IK Partners (“IK” or “the Firm”), a leading European private equity firm, is pleased to announce the appointment of Pete Wilson as its first UK Mid Cap Partner. In addition, five individuals based across the Firm’s Paris, Stockholm and London offices have been promoted to Partner.
Prior to joining IK, Pete was a Partner and Head of UK Private Equity at 3i Group, where he spent 15 years. He brings substantial experience, having been involved in numerous investments and portfolio companies across a range of sectors, including Aspen Pumps, Civica, Inspicio, SLR Consulting and Audley Travel. A graduate of Warwick University, he began his career as a strategy consultant at Accenture. Pete will be launching IK’s UK Mid Cap strategy, investing in growing businesses across the Firm’s core sectors: Business Services, Healthcare, Consumer and Industrials. This follows the success of IK’s UK Small Cap strategy launched in 2020 with the appointment of Tom Salmon and investments in Forthglade and DA Languages.
In addition, IK is delighted to announce the following promotions to Partner:
• Thierry Aoun – Capital Markets, London
• Maria Brunow – Mid Cap Investment Team, Stockholm
• Vincent Elriz – Mid Cap Investment Team, Paris
• Antoine Jacquemin – Operations, Paris
• Diki Korniloff – Mid Cap Investment Team, Paris
Christopher Masek, Chief Executive Officer at IK, commented: “At IK we define ourselves as ‘People-First Private Equity’, so it is with immense pride that we elevate five outstanding colleagues to Partner in recognition of their success to date and their potential to continue to deliver outstanding results for investors and drive value creation at portfolio companies. Following yet another record year, we are excited to develop our team as we continue our mission to enable leading European businesses to reach their potential through investment and operational excellence. We are also thrilled to welcome Pete Wilson as our first UK Mid Cap Partner. The UK is one of the largest PE markets in Europe, so this is a logical next step for us as we continue our successful investment strategy with a presence in key markets across the continent.”
Pete Wilson, Partner at IK, commented: “I am delighted to join IK to launch a Mid Cap strategy in the UK and have been hugely impressed by the scale of ambition within the business, as well as its 30-year track record of pan-European PE investing. The combination of IK’s deep local networks, well established platform and ‘people-first’ culture is a differentiated and compelling proposition. I look forward to expanding the reach and focus of the
Mid Cap strategy and furthering IK’s commitment to the UK market, on the back of the strong start the UK Small Cap team have already had.”
Thierry Aoun
• Thierry Aoun joined IK in 2020 and is the Partner responsible for the IK Capital Markets team, based in London.
• Leading acquisition financing and overseeing related activities for the Firm’s buyouts and portfolio companies, he also manages the Firm’s relationships with lenders.
• Prior to joining IK, Thierry was at KKR, focusing on private credit investments and capital markets activities. He began his career in leveraged finance at J.P. Morgan and has an MSc in Management from HEC Paris.
Maria Brunow
• Maria Brunow joined IK in 2018 and is in the Mid Cap Investment team, based in Stockholm.
• A Finnish national, sitting within the Healthcare sector team, she is responsible for portfolio investments across the Nordics.
• Prior to joining IK, Maria worked at Deutsche Bank in London. She began her career at Lazard in Stockholm, having gained an MSc in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics.
Vincent Elriz
• Vincent Elriz joined IK in 2016 and is in the Mid Cap Investment team, based in Paris.
• Sitting within the Business Services sector team, he has substantial transaction and board membership experience.
• Prior to joining IK, Vincent worked at Montagu Private Equity in Paris and began his career at Blackstone in London, having graduated from HEC Paris with an MSc in Finance.
Antoine Jacquemin
• Antoine Jacquemin joined IK in 2018 and is in the Operations team, based in Paris.
• He is responsible for the operational optimisation and support of portfolio companies.
• Antoine began his career at Renault and Philips and then worked in consulting for Bain & Company and as a Business Transformation Officer in an Advent-owned business. He graduated from ESSEC Business School and additionally, holds an MBA from INSEAD.
Diki Korniloff
• Diki Korniloff joined IK in 2012 as an Associate and is in the Mid Cap Investment team, based in Paris.
• She specialises in the Industrials sector and has played a pivotal role across a range of transactions across France.
• Prior to joining IK, Diki worked at Boston Consulting Group and Royal Bank of Scotland, having gained an MSc in Industrial Engineering from École Centrale Paris.
Pete Wilson
• Pete Wilson has joined IK as the Partner responsible for the UK Mid Cap Investment team, based in London.
• Sitting within the Business Services team, he brings substantial investing and portfolio experience across a range of geographies.
• Prior to joining IK, Pete was a Partner and Head of UK Private Equity at 3i Group, where he spent 15 years. He started his career in the Strategy group at Accenture and has a first-class honours degree from the University of Warwick.
For further questions, please contact:
IK Partners
Vidya Verlkumar
Phone: +44 (0) 7787 558 193
vidya.verlkumar@ikpartners.com
