Former CEO of CAIA Association and Boston Partners, William J. Kelly, Joins Star Mountain Capital as Senior Advisor

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Star Mountain Capital, LLC (“Star Mountain”), a rapidly growing, employee-owned investment firm with over $4 billion in assets under management (“AUM”), is pleased to announce that William J. Kelly has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. Mr. Kelly will support Star Mountain’s mission by contributing to investor relations, portfolio governance, educational initiatives, and thought leadership as Star Mountain continues building its presence across the alternative investments ecosystem.

Mr. Kelly brings more than four decades of executive leadership experience in asset management, financial governance, and professional education within the alternative investment industry.

“Bill is a respected voice in the industry with a career focused on raising standards and improving outcomes for investors,” said Brett Hickey, Founder & CEO of Star Mountain Capital. “His experience in growing mission-driven organizations and advancing best practices across the alternative investments space will bring meaningful insights to our firm and stakeholders.”

As the Founder and Managing Member of Educational Alpha, LLC, Mr. Kelly currently writes, speaks, and podcasts on investor education, transparency, and democratized access to differentiated risk premia. Through this platform, he remains a leading voice in shaping thought leadership and elevating standards across alternative investing.

From 2014 to 2024, Mr. Kelly served as CEO of the CAIA Association, the global professional body for the alternative investment industry. Under his leadership, CAIA significantly expanded its global reach while advocating for stronger fiduciary standards, educational rigor, and ethical conduct across the industry.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Kelly was the CEO of Boston Partners, a $107 billion AUM investment firm, and one of seven founding partners of its predecessor firm. Before its majority acquisition by Robeco Group (Rotterdam) in 2002, Boston Partners was a respected employee-owned firm with a disciplined approach to asset management. Mr. Kelly began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), earning his CPA designation (inactive).

He also currently serves as Chairman and Lead Independent Director of the Boston Partners Trust Company and as Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair of the Artisan Partners Funds, where he is designated as an SEC Audit Committee Financial Expert. Additionally, he sits on the Advisory Board Member of the Certified Investment Fund Director Institute (IOB Dublin), where he supports professional excellence among independent directors.

“Star Mountain is a mission-driven firm, built on values that mirror my own including integrity, education, and long-term alignment with stakeholders,” said Mr. Kelly. “I am excited to support the continued growth of this exceptional team and platform.”

Mr. Kelly earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Iona University.

Read the full press release here.

About Star Mountain Capital

With over $4 billion in AUM (committed capital including debt facilities as of 7/31/2025), Star Mountain specializes in providing scalable and data-driven investment solutions across two core strategies:

1. Direct Investments: Providing debt and equity capital to established lower middle-market businesses.
2. Secondary Investments: Acquiring LP interests, direct assets, and making primary LP commitments.

Star Mountain’s investors include public and private pensions, insurance companies, commercial banks, endowments, foundations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Employee-owned and sharing profits with 100% of its U.S. full-time employees, the firm prioritizes alignment of interests to maximize value for stakeholders.

Since 2010, Star Mountain has completed over 300 direct investments and 50 secondary/fund investments in the North American lower middle-market. The firm has been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies and a Best Place to Work by Crain’s New York Business and Pensions & Investments.

For more information, visit www.starmountaincapital.com.

Legal Disclaimer:

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase interests in any investment product. Awards and recognitions by third-party rating agencies, companies, or publications should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future results or performance. They should not be considered as an endorsement, recommendation, or referral of Star Mountain Capital or its representatives by any client or third party. Rankings published by media and industry organizations are based on information provided by the recognized advisor. Additionally, readers should understand that past performance is not indicative of future results. Award descriptions and selection methodologies may vary.

Awards and Recognition Disclosure:

Star Mountain Capital’s awards and recognitions are based on third-party evaluations and criteria, which may be subjective. These honors do not imply a guarantee of future performance or an endorsement by current or past clients.

Ranking Methodologies:

• Crain’s Best Places to Work: Evaluations were conducted through a two-part process, assessing workplace policies, practices, and employee satisfaction via surveys. Participation required a fee solely for survey processing purposes. More details are available at Crain’s eligibility criteria.
• Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work: Companies were evaluated based on surveys measuring employee engagement (75%) and employer policies (25%). Participation required a minimum of 20 U.S. employees and $100 million in discretionary assets under management. Further details can be found at P&I eligibility criteria.
• Inc. 5000 Rankings: Companies were ranked based on revenue growth from 2019 to 2022. To qualify, firms had to be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent, with revenue thresholds of at least $100,000 in 2019 and $2 million in 2022. More details are available at Inc. 5000 criteria.