- Founder and former Managing Partner of Mid Europa Partners becomes Invest Europe Chair
- Baudon succeeds Nenad Marovac, Founder and CEO of DN Capital
Thierry Baudon, Founder of Mid Europa Partners, has become Chair of Invest Europe, the association representing European private equity, venture capital and their global investors.
Baudon, a representative of Invest Europe’s platform of mid-market private equity fund managers, succeeds Nenad Marovac, Managing Partner and CEO of venture capital firm DN Capital. The appointment is for one year and is effective immediately.
“The European private equity industry goes from strength to strength and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead Invest Europe over the coming 12 months,” said Baudon. “It will be my priority to make sure that all our members can continue to raise and invest capital as freely as possible, to the benefit of companies across the continent and investors globally.”
European private equity funds raised more than €97 billion in 2018, the highest level in over a decade, and invested a record of over €80 billion into some 7,800 companies throughout Europe.
Baudon’s appointment as Chair of Invest Europe comes at the start of a period of change in European institutions, with incoming policymakers expected to set out new objectives for Capital Markets Union and implement the action plan for financing sustainable growth, while also commencing a review of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive in 2020. At the same time, Brexit continues to create political uncertainty in the UK and across the EU for investment managers, institutional investors and companies.
“It has been my privilege to Chair Invest Europe over the last 12 months when, in the face of persistent uncertainty, it has achieved so much, including the roll-out of the VentureEU fund of funds programme and a new, lower risk-weight category for long-term equity under Solvency II,” said outgoing Chair Marovac. “I welcome Thierry into the role and look forward to further Invest Europe success under his stewardship.”
In addition to ensuring Invest Europe members’ voices are heard on key topics affecting private equity, Baudon wants to foster even greater understanding of the industry’s benefits to the broader economy among policymakers.
“Private equity and venture capital investment can have significant impact on job creation, talent development and growth, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship. I want to use my tenure as Chair to help the association to produce more high-quality data and research that demonstrates our positive impact on employment and the broader economy,” Baudon said.
Invest Europe has begun to collect employment data for the 15,000 companies backed by its members across Europe. The information supplements annual private equity and venture capital activity data to help provide a comprehensive picture of the industry’s reach and its benefits for European businesses and workers.
In the coming year, Invest Europe will update its Professional Standards Handbook for members with latest best practice guidelines. The association is also planning a climate change guide that will help the industry address risks associated with global warming.
Baudon’s career in private equity spans more than 20 years. He established Mid Europa Partners in 1998 and grew the firm into one of the largest and most respected private equity groups operating in Central and Eastern Europe. He served as Managing Partner until 2016 and Executive Chairman until the end of 2018.
Prior to forming Mid Europa Partners, Baudon headed the International Finance Division of the Suez Group. He also held senior management positions in the World Bank/IFC Group and in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) between 1981 and 1995.
Baudon holds a BSc and MSc in Engineering from AgroParisTech, an MA in Economics and Finance from the Sorbonne University, and an AMP from INSEAD.
