Alternative asset investment firm HIG Capital has appointed Appu Mundassery as the firm’s head of direct lending in Europe. Based in London, Mundassery joined HIG in 2009 as a managing director.   With affiliates in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, HIG’s European direct lending team manages a sizeable portfolio of directly originated par loans to small and mid-size companies with EBITDA up to EUR25 million.   John Bolduc, HIG executive managing director who oversees HIG’s global credit platform, says: “Appu has done a terrific job helping us develop our direct lending business in Europe and under his leadership,

Law firm Paul Hastings has appointed Nigel Ward as a leveraged finance partner in the firm’s London office. Ward is ranked in Band 1 for banking and finance by Chambers and named a ‘Leading Individual’ for acquisition finance by Legal 500.   His practice focuses on leveraged-loan transactions including UK and cross-border acquisition financing, refinancing, recapitalisation, restructuring, and post-IPO crossover financing. He has experience acting for senior lenders, junior lenders, borrower groups, and alternative asset managers on a variety of capital structures, as well as on corporate lending, debt portfolio acquisitions, and specialist financing transactions.   He has also developed a strong practice

NorthEdge-backed engineering firm FPE Global has appointed Tim Hines as chief financial officer to support its continued growth strategy. Hines joins FPE with over 11 years’ experience in senior financial management positions. He has spent the past two years as finance director at mining solutions firm Joy Global, and has held other senior roles at Manchester Airport, HJ Heinz, Kellogg’s and KPMG.   In his new role, Hines will be responsible for driving the company’s financial strategy as the Manchester-headquartered business continues to target growth in overseas markets. An expert in bulk materials handling and pneumatic conveying, the company has

Fiduciary and administration services provider Estera has appointed Ethan Levner as group head of corporate development. He will be responsible for leading the company’s growth strategy, including mergers and acquisitions.   Farah Ballands, CEO of Estera, says: “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Ethan to our expanding team. Following the success of our rebrand earlier this year, we are in a strong position to realise our growth ambitions and Ethan’s appointment will be pivotal in reaching those goals.   “Ethan brings a wealth of M&A and strategy expertise to Estera, having worked as both principal and adviser. I look

Private equity and alternative asset investment firm HIG Capital has expanded its footprint in Latin America with the opening of an office in Colombia. Founded in 1993, HIG focuses on private equity investments in small and mid-sized companies where it can play a significant role in helping to unlock potential value by supporting the companies’ operations.   HIG is already active in Latin America, having established operations in Brazil since 2012, and raising a dedicated USD740 million Latin America fund in 2015.   HIG’s Colombia office is based in Bogotá and is led by Andrés Marulanda. Marulanda has over nine

Zedra, an independent provider of trust, corporate and fund services, has appointed Robert Burchett-Coates to the newly created role of director of business development and sales. Burchett-Coates has over 15 years of multi-jurisdictional experience in the fund administration, investment management and corporate solutions markets.   Operating from the group’s London office, Burchett-Coates will have a worldwide brief to develop new business both from within Zedra’s existing large client base and from new partnerships, in particular in Europe and Asia.   Prior to joining Zedra, Burchett-Coates was a director at Deutsche Bank in London leading fund services sales in EMEA with

Houlihan Lokey has appointed Laurens van Asselt as a managing director, based in Amsterdam. He will be responsible for supporting the firm’s power and utilities, environmental, and infrastructure coverage efforts in the Benelux region and across continental Europe.   Van Asselt (pictured) joins from Rabobank, where he was a managing director in the corporate finance advisory group, responsible for the utilities, infrastructure funds, construction, and real estate sectors. Prior to Rabobank, he was a director at NIBC and Kempen & Co covering M&A and merchant banking. He began his career in 1995 at JPMorgan.   “With more than two decades

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has appointed Robert Goldstein as a partner in the firm’s corporate and transactional practice group in New York and head of the New York office’s private equity team. Goldstein joins McDermott from another Am Law 100 firm, where he was chair of the private equity practice.   “McDermott’s global platform will be a great asset as I continue to expand and cultivate my longstanding client relationships in the private equity arena,” says Goldstein. “I expect my years of experience in middle market private equity to provide the perfect complement to McDermott’s existing client service

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has appointed Graeme Eadie as senior managing director and global head of real assets, a new investment department that brings together the real estate investments department with the company’s existing infrastructure and agriculture groups. The group says the change will create a better alignment with its Strategic Portfolio.   Eadie has been with CPPIB since 2005, and was most recently senior managing director and global head of real estate investments.   Shane Feeney has been appointed senior managing director and global head of private investments. Feeney will also join CPPIB's senior management team.