Advent International, the private equity firm, promotes 18 talented members of its global investment team.
Fred Wakeman, head of Advent’s global TMT sector team, has been promoted to Managing Partner, based in the London office. Alfredo Alfaro, a founding partner of Advent’s Mexico City office, and Patrice Etlin, who started the firm’s Brazilian operation, were both promoted to Managing Partner – Latin America.
Advent also promoted seven professionals to Managing Director – Luiz Antonio Alves in Brazil, Ronald Ayles and Ranjan Sen in Frankfurt, Filippo de Vecchi in Milan, Stephen Hoffmeister in Boston, Monika Morali-Efinowicz in Warsaw, and Luis Solorzano in Mexico. An additional four team members were promoted to Director and four to Assistant Director.
Western Europe/North America (GPE Program):
-Boston. Stephen Hoffmeister, promoted to Managing Director. Stephen joined Advent in 2004 and is a member of the firm’s Industrial sector team. He played a key role in completing and exiting the Boart Longyear investment, named Buyouts Exit of the Year in 2007, and also co-led the investment in Bradco Supply.
-Frankfurt. Ronald Ayles, promoted to Managing Director. He leads Chemicals and Materials sector team. He led Advent’s investment in OXEA and played a key role in Boart Longyear, RWE Solutions and H.C. Starck.
Ranjan Sen, promoted to Managing Director. Ranjan joined Advent in 2003 from DB Capital Partners, UBS Capital and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. Ranjan has been a key participant in several successful German and European deals including Vinnolit, Casa Reha, Sportfive, HT Troplast, H.C. Starck and Takko.
-London. Fred Wakeman, promoted to Managing Partner. Fred joined in 1998 from GE Capital’s equity capital group where he specialized in later-stage growth capital investments.
Nick Rose, promoted to Director. Nick Rose joined Advent in 2005 and is a key member of the Financial Services team
Johanna Reineke, promoted to Assistant Director. Johanna joined Advent’s Limited Partners Services Group in 2007 after four years in the M&A and Corporate Broking departments at Deutsche Bank, both in London and Frankfurt. She is primarily focused on fundraising and investor relations activities.
Thomas Weisman, promoted to Assistant Director. Thomas Weisman joined Advent in 2006. He previously worked in the UBS Financial Sponsors Leveraged Finance Group in New York. Thomas is a member of the TMT sector team.
-Milan. Filippo de Vecchi, promoted to Managing Director. Filippo joined the Latin American team in Brazil in 2000 from Value Partners.
Roberto Torrini, promoted to Director. Roberto Torrini joined Advent in 2005 from McKinsey & Company in Milan where he worked for the telecoms and financial services practices. He also gained hands-on industrial experience as a research engineer with Philips in the Netherlands.
Francesco Casiraghi, promoted to Assistant Director. Francesco Casiraghi joined Advent in 2007 from Merrill Lynch, Investment Banking, where he worked for five years across their London, Hong Kong, Rome and Milan offices.
-Paris. Damien Lestang, promoted to Director. Damien Lestang joined Advent in 2003. Prior to Advent, worked at BNP Paribas where he was involved in the arrangement and underwriting of LBO transactions. Before then, he worked for Allianz’ private equity arm in France, AGF PE.
Central & Eastern Europe (ACEE Program):
-Prague. Milan Kulich, promoted to Assistant Director. Milan joined Advent in 2007 and has over six years of corporate finance experience. Prior to Advent, he worked at Deloitte as Assistant Director focusing on M&A and valuations primarily in the Consumer and Industrial sectors across several CEE countries.
-Warsaw. Monika Morali-Efinowicz, promoted to Managing Director. Monika joined in 2005 from Apax Partners in Germany where she focused on leveraged buyouts, predominantly in the European media sector.
Christian Senye, promoted to Director. Christian joined Advent in 2005. He previously worked for McKinsey & Company in their offices in Poland and Russia advising clients across a broad range of sectors, including Finance, Petroleum and TMT. He plays a key role in Advent’s investment in Ultimo where he is on the board.
Latin America (LAPEF Program):
-Mexico City. Alfredo Alfaro, promoted to Managing Partner – Latin America. Alfredo joined Advent at the inception of its Latin American program in 1996. At Advent, he has led or co-led 11 investments and is a director of Gayosso, Grupo Aeroplazas, La Mansion, Hipotecaria Casa Mexicana, IFC Medios, Milano and Scitum.
Luis Solorzano, promoted to Managing Director. Luis joined Advent in 2001 and has been a core member of its airport sector team, while working on many of the deals done by the Mexico City office.
-Sao Paulo. Patrice Etlin, promoted to Managing Partner – Latin America. Patrice joined Advent in 1997 and started the firm’s investment activities in Brazil. He has led or co-led Advent’s investments in 10 companies, including CSU CardSystem, J. Malucelli Seguradora, Microsiga, Quero-Quero and Viena.
Luiz Antonio Alves, promoted to Managing Director. Luiz joined Advent in 2004 and has co-led or participated in the firm’s investments in Atmosfera, Grupo RA, J. Malucelli Seguradora, Quero-Quero and Proservvi.
“Moving into 2009, we believe Advent is well-positioned in the current environment,” says Steve Tadler, managing partner and chairman of Executive Committee, Advent International. “Over the past 18 to 24 months, we have created additional investment team capacity by successfully divesting a considerable portion of our portfolio.”
“In addition, we have ample capital to invest in new deals, having raised $14 billion in private equity funds globally during this period. Today, we have a large team of 140 investment professionals and nearly 60 operating partners to actively support existing companies and source new opportunities.”
L.D.