Palamon's Wilson appointed by Silverfleet

Alice Murray
12 December 2013

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Silverfleet Capital has named Annette Wilson head of investor relations, the first time the pan-European buy-and-build player has had an individual dedicated to the role.

It was reported in late October that Wilson had left Palamon Capital Partners following the firm's most recent fundraising effort.

Wilson has been working in the investor relations field since 1999 when she first joined Palamon. Prior to Palamon, she held management roles at Sedgwick Group (now part of Marsh McLennan) and qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC. She holds a BCom from the University of Johannesburg.

Silverfleet's appointment highlights the growing importance of the IR function within private equity – with communication, reporting and transparency continuing to be cited as issues of major importance for investors.

Indeed, a recent survey conducted by State Street found that of the 400 buyout houses it questioned, 56% believed the biggest driver for change is investor demand for greater transparency into risk and fund performance. Furthermore, fund administrator SEI also found in its recent survey that only 38.7% of LPs it questioned were satisfied with the information they receive from GPs.

The appointment may also suggest that Silverfleet is preparing to raise a new fund, especially as its current vehicle is a 2007 vintage. Silverfleet declined to comment about any future fundraising plans.

The private equity firm has been investing at pace over the last 12 months. Most recently, Silverfleet acquired Competence Call Center, an Austrian business services firm, from Ardian. In April it purchased Ipes, a Guernsey-based fund administration business from RJD Capital Partners. In January, the firm purchased Cimbria, a Danish manufacturer of equipment and processing lines for handling and processing of seed and grain; and prior to that it invested in La Fée Maraboutée, a French wholesaler and retailer of women's fashion.

The firm's last major exit was the sale of Sterigenics International to GTCR for $675m in February 2011, which was quickly followed by the sale of Germany-based European Dental Partners to Swedish industrial group Lifco for €170m.