European Venture Capital Journal articles from December 2007

European Venture Capital Journal archives from December 2007

BVCA sets up monitoring and review body.(LONDON)
December 1, 2007... Following publication of Sir David Walker's final guidelines and recommendations on transparency and disclosure for the private equity industry, the BVCA has established a monitoring and review body which will check that private equity firms...

Family offices favour private equity.(BRUSSELS)
December 1, 2007... Family offices favour private equity as a long-term asset class and look set to increase their allocation, according to a new study by the European Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (EVCA) and the IMD Business School of Lausanne....

AshtonPenney and Alpha unite.(LONDON/BERLIN)
December 1, 2007... AshtonPenney Interim, a provider of interim management to private equity portfolio companies, has formed a partnership with German interim provider, AC Alpha Management GmbH. AshtonPenney Interim and AC Alpha Management have worked together...

BaltCap gains independence.(BALTIC STATES)
December 1, 2007... BaltCap's management team has completed the buyout of the private equity firm from independent investment group Evli Group and Nordic investor CapMan. BaltCap will continue to manage Baltic Investment Fund III and Baltic SME Fund with...

Legal investments get the go-ahead.(LONDON)
December 1, 2007... Until last month, the legal services market was a no-go for private equity investors in Europe despite being worth over 20bn [euro] in the UK alone, and a market that many private equity firms already know very well. But on 30 October, the...

3TS and Cisco target CEE growth capital.(CEE)
December 1, 2007... 3TS Capital Partners and Cisco Systems have launched a new investment fund, the Technology in Central and Eastern Europe S.C.A. SICAR (3TS--Cisco Growth Fund III), primarily targeting growth capital investments in technology, media and...

Walker adds new weapon to private equity's PR armoury: critics queue up to attack the new voluntary code as industry prepares itself for more PR battles ahead.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The highly anticipated Walker Report has finally hit the shelves with its eye-catching "comply or explain" recommendation intact. The final result of an inquiry launched by Sir David Walker at the behest of the BVCA...

VCs getting social: as the Facebook phenomenon goes from strength to strength, Tom Allchorne takes a look at what it takes to achieve profitability in the social networking space.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... It's been the year of Facebook, without question. A social networking site that was started by a guy from Harvard University in 2004 as a way of keeping in touch with fellow students, it's taken over the world, going from 60th most visited...

Swooping in on the corporates: Nova Capital Management's corporate portfolio acquisition from Barloworld reveals another facet to secondary investing.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... Secondary directs have become increasingly popular as the private equity market continues to mature and LPs look for liquidity solutions for under-performing or old investments. Players active in this space, who are looking to expand their...

Jersey welcomes unregulated funds: lawyers in Jersey are poised to launch the first funds for clients as part of the offshore jurisdiction's upcoming Unregulated Funds Regime, which is set to go live in the first quarter of 2008.(NEWS ANALYSIS)(Jersey Financial Services Commission )
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Some fine-tuning has yet to be finalised by the island's regulator Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) before funds can be launched, however. The funds will be targeted at sophisticated investors including...

PE top of the class for management: research reveals private equity firms set a good example when it comes to best management practice.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... Companies from the Volga to the Danube are about to become laboratory rats in a far-reaching international study exploring links between ownership, management, and financial performance, factors of great importance in the debate over private...

Getting into the right funds: EVCA highlights the key to venture success.(DATA ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... The allocation of funds raised for venture capital more than tripled from 5.7bn [euro] in 2003 to 17.5bn [euro] in 2006, according to EVCA. And venture fund performance is improving with the 2006 one-year average net IRR standing at 17.2%. And...

Cambridge cluster makes its mark.(DATA)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Cambridge technology cluster is thriving, according to the 2007 Cambridge Cluster Report, published House in association with BDO Stoy Hayward. The Cambridge cluster ranks fourth among European clusters in terms of total European...

