Actis, the global pan-emerging market private equity firm, has appointed Adrián Katzew as chief executive of its Mexican energy platform, Zuma Energía.
In addition, Mesopower México Corp, a vehicle managed by the investment firm Mesoamerica, has taken a 30 per cent stake in Zuma Energia.
Katzew has a long track record of international leadership in renewable energy, having been responsible for building and operating wind energy projects of more than 900 MW in various countries. He has participated in funding projects of more than USD5 billion in the energy sector.
As CEO of Zuma Energía, Katzew will initially focus on completing the construction of the 50 MW wind farm located in the state of Oaxaca, PE Ingenio, SAPI de CV. Once in operation, Ingenio will produce enough clean energy to supply more than 125,000 Mexican homes.
Katzew says: “Through Zuma Energía we will focus our efforts on developing projects with a high economic and social impact in the Mexican energy sector, which will enable us to establish ourselves as a highly competitive electricity generator.”
Michael Harrington, director of energy at Actis, says: “We are delighted to have such a credible CEO leading Zuma Energia. Adrián brings solid financial experience and a socially responsible approach to Actis’s Mexican energy platform. We see the current environment in Mexico and the recent energy reform encouraging investment in and development of energy generation projects.”
