Unigestion has appointed four investment experts to its private equity team, as it looks to strengthen its European team with a particular focus on secondary and direct investment activities.
Pieter-Jan Frederix was appointed investment director within the private equity team in December 2015. Frederix joined from the Antenna Group where he was responsible for direct investments and has extensive experience through previous roles at KPMG Corporate Finance, Bear Stearns and private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson.
In May 2016, Unigestion also appointed Andreas Georgiades as an investment manager. He jouned from Nomura International where he focused on M&A.
More recently, Joana Castro and Vivien Blossier both joined as investment managers. Castro joins from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) where she was a principal focusing on private equity fund investments and co-investments. Prior to that, she was an M&A analyst at Goldman Sachs.
Blossier was previously a secondary specialist at Pomona Capital and his experience includes roles at Emerging Capital Partners and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
All four join the firm’s new London office.
Unigestion is currently raising its latest secondary and direct funds – Unigestion Secondary Opportunity IV and Unigestion Direct Opportunity 2015. Both funds had first closes earlier on in the year.
Paul Newsome, executive director, head of private equity investments, says: “This strengthening of the team shows our commitment to our clients to source and execute the best investments in the small and midmarket. At a time of heightened market and geopolitical uncertainty, small and mid-market companies, particularly in sectors such as healthcare and education, can be acquired at attractive valuations and offer growth potential uncorrelated to the broader economy. Our new investment team members will greatly contribute to this overall effort.”
Christophe de Dardel, managing director, head of private equity, adds: “Our London team is going from strength to strength, and we are pleased to have four such talented individuals with strong credentials in private equity investing joining us. London is not only an important centre for private equity in Europe, but also a deep pool of talent and experience. They are an ideal complement to our overall investment team.”