IQ Capital Partners launches: early-stage technology VC firm opens in Cambridge.(NEW FIRM)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The early-stage team of UK business angel network NW Brown has spun-out and named itself IQ Capital Partners (IQCP). The buyout was led by Cambridge-based venture capitalists Nigel Brown, Ed Stacey, Max Bautin...

NESTA signs up to Seedcamp: entrepreneurial programme receives 200,000 [euro] of backing.(ENTREPRENEURS)
December 1, 2007... Seedcamp, the programme aimed at helping new entrepreneurs, has received backing from NESTA, the 300m [pounds sterling] National Lottery endowment fund charged with promoting and investing in UK innovation. Seedcamp is a week-long event to...

SEP hoping top entrepreneur can deliver: Denis Payre's new company raises 26m [euro] of venture backing.(VC DEAL OF THE MONTH)
December 1, 2007... UK venture firm Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) has led a 26m [euro] funding round for Kiala, a Brussels-headquartered company that produces a technology that allows people to pick up parcels when and where it suits them. The technology...

Calling all job-seekers: Wellington puts the boot into technology recruitment.(EMPLOYMENT)
December 1, 2007... German VC Wellington Partners has become the first venture firm in Europe to set-up a recruitment website for European technology companies, following in the footsteps of US databases like VentureLoop. The job service is currently only...

Private investors reconsider CGT.(TAX)(Capital Gains Tax)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Private investors may find themselves better off under the Chancellor's much reviled Capital Gains Tax (CGT) changes announced in the Pre-Budget Report, according to research from private investor syndicate Hotbed. According to the...

ISIS IV exceeds target.(CLOSE)
December 1, 2007... ISIS EP LLP, has reached a final close on its first independent fund ISIS IV LP at 235m [euro], exceeding its original target of 200m [euro]. The ISIS team committed a further 1.5% bringing the final fund size to just over 238.5m [euro]....

ERLF II gets 300m [euro].(CLOSE)
December 1, 2007... Edmond de Rothschild Capital Partners has closed its second LBO fund, Edmond de Rothschild LBO Fund II (ERLF II) reaching 300m [euro]. The Fund attracted strong re-up demand from existing French and international investors which together...

Enercap reaches first base.(FIRST CLOSE)(EnerCap Capital Partners )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... EnerCap Capital Partners has reached a first close of the EnerCap Power Fund I L.P. with total commitments of 75m [euro] from institutional investors. The team is aiming for a target of 100m [euro] by Q1 2008. The European Investment Bank...

Foresight takes on environmental infrastructure: Foresight Sustainable UK Investment Fund reaches first close.(FIRST CLOSE)
December 1, 2007... The Foresight Sustainable UK Investment Fund, which will invest in environmental infrastructure businesses and is the first of its kind in the UK, has raised 15m [pounds sterling] to date, primarily from ultra high net worth investors, and is...

Apollo and Carlyle look to educate: Apollo Global will target international education services.(JOINT VENTURE)(Apollo Group Inc.)(Carlyle Group L.P.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... US-based education provider Apollo Group and the Carlyle Group have formed a US$1bn joint venture, Apollo Global, targeting investments in the international education services sector. Apollo Group has committed up to US$801m and will own 80.1%...

A healthy start for Baigo: European healthcare to benefit from 300m [euro] pool.(LAUNCH)
December 1, 2007... Baigo Capital has unveiled its maiden offering focusing exclusively on the European healthcare sector, with 100m [euro] in initial funding. The team is in the process of raising a further 200m [euro]. Initial funding comes from two...

A VCT epic: EPIC VCT launches with 15m [pounds sterling] target.(LAUNCH)
December 1, 2007... EPIC Private Equity Limited (EPE) has unveiled the EPIC VCT. Commotments of 0.5m [pounds sterling] from the management team and directors, together with up to 2m [pounds sterling] from EPIC plc (subject to close company rules) means that the...

ETF reaches 100m [euro].(FUNDRAISING)
December 1, 2007... Technologies Fund (ETF) maiden vehicle has passed the 100m [pounds sterling] mark and is moving towards its final target of 150m [pounds sterling]. Investors in ETF include Swiss Re, the European Investment Fund (ELF) and a number of...

