Doubling down

Last year, BlackRock’s private equity fund of funds group completed the transformational acquisition of reinsurer Swiss Re’s Private Equity Partners, doubling AUM at a stroke to around $15 billion. PEI asked managing directors Lynn Baranski (who ran the old BlackRock team) and Nathalie von Niederhäusern (who ran the old Swiss Re team) about the rationale for the deal – and how the combined business hopes to win.