Level 20 appoints Rebecca Gibson as New Chair

Oakley

The Board of Level 20, the not-for-profit organisation established to inspire women to join and succeed in the European private equity industry announces the appointment of Oakley Capital Partner Rebecca Gibson as Chair, succeeding Cheryl Potter, with effect from 18 January 2024.

Quote Rebecca Gibson

Level 20 plays a critical role in supporting women to thrive in private equity and has achieved so much in this space over the last few years under the leadership of Cheryl and more recently CEO Gurpreet Manku. There’s so much more to be done to further embed gender diversity across our industry, and to encourage more women to pursue successful careers in private equity. I’m delighted to have been appointed Chair of Level 20 to help continue this mission.

Rebecca Gibson

Partner — Oakley Capital

Categories: People

Kimmo Rauhala appointed new CEO of LEDiL

Ratos

Ratos has appointed Kimmo Rauhala as the new CEO of LEDiL. He joined LEDiL in 2020 as Chief Commercial Officer and is a proven leader with more than 30 years of international business experience. He will assume his new position today.

Kimmo Rauhala’s long experience covers several different industries and business segments, including multi-disciplined engineering, design and automotive. Before he joined LEDiL in 2020 he came from a senior position in AQ Trafotek under the listed company AQ Group from the field of power electronics. He is experienced in leading global operations with large key accounts.

“I’m delighted that Kimmo Rauhala is the new CEO of LEDiL. He knows the company well and is a natural successor. He has played an active and important role in LEDiL’s positive development in recent years. Furthermore, he has a broad skillset and long experience that will be important to maintaining the positive trend in LEDiL and its continued profitable growth journey through both organic growth and add-on acquisitions in the coming years,” says Jonas Wiström, Chairman of the Board, LEDiL and President & CEO, Ratos.

“I am proud and honored to have the opportunity to lead LEDiL. We will continue to grow through innovations and highest quality customer service going forward. The future for secondary optics for LED lighting is bright as our state-of-the-art optical solutions help create light that enhances wellbeing, functionality, safety and sustainability when we are building a more sustainable society. LEDiL has a unique position in this market. Together with the great team at LEDiL, I am looking forward to taking the company to the next level, says Kimmo Rauhala, CEO, LEDiL.

The former CEO of LEDiL, Petteri Saarinen, has decided to take on new challenges outside the company.

About LEDiL
LEDiL is a Finnish based, global leader within secondary optics for LED lighting. The company designs, develops and sells secondary optics for LED lighting globally. Secondary optics process light from the LED to achieve the luminaries’ optimal function, with the highest energy efficiency possible. Development and design are carried out in Salo, Finland. Products are sold worldwide through the company’s own sales force, agents and distributors. The company’s products are primarily used in commercial applications such as street lighting, retail and offices. The number of employees is approximately 110.

For more information, please contact:
Jonas Wiström, Chairman of the Board, LEDiL and President & CEO, Ratos, +46 8 700 17 00
Josefine Uppling, VP Communication, Ratos, +46 76 114 54 21
Kimmo Rauhala, CEO, LEDiL, +35 8 50 558 37 68

About Ratos
Ratos is a business group consisting of 17 companies divided into three business areas: Construction & Services, Consumer and Industry. The companies have approximately SEK 34 billion in net sales (LTM). Our business concept is to own and develop companies that are or can become market leaders. We have a distinct corporate culture and strategy – everything we do is based on our core values: Simplicity, Speed in execution and It’s All About People. We enable independent companies to excel by being part of something larger. People, leadership, culture and values are key focus areas.

Categories: People

Blackstone Announces New Co-Chief Investment Officers and Co-Head of Real Estate

Blackstone

Ken Caplan & Lionel Assant Promoted to Co-Chief Investment Officers of Blackstone
Nadeem Meghji Promoted to Global Co-Head of Blackstone Real Estate

NEW YORK – January 11, 2024 – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) announced today that Ken Caplan, current Global Co-Head of Real Estate, and Lionel Assant, European Head of Private Equity, have been elevated to newly created roles as Global Co-Chief Investment Officers (CIOs) of Blackstone. They will enhance the coordination and oversight of the Firm’s already rigorous investment process. Nadeem Meghji, Head of Real Estate Americas, will succeed Mr. Caplan as Global Co-Head of Real Estate alongside current Global Co-Head, Kathleen McCarthy.