Mega fund for CCMP.(CLOSE)(CCM Capital)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... New York-based CCMP Capital Advisors has reached a final close on its mega $4bn CCMP Capital Investors II fund focused on buyout and growth equity investment opportunities in the US, Europe and Asia. Fundraising for CCMP II was met with...

Segulah IV oversubscribed.(CLOSE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Stockholm-based Segulah has reached a first and final closing on its fourth fund Segulah IV at SEK5bn. All of Segulah's existing investors re-invested and the fund was more than five times oversubscribed seven weeks following the issue of its...

Advent looking at RWE sale.(INFRASTRUCTURE)
December 1, 2007... Buyouts giant Advent International is planning to sell SAG, the former power cable division of RWE Solutions, for up to 700m [euro]. Advent paid 700m [euro] for RWE Solutions in 2006 and subsequently split them into five units.

Pets at Home barking up IPO tree.(IPO)
December 1, 2007... Pets at Home, the UK retailer of pet food and pet products owned by Bridgepoint, is considering floating in London following the appointment of advisers to assess its strategic options. Rothschild has been handed the mandate to advise on a...

YFM exits Cozart.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... YFM Private Equity has made a 4x return on the sale of Cozart, an AIM-listed medical diagnostics company, to Concateno for 64.4m [pounds sterling]. Cozart specialises in the development and supply of testing devices for drug abuse.

Digiturk pulls London IPO.(IPO)
December 1, 2007... Digiturk, the Turkish pay-TV business in which US buyouts firm Providence Equity Partners owns 47%, has scrapped its plans to list in London, blaming market conditions. The company was looking to raise US$550m through the sale of a 25%...

TA sells SmartStreem.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... US LBO firm TA Associates is to sell UK software company SmartStream to DIFC Investments, a division of the Dubai International Financial Centre, in a deal which values the business at around 200m [pounds sterling]. The deal will see TA...

Apax and Chequers sell Alma: French tax recovery business bought by Candover.(SECONDARY)(acquisition of Alma Consulting Group by Candover Investments PLC)
December 1, 2007... The French arms of Apax and Chequers Capital have ended their investment in Alma Consulting Group, a provider of cost reduction and tax recovery services, by selling the combined stake to London-based firm Candover for a report sum of 800m...

Bridgepoint makes healthy Alliance exit: Dubai International Capital acquires UK diagnostic imaging specialist.(SECONDARY)(Bridgepoint Capital )(sale of Alliance Medical)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UK buyout house Bridgepoint Capital has sold Alliance Medical, a healthcare imaging business, to Dubai International Capital (DIC) for 600m [pounds sterling]. Alliance Medical, based in Warwickshire, UK, operates...

Carlyle and Lehman sell Firth Rixson: engineering business bought by Oak Hill Capital for 945bn [pounds sterling].(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... US buyouts giant Oak Hill Capital has paid 945m [pounds sterling] to acquire Firth Rixson, a maker of highly engineered rings, industrial forgings and specialised metal products to the aerospace industry, from The Carlyle Group and Lehman...

A Complete exit for Sovereign: buy & build specialists make 5.7x return on sale.(TRADE SALE)(Sovereign Capital )(Claimar Care Group acquired Complete Group)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Complete Group, a UK specialist homecare services provider, has been sold by London-headquartered Sovereign Capital for 33m [pounds sterling] to Claimar Care Group. Sovereign, which first invested in the company in December 2002, has made...

NVM makes 2.9x from KCS exit.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... NVM Private Equity, a UK regional private equity firm, has made a 2.9x return from the 20m [euro] sale of KCS Global Holdings to Sage, the British business management software brand. NVM acquired KCS in 2005. Based in Purley, Surrey, it...

Earlybird ends Tipp24 Investment.(SHARE SALE)
December 1, 2007... German VC Earlybird has sold its remaining shares in online gambling company Tipp24. The business floated on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in October 2005. Earlybird backed the business in 1999 and led a second funding round in 2000....

