European Capital Financial Services Limited, an affiliate of American Capital Strategies Ltd., a United States-based private equity buyout and mezzanine fund, opened a London office.
Leading European Capital in London are Simon Henderson, managing director with responsibility for U.K. buyouts, and Nathalie Faure Beaulieu, managing director and head of Pan European Mezzanine. The office has opened with five employees and is the second European Capital Financial Services office. The European Capital Financial Services Paris office opened in April, 2005. The two offices are expected to have a total of over 20 people by year end.
European Capital, S.A. SICAR, an affiliate of European Capital Financial Services, will invest in and sponsor management and employee buyouts, invest in private equity buyouts and provide capital directly to private and mid-sized public companies. European Capital intends to invest from euro 5 million ($6 million) to euro 125 million ($150 million) per transaction in equity, mezzanine debt and senior debt to fund growth, acquisitions and recapitalizations.
“We are happy to welcome Nathalie Faure Beaulieu and Simon Henderson to European Capital and to formally announce the opening of our London office,” said Malon Wilkus, chairman and CEO of European Capital Limited and American Capital chairman, president and CEO. “Nathalie is leading our Pan-European mezzanine efforts and Simon our U.K. buyouts initiatives. They both bring remarkable depth and experience to European Capital and will complement the outstanding team in our Paris office.”
Faure Beaulieu joins European Capital from Mezzanine Management U.K., where she was a managing director and member of the Investment Committee for European Investments. Funds advised by Mezzanine Management companies group have to date invested over $1 billion in 60 companies in 10 countries. Prior to joining Mezzanine Management in 1992, Ms. Faure Beaulieu worked at DG Investment Bank in London. She has transaction experience in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Benelux, Italy and the U.S. Since 1990, Faure Beaulieu has participated in 26 mezzanine transactions worth more than euro 315 million.
Henderson joins European Capital from Barclays Private Equity, having spent the last 10 years focusing on U.K. buyouts. The Barclays buy-out business is currently investing the euro 1.65 billion Barclays Private Equity European Fund II, which closed in February 2005. While at Barclays he was integral to the buyouts of Edotech Limited, Fosbel Holdings Ltd. and London Luton Airport, all returning in excess of four times invested capital. He served as a director of Edotech, Fosbel, Luton Airport, Lasercom and CRP Group Ltd.