These promotions underscore the increasing breadth of the Firm’s investment strategies and continued expansion, having recently surpassed $1 Trillion in Assets Under Management (AUM). The three executives collectively bring more than 60 years of Blackstone investing experience to what is expected to be an extremely active deployment period, with over $200 billion of dry powder.

Steve Schwarzman, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Blackstone, said: “We are delighted to elevate three of our longest-tenured investors into these critical positions, as the firm readies itself for an active investment period. They bring strong track records of delivering for our customers, considerable institutional knowledge, and exceptional investment acumen to these new roles.”

Jon Gray, President & COO of Blackstone, said: “The promotion of these highly talented executives will help the firm better identify compelling global investment themes while also enhancing our disciplined investment process.”

Mr. Assant joined Blackstone in 2003 and has run the Firm’s European Private Equity business based in London since 2012. He will continue to serve in that capacity and, as Co-CIO of Blackstone, work in conjunction with the business unit CIOs and Group Heads to provide additional firm-level investment oversight across our Private Equity (PE) complex, including our Corporate PE, Infrastructure, Tactical Opportunities, Growth, and Life Sciences businesses.

Mr. Caplan joined Blackstone in 1997, led the Firm’s European Real Estate business from 2012-2015, served as Real Estate CIO from 2015-2017, and has co-headed the global Real Estate business alongside Ms. McCarthy since 2018. As Co-CIO, he will work in conjunction with the business unit CIOs and Group Heads to provide additional firm-level investment oversight, primarily across Real Estate and Credit & Insurance (BXCI).

CIOs across Blackstone will continue to report into their respective business units including Mike Zawadzki, CIO of Credit and Insurance (BXCI); David Ben-Ur, CIO of BAAM Portfolio Solutions (BPS); and Prakash Melwani, CIO of Corporate Private Equity, who will have an expanded role as Chairman of Blackstone Capital Partners (BCP) International.

Mr. Meghji joined Blackstone Real Estate in 2008 and since 2017 has overseen our Real Estate business in the Americas. He has helped lead the enormous growth of Blackstone’s U.S. and Canadian Real Estate business across its Opportunistic (BREP), institutional and private wealth Core+ (BPP & BREIT), with over $200 Billion of AUM and total asset value of approximately $400 Billion.

The firm also announced today the promotion of Gio Cutaia to be Global Chief Operating Officer of Real Estate. He will continue to lead Global Real Estate Asset Management (a role he has held since 2018), and in that capacity help manage the over 12,000 assets in Blackstone’s real estate portfolio.

Kathleen McCarthy, Global Co-Head, Real Estate, said: “Ken is a remarkable leader who I have loved partnering with. We look forward to his continued impact on our business as Co-CIO of the firm. Nadeem is the perfect leader to succeed Ken, given his tremendous investment acumen and operational experience. I am excited to partner with him in the years ahead. Nadeem and I are thrilled to elevate Gio Cutaia, who will play a critical role helping us oversee this world-class business.”

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our $1 trillion in assets under management include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

Contacts
Matt Anderson
Phone: 518-248-7310
Email: matthew.anderson@blackstone.com

Jeff Kauth
Phone: 212-583-5395
Email: jeffrey.kauth@blackstone.com

Categories: People

IK kicks off New Year with Partner promotions

IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK” or “the Firm”) is pleased to announce the promotion of Carl Jakobsson and Frederik Jacobs to Partner in the Mid Cap Investment teams in the Nordics and the Benelux respectively.

Carl joined the Stockholm office in 2013 and specialises in the Business Services sector. He has served on the Boards of numerous portfolio companies, including Aspia, Netel, Evac and Ramudden, since joining. Prior to IK, Carl worked within the Investment Banking department of SEB Enskilda. He holds an MSc and BSc in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Based in Amsterdam, Frederik joined IK in 2014. He has been involved in several notable transactions across the Benelux region and possesses specialist expertise in the Healthcare sector. Prior to joining IK, Frederik worked in Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking Division focused on the Benelux region. He holds an MSc and BSc in Business Engineering from the University of Leuven.

