George Pataki has joined the executive board of private-equity firm MidOcean Partners – the latest business the former New York governor has become involved with since he left office two years ago.
MidOcean, which is run by former Deutsche Bank executive Ted Virtue, recently raised $1.33 billion for its latest buyout fund.
Last year, MidOcean bought a 50 percent stake in niche publisher Penton Media from dealmaker Bruce Wasserstein and has invested in Hunter Fan, Sbarro restaurants and LA Fitness.
“Governor Pataki is a great leader and a visionary thinker, and we are honored to have him join MidOcean’s Executive Board,” Virtue said in a statement.
“This represents a unique opportunity for all of us to benefit from Governor Pataki’s vast experience in successfully running New York State as well as his keen economic insights.”
Pataki has highlighted his support of environmental causes and last year joined the law firm of Chadbourne and Parke, focusing on their environmental, energy and corporate practice areas.
The former governor also is joining the board of MidOcean-owned OneLink Communications, a Puerto Rican cable TV service provider.
In June, Pataki and political rainmaker Charles Gargano came under criticism from investors for joining the board of Perf Go-Green Holdings, a penny-stock company that some believed was trying to pump up their own stock through third-party spam e-mails and promotional brochures.
Pataki also serves on the boards of Cornell University, Brazilian ethanol maker Cosan Ltd. and the Carnegie Hall Corp.