akennelly@crux-cap.com