Segulah sells Callenberg.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... Segulah, a Nordic lower mid market firm, is to sell its interest in Callenberg Group, a Swedish supplier of electrical, automation and heating & ventilation systems to the marine and offshore market. Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, a maritime...

ISIS exits Boldon James.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... ISIS Equity Partners has sold Boldon James to QinetiQ for 20m [pounds sterling]. The sale has generated a 3.11x return for ISIS and an IRR of 69.5%. ISIS backed a 5.5m [pounds sterling] MBO in June I 2005. Boldon James is a provider of...

Permira sells Aearo.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... Permira has sold Aearo Technologies, a US maker of personal protective products for US$1.2bn. In March 2006, Permira invested in the US$765m MBO of Aearo. It has been acquired by 3M, the American maker of Scotch tape.

Iris closes on Fastbooking.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... French VC Iris Capital has sold its stake in Fastbooking, an online hotel booking company, in a deal which sees 3i and Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners (EdRIP) pay a total of 35m [euro] for a combined 62% stake. Iris has supported...

ECI brings home a Bounty.(TRADE SALE)(ECI Partners L.L.P.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... ECI Partners is to sell Bounty, a UK parenting club aimed at new and expectant mothers, for 70m [pounds sterling] to Kaboose, a family-focused online media company based in Toronto, Canada. It acts as an information source for mothers to be...

GIMV close to Westerlund sale.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... GIMV is to exit Westerlund Group, a logistics company specialising in forest products. The business, which operates in Belgium, France and China, is being acquired by Babcock & Brown. The US investment and advisory giant recently agreed to...

Platina sells Mikit shares.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... Platina Finance, an Anglo-French private equity firm, has sold its majority stake in Mikit, a French franchising chain specialising in constructing ready to finish houses.

Perfestis makes Factum exit.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... Perfectis Private Equity has sold Factum Finance, a IT hardware and software rental outfit, to Natixis, which is investing through three funds: Naxicap Partners, Spef LBO and Eurocapital.

GET off to Quadrangle and GS Capital: Candover sells Norwegian cable TV operator.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... London-headquartered buyouts firm Candover has sold GET, a triple-play cable TV operator in Norway, to rival private equity houses Quadrangle Capital Partners and GS Capital Partners for 745m [euro]. GET, formerly UPC Norway, is...

Graphite gathers Huntress exit: sale of British recruitment business earns 7.6x return.(MBO)
December 1, 2007... Graphite Enterprise Trust, the listed vehicle owned by UK mid-market firm Graphite Capital, has sold Huntress Group, a London-headquartered white collar recruitment specialist. The company has been bought out by its own management team with...

DIC goes metal with Almatis buy: German aluminium manufacturer sold by Rhone Capital and Teachers' Private Capital in US$1.2bn secondary deal.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... Dubai International Capital (DIC) has acquired a majority stake in Almatis, a German maker of specialty alumina, from French private equity firm Rhone Capital and Teachers' Private Capital, the investment arm of the Ontario Teachers' Pension...

Wendel in largest IPO of 2007: Bureau Veritas raises 1.24bn [euro].(IPO)
December 1, 2007... Bureau Veritas, the French certification and classification business, has floated on Euronext Paris right at the top of its offer price range at 37.75 [euro] per share. This gave the company a market capitalization 4.1bn [euro], raising...

3i floats u-blox.(IPO)
December 1, 2007... 3i has launched u-blox, A Swiss provider of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, on the Swiss Stock Exchange. The company raised over CHF135.6m (81.7m [euro]) and was given a market capitalization of CHF318.4m following an opening share...

ECI delivers mail order business.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... TA Associates has acquired a majority stake in UK online and mail order company M and M Direct from ECI Partners for an undisclosed sum. M and M is based in Leominster, West Midlands, and specializes in buying end-of-line clearance stock...

EI cashes in on Artima.(TRADE SALE)
December 1, 2007... Enterprise Investors (EI), the Polish private equity firm, has sold its 100% stake in Artima, a Romanian supermarket chain to Carrefour, the French food retail group, for 55m [euro]. The sale has generated a 3x return for EI's Polish...

