West Lane Partners Welcomes Rita Sallis, Former Chief Investment Officer of New York City’s Pension System, as Senior Advisor

May 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM EDT

--News Direct--

West Lane Partners, a private equity firm focused on special situations in the middle market, is pleased to announce the addition of Rita Sallis as a Senior Advisor to the firm.

Ms. Sallis brings decades of leadership in public and private sector finance. Widely respected across the institutional investing and public finance sectors, Ms. Sallis is the former Chief Investment Officer of New York City’s $100 billion pension system, where she managed the investment plans of the City’s five public pension boards. In this role, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Bureau of Asset Management and led a team of 50.

“Rita is a force in the financial world, having led one of the largest public pension systems in the country,” said Deryck Palmer, founder and managing partner of West Lane Partners. “Her ability to take a situation in crisis or undergoing severe financial stress and lead it to a successful outcome is unparalleled. And her capacity to identify such opportunities across industry sectors and transform them into real return aligns powerfully with our firm’s mission.”

Ms. Sallis’ broad management and leadership skills were instrumental in guiding New York City’s debt program and pension plans through the aftermath of 9/11, when the City faced a $6.4 billion budget deficit, and the financial crisis of 2008. Following several years’ public service, Ms. Sallis became a Principal at The Yucaipa Companies, a private equity firm focused on middle market companies. She currently chairs the Infrastructure Investments Fund.

"I’ve been at the table when everything was on the line, from leading New York City’s debt and pension programs in the aftermath of 9/11 when the City faced a $6.4 billion budget deficit, to navigating the 2008 financial crisis,” said Ms. Sallis. “In those moments, I had to assess risk fast, stay sharp under pressure, and make the hard calls. That’s the experience I’m excited to bring to West Lane Partners."

Ms. Sallis’ expertise spans institutional investment, public finance, and private equity. She combines strategic judgment with operational discipline and has a long track record of navigating high-stakes, high-complexity environments. Her knowledge will support West Lane’s continued focus on identifying and executing on special situations across the middle market.

During her years of public service, Ms. Sallis also served as Deputy Comptroller for Public Finance, where she was responsible for raising capital for New York City’s multi-billion-dollar capital program. Under her leadership, the City issued over $12 billion in debt annually and launched an innovative swap program totaling $3.4 billion in notional value.

“Rita brings the kind of perspective that’s rare at any level of investing,” added Mr. Palmer. “Her ability to navigate complexity and execute with discipline will be invaluable as we continue to evaluate challenging situations and make smart, well-timed decisions in the middle market.”

About Rita Sallis

Ms. Sallis has a broad background in finance. She spent 20 years as an investment banker, specializing in public finance; she is the former Chief Investment Officer of the New York City Pension System and the former Deputy Comptroller for Public Finance. Ms. Sallis’ accolades include induction into the Wall Street Hall of Fame by the National Association of Securities Professionals, the “25 Influential Black Women in Business” award from The Network Journal, and the Leadership Award for Education and Diversity from Metropolitan College of New York. Ms. Sallis earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central State University and holds a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She is an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

About West Lane Partners

West Lane Partners is a private equity firm whose senior leadership has over 150 years of collective restructuring and private equity experience working with underperforming, stressed and distressed companies across a range of industries in both large cap and middle market companies. In addition to providing capital, the firm combines decades of restructuring, private equity, legal and financial expertise to collaborate with management in developing and executing bespoke solutions that deliver mutually beneficial outcomes.