Tikehau Capital is expanding in Italy to develop its direct investment activities (minority equity, direct lending and real estate) and its asset management liquid funds solutions.
Ignazio Rocco di Torrepadula, former leader of the Financial Institution practice in Central Europe and now senior advisor at The Boston Consulting Group, has been appointed senior advisor at Tikehau Capital Italy.
Luca Bucelli, who joined the firm in Paris in 2014, will relocate to the new offices of Tikehau Capital in Milan. Rocco di Torrepadula and Bucelli will work very closely with Jean-Pierre Mustier, who became a partner of Tikehau Capital earlier this year, arriving from UniCredit where he was Deputy General Manager in charge of the Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Division and a member of the Executive Management Committee. Unicredit is also a shareholder of Tikehau, alongside Amundi and Credit Mutuel Arkea.
Through its minority equity investments, direct lending, real estate and liquid funds, Tikehau Capital is aiming to address the increased demand for new asset classes from individuals to institutional investors, including high net worth private banking clients, pension funds and insurance companies – seeking to diversify their asset allocation in an environment of ultra-low interest rates. Tikehau has a strong track record in developing and offering direct lending solutions to corporate borrowers, as illustrated by its 355 million euro French SMEs Novo Fund. It will seek to replicate this success in Italy, where there is a growing need to provide alternative financing channels for the SMEs segment. This is in line with what the Italian Government is pursuing through Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.
