Rod James
Rod James is a reporter with Secondaries Investor and also contributes to sister title PrivateEquityInternational.com. He is based in the London office. Prior to PEI, his roles included a stint as a freelancer covering fintech and transaction banking, CEEMEA capital markets reporter with EMEA Finance magazine, and editor of the Latin American political and economic risk team at IHS Global Insight.
The UK-based team is backed by pension manager BCI and invests in GP-led deals in the European lower- and mid-market.
Buyers are proposing fresh ways of ensuring sponsors stay aligned, according to a panel at PEI's Investor Relations, Marketing & Communications Forum.
The preferred equity specialist has raised $7.5bn and grown its headcount to 85 since it was founded in 2015.
If 2020 was the year of the generalist mega-fund, this year is showing size is no obstacle in today’s market.
The law firm has been growing its PE funds team, which advised on 150 secondaries deals worth $17.5bn in 2019.
Activity is driven by secondaries and funds of funds aiming to lock in returns and liquidate old vehicles, according to managing partner Etienne Deshorme.
The listed firm brought the launch of Strategic Equity IV forward by two years due to faster-than-expected deployment.
This is at least the second appointment Goldman's financial sponsors M&A group has made from Lazard after the appointment of MD Alex Mejia who will start in May.
The secondaries firm has gained exposure to a portfolio of around 20 high-growth businesses in the fintech and insurtech sectors.
The buyout shop is making a €300m investment from its latest fund in the process, which values Springer Nature at about $7bn.