Hermes engineers Beck buy.(SECONDARY)
December 1, 2007... Hermes Private Equity has acquired Beck & Pollitzer, a UK specialist in installing and relocating industrial plants and machinery, for 55m [pounds sterling]. The deal represents an exit for Bank of Scotland Integrated Finance, which...

Earlybird rises for abaXX sale.(TRADE SALE)(Earlybird Venture Capital)(Cordys)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Earlybird has sold its stake in abaXX, a Stuttgart provider of Business i Process Management (BPM) technology, to Cordys, a Dutch business software outfit. Earlybird provided seed funding in 1999 along with 3i and German VC tbg, and in...

Mezzanine returns: before the summer's credit squeeze, mezzanine finance was facing major challenges and being replaced in many deals by second lien. Today the outlook for mezzanine lenders is much more positive.(MEZZANINE)(Market overview)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the first half of 2007, traditional providers of mezzanine finance faced a troubling environment. They had been squeezed out of many transactions by second lien finance, while the arrival of CDO/CLO funds and...

Working without a sponsor: sponsorless buyouts are back in favour.(MEZZANINE)
December 1, 2007... When they were faced with an increasingly difficult market last year and in the first half of 2007, some of the leading independent mezzanine funds were looking for alternative business models. One area that has become more attractive for them...

Risky business: greater deal complexities and raised threats are starting to change the way in which private equity looks at its insurance cover.(INSURANCE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When PAI partners announced in July 2006 the completion of a 1.04bn [euro] majority acquisition of SPIE SA, Europe's second largest electrical engineer, everything smelled of roses. Here was one of Europe's...

UK firms beware: NatWest Three provide lessons for PE.(INSURANCE)
December 1, 2007... Private equity has been more than a curious bystander in the case of the British investment bankers known as The NatWest Three who were due to stand trial in January in the US on wire fraud charges connected to the Enron scandal. As EVCJ...

An eye for pensions: Edmund Truell talks about the challenges the pension industry is facing.(PROFILE)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pension Corporation, headed by founder and former chief executive officer of Duke Street Edmund Truell, is the umbrella brand for three subsidiary vehicles: Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), Pension Corporation...

From real estate to riches: global diversification is the most significant trend affecting private equity investment in real estate this year.(LP ANALYSIS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most private equity real estate funds didn't stray far from their home markets in the past, but now, to keep returns up, funds are looking at property or property funds from around the globe. Most of the investment...

France mulls the FCPI question: the difficulties of funding small, innovative tech companies are common to all developed economies. They have unproved products, they may not show a profit for many years and they frequently have high running costs. But the way different countries approach this problem varies widely.(LEGAL AND REGULATORY)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In France, the decision was taken in late 1996 to offer a generous tax break to anyone investing in an FCPI (Fonds Communs de Placement dans l'Innovation--translated as private equity mutual fund specialised in...

SVG Advisers adds duo to London office.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] SVG Advisers, the UK private equity and fund management business of SVG Capital, has appointed two directors, James Witter and Sharad Rathke, who will join the marketing and corporate finance teams respectively in...

Foresight makes double appointment.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... UK VCT manager Foresight Group has unveiled a double recruitment in Russell Healey and James Livingston, both of whom take up the position of portfolio manager to assist with the management of Foresight's investment portfolio. Healey joins...

G2i names new manager.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gateway2investment (g2i), the UK support programme for London-based technology start-ups and early stage companies, has hired Ian Shields as manager, taking over from Simon Littlewood who oversaw the creation and...

RJD recruits.(PEOPLE)(RJD Partners appointed James Smallridge and Jill Williams )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] RJD Partners, a UK middle market private equity firm, has appointed James Smallridge as investment manager and Jill Williams as investment executive. Smallridge joins from KPMG where over the last eight years he...