Christopher Masek, CEO at IK, commented: “2023 was an exceptionally busy year for IK and we are incredibly proud of the contribution of our outstanding colleagues, especially Carl and Frederik whose hard work has been recognised with their promotions to the Partner Group. Both individuals have shown their ability to deliver results for investors and drive value creation across the portfolio, possessing the drive and level-headedness required in the current market.”

Carl Jakobsson, Partner at IK, added: “I feel privileged to have been given continuous opportunity to gain a wealth of experience over the past 11 years at IK. Since joining, I’ve worked locally in Sweden and across Europe with colleagues and portfolio companies to create growth opportunities.”

Frederik Jacobs, Partner at IK, commented: “I’m grateful to my colleagues for the support I’ve received over the past decade. This has enabled me to make significant progress within the Firm and I’ve had the good fortune of being involved in many interesting projects. I’ve worked alongside brilliant management teams to create excellent outcomes and value for all and I look forward to seeing what the future brings.”

For further questions, please contact:

IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0) 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com

About IK Partners

IK Partners (“IK”) is a European private equity firm focused on investments in the Benelux, DACH, France, Nordics and the UK. Since 1989, IK has raised more than €14 billion of capital and invested in over 180 European companies. IK supports companies with strong underlying potential, partnering with management teams and investors to create robust, well-positioned businesses with excellent long-term prospects. For more information, visit www.ikpartners.com

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Categories: People

Cinven announces Partner promotions

Cinven

International private equity firm Cinven announces the promotion of two individuals to Partner with effect from 1 January 2024.

Miguel Segura, Partner

Miguel joined Cinven in 2012 and is a member of the Business Services team and the Iberia regional team. He has been involved in a number of transactions, including Amara NZero, HBX Group (previously Hotelbeds), MasMovil, Planasa, Spire, Tinsa, Ufinet and Ufinet International.

Tarek Bayazid, Partner

Tarek joined Cinven in 2014 and is a member of the Investor Relations and Fundraising team. Since joining Cinven, he has contributed to the successful fundraisings of the Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Cinven Funds, the Strategic Financials Fund and capital raising for numerous co-investments.  He is the principal point of contact for Cinven’s investors in the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Commenting on these promotions, Stuart McAlpine, Managing Partner of Cinven, said:

“Congratulations to Miguel and Tarek on their well-deserved achievement. Both have made a significant contribution to Cinven’s success over the years and their promotions reflect our commitment to the development of talent within the firm.” 

“Having just achieved the hard cap for our latest fund, the Eighth Cinven Fund, raising $14.5 billion, Cinven is well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities 2024 brings and we look forward to the year ahead.” 

Categories: People

Larry Contrella and Mac Williams named to GrowthCap’s 2023 Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors

JMI Equity

JMI Equity, a growth equity firm focused on investing in leading software companies, is pleased to announce two JMI investment professionals have been recognized by GrowthCap among the Top 40 Under 40 Growth Investors of 2023. General Partner Larry Contrella and Principal Mac Williams are included amongst the impressive list of awardees.

The exceptional individuals being recognized this year have been at the forefront for years, playing lead roles in developing the world of growth equity and growth buyouts into what it has become today. Many of this year’s candidates received a remarkable number of substantive nominations from CEOs and other colleagues who had worked extensively with the candidate. The most highly endorsed were then selected for final rounds where they were further evaluated on the depth of their deal experience, ability to help the companies they invest in, collaborative work style, and progression towards firm and industry leadership roles, among other attributes.

Larry Contrella, a General Partner in the Baltimore office, joined JMI in 2010. He is responsible for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities as well as providing strategic and operational support to portfolio companies. Larry is currently a director of Apptegy, Bloomerang, ChurnZero, Incident IQ, RainFocus, and Raptor Technologies.

Mac Williams, a Principal in the Baltimore office, joined JMI in 2016. He is responsible for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities as well as providing strategic and operational support to portfolio companies. Mac is a director at OnBoard and Raptor Technologies and a board observer at Apptegy, Higher Logic, Ontic, and UKG.

