A professor of physics and electronics at the University College, London, John Forrest, aged 61, is Senior Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has been a founder, chairman and a director of several famous British technology companies, including NTL and Blue Wave Systems.

John is a technology consultant to various governmental and private organisations in the UK and the USA, such as The European Commission and Interregnum, a leading London based technology merchant bank. He sits on the board of several large British companies, including 3i plc. until recently.

‘’Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres’’ in France for « Services to the European technology », John Forrest is a resident in England and also in Provence.
He is married and has three children.
 

jforrest@gpfandpartners.com

Food & Retail, Europe                     Alain de Catheu

Alain de Catheu, aged 61, knows most influential individuals in the food retail industry in France. He is the founder and senior partner of P.B.M.O., a major Parisian marketing advisory boutique, advising the consumer goods companies in their relations with the retail industry.

In the Eighties, Alain was head of sales of the chocolate division of Jacob Suchard Group. In the Seventies he was with the frozen food division of Unilever, covering the large accounts. Alain started his career with Nestlé, in sales & marketing.

Alain lives in Paris and in the Charentes where he traces his origins. He is married and has three children.
 

Netherlands, Germany                    Reinhout F. Kuipers

Reinhout Kuipers, aged 53, is a renowned portfolio manager and a buy-side financial analyst, covering Dutch and German companies.

Reinhout started his carrier with Robeco Group in the Netherlands, and pursued it in various International centres, with the Ministry of Finance in Bahrein, Pallas-Stern in Paris and Scottish Provident in Edinburgh, until 1996. He was then a financial analyst with Kléber Investissements in Paris since 1997, and in Amsterdam since 2000 with Keijser Effecten and Ten Cate Private Banking.

Reinhout is a Dutchman, born and raised in the Netherlands where he studied economic and social sciences at the University of Rotterdam. He shares his domicile between Paris and Amsterdam. He is married and has four children.

UK / Real Estate                                 Mark King

Mark King, aged 55, graduated from Edinburgh University with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering. From 1970 to 1988 he was involved in futures and options in the USA and the City of London. In 1989 he joined a residential property reversionary company as sales and marketing director. Mark set up Crown Equity Release Ltd in 2001, the company specialises in creating life tenancies with retired people. The leases are then purchased by property investment companies. Crown has invested in the region of GBP 50M in such interests. Mark is married and lives in south west London, he works from his own offices in Putney.

For over 10 years Mark was a shareholder and director of a broker specialising in reversionary plans. He was at the forefront in talking to the Press over their reluctance to promote equity plans. Mark lives in Southwest London and specialises in unusual and out of the ordinary cases that larger firms may not consider handling.
 

mking@gpfandpartners.com

Australia, Far East                            Janusz Hooker

Janusz Hooker, aged 35, is a director of W.P. Carey International LLC.

An Australian national, Janusz was born and raised in Australia, then educated at Wharton Business School, USA, and in China where he traces his ancestral roots.

He started his career in Hong Kong in the 90s with The Asian Infrastructure Fund, a Private Equity firm dedicated to the financing of infrastructure in Asia. In 1969 he founded Tinshed, a Asian Pacific technology venture backed by the leading families in Asia.

In 2002, Janusz joined W.P. Carey in New York, with a mandate to build an Asian business for the firm.

A famous sportsman, Janusz received a bronze medal for rowing at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996.

UK / Real Estate                                  Francis Foley

Francis Foley, aged 47. Born in London where he has always lived and worked. Educated in London and completed with City & Guilds in Electronic engineering 1976.

Currently involved in property sales in the UK as an independent agent for private investors & developers. Started at the end of 2001.

Francis focuses on working within the field of development through evaluating the feasibility and potential of any given project and then selecting a candidate investor/developer for a successful transaction. Primary objectives are to source off-market opportunities.

Prior to this Francis ran a family retail, distribution & manufacturing partnership from 1979-1999 in the world of Hair and Beauty. Initiated By Francis & his brother they went through periods of great growth from retail success and own brand manufacturing for both retail & distribution.

ffoley@gpfandpartners.com

Our network of correspondent firms

GPF enjoys a close relationship with several firms specialising in certain areas of the private equity investment spectrum. These relationships provide GPF with a broader expertise, extending further our geographical and product competence.
 

Switzerland                                         Defi Gestion

Based in Lausanne (Vaud), Defi Gestion was created in the early 90s to run the industrial assets of the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. It was a pioneer in the Swiss world of private equity, successfully raising funds with the Swiss institutional investors to invest in buy-outs, not only in Switzerland but also in the neighbouring countries: France, Germany and Italy.

Defi Gestion is run separately from the Banque Cantonale Vaudoise, although Mohammed Diab, its senior partner and founder, is also a Director of the Bank.
 

European Union                                 EUREFI

EUREFI is a unique Luxembourg based pan-regional investment boutique sponsored by the European Union and the local banks of the regions surrounding Luxembourg. Its geographical field of expertise covers Luxembourg, Wallonie in Belgium, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardennes in France.

EUREFI provides equity financing to small and medium-size regional companies out of its own funds, usually teaming-up with some of its 20 institutional shareholders.
 

Real Estate / UK, Western Europe                                 St Georges Securities

A niche commercial property company established in London in 1986 that is owned and run by the Directors whose backgrounds are with major Private Equity Houses and International Property Advisors.

The Company specialises in the acquisition of well located, modern, flexible premises to which the occupier is wedded due to the nature of their business. The premises are acquired by way of a “sale and leaseback” following the restructuring/refinancing of the occupier company, generally as a result of a Management Buy In or Buy Out.