CIT recruits leverage finance director.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... CIT Capital Finance, the UK debt provider to private equity sponsors, has hired Toby Deane as director on the lead origination side for the group's leveraged finance team. He joins from Societe Generale corporate and investment banking,...

LDC creates new role.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UK regional mid-market firm Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LDC) has installed Edward Hayter as partnerships director. In this newly created role, Hayter will work with LDC's portfolio companies to deliver profit...

Smedvig names SUSO CEO.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Growth capital firm Smedvig Capital has installed Sean Uprichard as CEO of portfolio company SUSO Drinks, the UK 100% carbonated juice producer which Smedvig acquired in October. Uprichard was previously at Coca...

Noble makes directorial recruitment.(PEOPLE)(Noble and Co. appointed Daniel Confino )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Investment bank Noble & Company has appointed Daniel Confino as director. He will report to John Llewellyn-Lloyd, chief executive, and will be responsible for building the company's international business, working...

BoS creates leverage finance division.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bank of Scotland Corporate has merged its structured and acquisition finance teams in the UK and integrated its European leverage finance business to create a single leveraged finance business focussed on supporting...

WHEB appoints analyst.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEB Ventures, the UK clean tech venture firm, has hired Megan Bingham-Walker as an investment analyst. She was previously private secretary to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform...

Baird makes triple promotion.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... Baird Capital Partners Europe, the UK mid-market private equity firm, promoted three staff. Andrew Ferguson has been promoted from director to managing director. He joined Baird in 1996 and is responsible for investments across the...

NewMedia SPARK rebrands.(PEOPLE)(NewMedia Spark PLC changed its name to SPARK Ventures )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... NewMedia SPARK, the AIM-quoted venture capital investor, has rebranded itself as SPARK Ventures as it looks to expand its investment expertise beyond the new media sector to life sciences and healthcare following the acquisition of UK VC...

Bryan Garnier names new research head.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... Bryan, Garnier& Co, the UK investment bank focused on European growth companies, has appointed Alain Kayayan as partner and head of research. Kayayan will oversee and develop the research teams in London and Paris. Most recently Kayayan...

Octopus hires.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... Octopus Private Equity has appointed Purvi Sapre as a new investment manager in the private equity team. Prior to joining Octopus, Sapre was a manager in Barclays Leveraged Finance.

HIG adds to London office.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] HIG Capital, the US mid-market firm that is mounting an assault on Europe, has strengthened its London team with two senior appointments. Mark Kelly joins from Alexsun Capital Partners, a London private...

BNP's alternative arm appoints.(PEOPLE)(CooperNeff appointed Antoine Gautier )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Antoine Gautier has been named the head of development at CooperNeff Alternative Managers, BNP Paribas Investment Partners' (BNPP IP) direct alternative management specialist. He will report to managing director Nicolas Blanc, and will be...

CapMan promotes PR manager.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... CapMan has promoted Mari Reponen to communications director. Reponen joined in 2002 and she has acted as the group's communications manager with responsibility for the group's financial communications. Prior to joining CapMan she worked at...

Gresham tries on Slipper.(PEOPLE)(Gresham Trust appointed James Slipper )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Mid-market UK firm Gresham has appointed James Slipper as a partner in its investment team, based in London. He is was previously a director at Deloitte and was responsible for the transaction services team in Reading. He has worked with...

Pantheon strengthens US outfit.(PEOPLE)(Pantheon Ventures Ltd. appointed Dennis McCrary )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... London headquartered fund-of-funds Pantheon Ventures has added Dennis McCrary to its US team as a partner. McCrary will be based in Chicago, where he will focus on the firm's US investment activity, and develop and oversee a US co-investment...

Debevoise & Plimpton appoints.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The US law firm Debevoise & Plimpton has added Guy Lewin-Smith to its London office as a partner in the corporate practice. He joins from Linklaters, where he has spent his entire legal career and has been a partner...

LDC heads north.(PEOPLE)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UK regional private equity specialist Lloyds TSB Development Capital has opened its first office in Scotland. The office, located in Edinburgh, will be headed by Craig Armour. Armour was a partner in private...