BlackRock has hired Vanessa Van Brunt as head of sales for prime brokerage and alternative on the cash management team.

Based in New York, she joins the firm from Wells Fargo's financial institutions group where she led strategy and sales for alternative asset managers, with a specific focus on liquidity management.

" experience of selling directly to hedge funds and private equity will be invaluable as we deliver off-balance sheet solutions to funds and prime brokers," the internal announcement from BlackRock read.

BlackRock's says its prime brokerage and alternatives segment represents a tremendous growth opportunity in light of regulatory changes that make "certain deposits uneconomic to large banks". 

Van Brunt is an active member of the financial community and hedge fund industry groups, participating as a member of New York Hedge Fund Roundtable, 100 Women in Hedge Funds, The Economic Club of New York and The Financial Women's Association. 

She also served as a David Rockefeller Fellow with the Partnership for New York City and remains active in PFNYC initiatives.