Ludgate Investments, a private equity investor in resource efficiency businesses, has appointed Bernard Bulkin and Ekaterina Sharashidze as non-executive directors with immediate effect.
Both Bulkin and Sharashidze (pictured) will serve on Ludgate’s investment committee and join a team which has raised and deployed over GBP75m in 25 growth companies over the last decade, including GBP51m by Ludgate Environmental Fund, since its launch in 2007.
Bulkin comes to Ludgate Investments after a career spanning both corporate and investment roles in energy and resources. He is currently senior adviser at Vantage Point Capital Partners, a role he has held since 2004 when he stepped down from being chief scientist at BP.
Bulkin is a Professorial Fellow at Cambridge University and spent his early career as an academic scientist. He currently serves as Chair of the Office of Renewable Energy Deployment in the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change and as a non-executive director of Severn Trent.
Sharashidze brings with her over 15 years of business experience in private equity, management consulting, venture capital and investment banking. She is currently a managing partner of Ocean Capital and an independent director on the boards of Punj Lloyd and Renaissance Services SAOG. Sharashidze was previously an executive director and board member at Samena Capital and prior to that held high-level cabinet posts, such as Minister of Economic Development, Chief of Staff and Economic Advisor to the President, in the Government of Georgia.
Gijs Voskamp, chief executive of Ludgate Investments, says: “We are delighted to be able to attract two such high-level, experienced colleagues at a time of rapid growth for Ludgate Investments. Bernie’s unparalleled resource efficiency credentials coupled with Ekaterina’s in depth experience in relevant industries worldwide perfectly complements and further enriches Ludgate’s expertise. At a time when many of our portfolio companies are successfully monetizing their growth potential and we are in the process of assessing a pipeline of further value creation opportunities, the insight provided by Bernie and Ekaterina will be invaluable.”
