Goldman Retail Dealmaking Head Jennifer Davis Departs for Bain

Jennifer Davis, a senior Goldman Sachs Group Inc. dealmaker, is jumping to a buyout firm.

Davis, who was head of the retail investment-banking group, is leaving to join Bain Capital’s private equity group, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The New York native spent nearly two decades at Goldman Sachs, where her roster of clients included L Brands, Ralph Lauren Corp. and PepsiCo Inc.

Goldman, like other Wall Street firms, routinely grapples with a talent drain in the weeks after annual bonuses go out, as top-performing executives weigh competing bids to lure them away. After a blockbuster ...