Disclaimer: GrowthCap is a leading growth capital research and advisory firm. The criteria considered for this award is determined by GrowthCap and may include quality of the feedback they received from firm colleagues, portfolio company CEOs, and/or peers in the industry, breadth of deal experience, recent investments and exits, demonstrated leadership, and uniqueness of capabilities, among other attributes. The award is the subjective determination of the party conferring the award and not of JMI Equity. JMI Equity submitted nominations for the investment professionals to be considered for and, once selected, paid to be included on, and to promote inclusion on, this list. The investment professionals received this award in 2024 and Larry Contrella has also received this award in 2019-2022. For more information about GrowthCap, please see their website at growthcapadvisory.com.  JMI is not responsible for the contents of any third-party website and has not confirmed the accuracy of any information provided therein.

Categories: People

Reetta Laaksonen, Iina Mäkelä, Calvin Nsombo and Lassi Palviainen, Tesi’s new trainees

Tesi

Four new trainees began their traineeships at Tesi on January 8, 2024.

Reetta Laaksonen, who started as a trainee in the Fund Investments team, studies Economics at Aalto University. Previously, Reetta has worked in consulting.

Iina Mäkelä and Calvin Nsombo started as trainees in the Direct Investment teams. Iina studies Finance at Aalto University and has previously worked at Nordea and Volvo Finland Ab. Calvin studies Strategy at Aalto University. He has previous work experience from Mandatum Asset Management and Nordea.

Lassi Palviainen, who started as a Legal Trainee, studies Law at the University of Lapland. He has previous work experience from a law firm.

We warmly welcome Reetta, Iina, Calvin and Lassi and wish them rewarding experiences!

Tesi (officially Finnish Industry Investment Ltd) is a state-owned, market-driven investment company that invests in venture capital and private equity funds and directly in Finnish startups and growth companies.
tesi.fi | X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Newsletter

Categories: People

Thomas Kidane and Yuriy Prilutskiy appointed co-heads of Patricia Industries

Investor

Patricia Industries’ Board of Directors has appointed Thomas Kidane and Yuriy Prilutskiy as new co-heads. This follows our previous communication on Christian Cederholm becoming Investor’s next President and CEO and the appointments will be made effective when he transitions to the new role.

Thomas Kidane is currently Head of Patricia Industries Nordics and Yuriy Prilutskiy Head of Patricia Industries North America. They have both been at Patricia Industries since its inception in 2015. In their new roles they will be reporting directly to the Board of Patricia Industries.

“Thomas and Yuriy have a proven track-record of developing businesses and teams and they both live our values in a way that inspires others. We believe the co-head model is the right model going forward for Patricia Industries, as it allows for a strong local presence in both of our key geographies, while also creating resilience”, says Marcus Wallenberg, Chair of the Board at Patricia Industries and Vice-Chair of Investor AB.

Thomas Kidane joined Investor in 2008. He has been responsible for the investments in several listed and privately held portfolio companies and has led multiple add-on acquisitions. Thomas currently serves as a board member of Permobil and Piab. He has worked as Head of Corporate Development and M&A at Permobil and holds an M.Sc. in Accounting and Financial Management from the Stockholm School of Economics.

Yuriy Prilutskiy joined Investor in 2010. He has led and been responsible for multiple portfolio company investments and add-on acquisitions, and currently serves as a board member of Advanced Instruments, Laborie and Sarnova. Prior to joining Investor, Yuriy worked at JP Morgan and Bank of America where he focused on the biopharmaceutical industry. He holds a B.Sc., cum laude, in Finance and Economics with a minor concentration in Mathematics from the New York University Stern School of Business.

“I am delighted about the promotions of Thomas and Yuriy. They are both extremely talented and gifted business leaders and instrumental in shaping the culture at Patricia Industries and Investor. I am looking forward to welcoming them both to Investor’s Executive leadership Team when I assume the role as CEO”, says Christian Cederholm, Head of Patricia Industries.

“I truly appreciate the confidence from the Board and really look forward to continuing to develop our strong companies in the Nordics into the future together with our excellent team”, says Thomas Kidane.

“I am grateful for the trust of the Board and excited to continue developing our passionate team, great companies and dedicated presence in North America in the years to come”, says Yuriy Prilutskiy.

