Tikehau Capital has appointed France’s former prime minister François Fillon to the position of partner. According to a company announcement, the firm has now taken its number of partners up to 30.
Earlier this year the firm outlined plans to double its assets by the year 2020. About 14 percent of its assets are represented by private equity, 18 percent by real estate. Private debt is the largest of the asset classes managed by the firm, accounting for 48 percent of the total as of March 2017.
A spokeswoman for Tikehau told Private Equity International sister publication Private Debt Investor that Fillon will largely focus on aiding the firm’s lending activity to SMEs. He will also help with Tikehau’s international expansion.
“When you have an election and the political landscape changes you have many people in politics who are looking to join the private sector,” she said, referencing the recent French elections. “His [Fillon’s] experience as prime minister is very valuable.”
Former prominent politicians joining private debt or private equity shops is not uncommon. Earlier this year, for example, former Australian prime minister Paul Keating joined property finance firm MaxCap.
Fillon will begin work at Tikehau at the start of September.