NEW YORK, NEW YORK – January 30, 2015 – Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. private equity firm, today announced the promotion of John B. Stephens to managing director of the firm.

“John’s contributions to Vestar during the past decade have been substantial,” said Robert L. Rosner, co-president of Vestar and a founding partner of the firm. “He brings extraordinary energy and insights to our investment process and is well deserving of this important recognition of his contributions.”

Mr. Stephens, most recently a principal of the firm, joined Vestar in 2006. He is a member of Vestar’s Diversified Industries group and has also served in Vestar’s Consumer group. He is a director of Roland Foods and St. John Knits, and was previously on the board of Consolidated Container. Before joining Vestar, he was a member of the Leveraged Finance Group at Wachovia Securities and also worked at L.E.K. Consulting.

He holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Middlebury College, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. Originally from Lakeland, Florida, Mr. Stephens now lives in Denver, Colorado.