Our press releases can be accessed at www.investorab.com

Investor AB, founded by the Wallenberg family in 1916, creates value for people and society by building strong and sustainable companies. Through substantial ownership and board participation, we drive initiatives that we believe create value and support our companies to remain or become best-in-class. Our portfolio is organized in three business areas: Listed Companies, Patricia Industries and Investments in EQT.

For further information:

Jacob Lund, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer,
Phone +46 725 60 21 57
jacob.lund@investorab.com

Magnus Dalhammar, Head of Investor Relations,
Phone +46 73 524 2130
magnus.dalhammar@investorab.com

Categories: People

Congratulations to our 44 employees that have been promoted this year!

DIF

People have always been DIF’s greatest asset and the work our employees do doesn’t go unrecognised.

This is the full list of this year’s promotions per grade. Join us in wishing them every success in their new role.

Congratulations to all of you!

Promotions to Managing Director
Jesse van Schouwenburg
Helen Murphy
Kees de Ru
Marlous van Wouwe
Pierre Boschin
Julien Millet

Dan Fetter has been appointed as Deputy Head Value Creation

Promotions to Senior Director
Twan van Vlerken
Philipp Lauch
Carmen Martín
Tristan Taylor
Angelo Lacroix

Promotion to Director 
Alessandro Pinelli
Steven Cross
Thibault Barrallon
Matt Harding
Jason Loo
Carmen Gonzalez
Heloise Gouget
Jovi Li
Rebecca Mulder
Raymon Ruijter
Victoria Stradnic
Mark Vuurberg
Melissa Chan

Promotion to Associate Director
Sascha Rütz
Bryce Freeburn
Somar Alhajali
Charlotte Wijlhuizen
Kirsten Lagerweij
Wybren Brouwer
Maxime Reinke
Michael Wong
Sarah Travis
Hamza Chaudhry
Olivier Laflamme
Miguel Sanchez de las Matas
Shyam Rajani

Promotion to Associate 
Lauren Page
Katarzyna Fuglewicz
Katerina Novotna
Rico Glase
Michel Bartoschik
Johannes von Möllendorff

Promotion to Analyst
Jenny Chen

Categories: People

Johan Ladenberg new CEO of Lundbergs Fastigheter. Louise Lindh is intended to become the new chairman of the board.

Lundbergs

Johan Ladenberg has been appointed as CEO of Lundbergs Fastigheter, effective February 15, 2024. Lundbergs Fastigheter is a wholly owned subsidiary of L E Lundbergföretagen AB. Johan Ladenberg succeeds Louise Lindh, who has been CEO since 2017.

Johan Ladenberg, age 57, has been vice president of Lundbergs Fastigheter since 2017 and has been employed and part of the management team since 2005. Johan has a law degree from Stockholm University.

Louise Lindh is intended to take over as the new chairman of the board of Lundbergs Fastigheter in connection with the CEO change and will then succeed Fredrik Lundberg, who will become a regular board member. Fredrik Lundberg continues as President and CEO of L E Lundbergföretagen AB.

“Johan and I have worked together since 2005. Johan is very well qualified to succeed me as CEO. I look forward to continued good cooperation and wish Johan the best of luck with his new challenges,” says Louise Lindh.

“It is an exciting challenge to lead Lundbergs Fastigheter. It is a very well maintained company with a strong organization and fine property portfolio that I am convinced will develop well in the future,” says Johan Ladenberg.

 

Stockholm, December 19, 2023

 

 

L E Lundbergföretagen AB
Any questions are answered by:
Fredrik Lundberg, L E Lundbergföretagen AB, +46 8 463 06 00
Louise Lindh, Lundbergs Fastigheter, +46 11 21 65 00

 

L E Lundbergföretagen AB
+46 8-463 06 00
information@lundbergs.se

 

Lundbergs is an investment company that manages and develops a number of companies based on long-term, active ownership. The portfolio of assets includes the wholly owned real estate company Lundbergs Fastigheter, the publicly traded subsidiaries Holmen and Hufvudstaden and the associated companies Husqvarna, Industrivärden and Indutrade. Lundbergs also has major shareholdings in Alleima, Handelsbanken, Sandvik and Skanska.

Categories: People