Access Capital boosts secondaries team

Access Capital Partners (ACP), the European private equity fund of funds manager, has poached Christopher Marlowe from Arcis Finance in Paris to develop further the ability of the funds it advises to purchase secondaries.

Marlowe has spent over 10 years in direct and indirect private equity investing. Whilst at Arcis, he was responsible for identifying secondary opportunities in Northern Europe.

Marlowe has also worked for U.I., the private equity subsidiary of Credit Agricole in Paris, and Agritech Services, a New York-based biotechnology fund.

ACP advises and manages funds worth E450m. Its first fund, Access Capital Fund I, is a E250m European private equity fund of funds currently 85 per cent committed to a portfolio of 18 country specific, mid-market growth and buy-out funds and technology-related funds.

Access Capital Fund II held a first closing in March of this year at E200m. The fund expects to hold a final closing by year-end 2001.

Approximately 85 per cent of investors in the funds to date are European institutions such as pension funds and insurance companies, while the balance are high net worth individuals.