TPG appoints head of Australia

TPG Capital has appointed Joel Thickins as country head of Australia, the firm said.

This appointment follows the departure of TPG head of Australia and co-head of Asia Ben Gray, who is leaving the firm at the end of the year. It is unclear whether Thickins is replacing Gray.

Thickins joins TPG from Australian private equity firm CHAMP, where he had originated and executed buyouts as director since 2008, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Before CHAMP, Thickins was vice president at industrial manufacturer Dyno Nobel, where he led acquisitions in China, Europe and North America, TPG said. Earlier in his career, Thickins was corporate development and planning manager at building materials company Boral in Atlanta, Georgia, according to his LinkedIn.

“Joel is a proven deal originator with significant experience executing large cross-border transactions,” TPG Capital Asia managing partner Tim Dattels said in a statement. “His operational experience will also be integral as our business in Australia continues to evolve and expand.”

TPG has $70 billion in assets under management, and $6 billion through TPG Capital Asia, according to its website. In January, TPG named Jin-Yong Cai, former head of the International Finance Corporation, as partner to lead investments in developing economies, as reported by Private Equity International.

In March, TPG closed its latest fund, TPG Partners VII, on its $10 billion hard-cap.

A spokeswoman was not available to comment.