US east coast private equity firm General Atlantic has hired John Bernstein, a former partner at Advent International, as a managing director in its London office.
US east coast private equity firm General Atlantic has hired John Bernstein, a former partner at Advent International, as a managing director in its London office. The appointment reflects the firm’s expansion of its global team of currently nearly 70 investment professionals and its strategy to boost its profile in Europe.
Bernstein has been an investor in the private equity industry in Europe since 1995, leading or co-leading investments in 14 companies including Mach, Aircom International, Cams, Bookham Technology, Cordena Call Management, Cybercity, EUnet International, Jazztel and Tertio.
‘John has an excellent track record investing in growth companies in the technology and communications industries,’ says General Atlantic chief executive William Ford. ‘This expertise and his desire to focus his efforts on growth-oriented investing and growth buyouts fit well with our global strategy.
‘We have a strong team in London and Düsseldorf, and with John serving as co-head of our European investment effort, General Atlantic will be well positioned to expand our European business further.’
Founded in 1980, General Atlantic manages approximately USD17bn, investing more than USD2bn a year in growth companies. Since its first investment in the UK in 1988, the firm has invested nearly USD2bn in European companies, including Xchanging, CompuGroup, SaxoBank and GlobalCollect.
‘John Bernstein brings a wealth of regional knowledge and experience,’ says Klaus Esser, the controversial former Mannesmann chief executive who is now a managing director and head of Europe at General Atlantic. ‘I look forward to working together to strengthen General Atlantic’s position as an active partner with growth companies across Europe.’
Bernstein adds: ‘As one of the first private investment firms to expand globally, beginning with Europe in the late 1980s, General Atlantic has a long record of success providing both capital and expertise to growth companies.’
Bernstein has more than 12 years of private equity experience and has invested in leading growth companies across Europe. Most recently, he led the European telecoms and technology investment practice as a partner at Advent International.
Before joining Advent in 1995, he was a partner for five years at InterMatrix, a management and strategy consulting firm. Between 1984 and 1989, he specialised in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions in the London and Tokyo offices of Hambros Bank.
