The Private Equity Growth Capital Council plans to formally appoint Steve Judge as its chief executive on Monday, making him the official leader of the private equity industry trade group.
Mr. Judge was named interim chief executive in August, after the departure of his predecessor, Douglas Lowenstein.
The appointment comes as the private equity world increasingly finds itself the target of political attacks during the Republican primaries. Buyout veterans have been girding themselves for criticism since the ascendance of Mitt Romney as the likely Republican presidential nominee, with detractors scrutinizing the record of Bain Capital, the firm Mr. Romney co-founded.
The group has been readying a campaign intended to promote the industry as one that creates jobs.
Bain Capital was a founding member of the council but has since left the group.
Before becoming the council’s interim chief executive, Mr. Judge was the group’s vice president for government relations. He previously worked as a top government affairs executive for what is now the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.