LBO France adds managing director to IR team

Paris-based LBO France has appointed Sophie Chateau as managing director within the investor relations team, according to a statement.

Following the appointment, the firm’s IR team will be made up of six members. Since 2011, Chateau has served as an associate director at Weinberg Capital Partners, with responsibility for investor relations across all activities. In this role, she also oversaw the fundraising process for both private equity and real estate activities.

She brings with her over 15 years of investment experience. Having begun her career in 1995 in M&A with UBS in Paris, before continuing in London, she joined Chevrillon Candover in 1998 before joining Chevrillon & Associés in 2001.

The hire comes as LBO France is still in market attempting to collect €1bn for its White Knight IX vehicle. The firm’s White Knight VIII fund, a 2007-vintage is fully invested.
Last month, LBO France completed a seven year €230 million refinancing for portfolio company Materne-Mont Blanc. The €230 million tranche B senior financing included an additional €10 million revolving credit facility and a €40 million capex line, returning around 60 percent of the original invested capital to LBO France, PEI reported earlier.

In April, the firm also agreed to sell White Knight VIII portfolio company Alvest to French private equity firm Sagard in a deal understood to value the producer and distributor of airport ground support equipment at between €250 million and €300 million.

In August last year, the firm entered into exclusive negotiations with listed French investment group Wendel to acquire Chryso, a cement business division of Materis, a French special chemicals business, for approximately €290 million. The fund held a “technical close” ahead of the first close in order to fund that deal, the source said at the time.