HgCapital, the leading European sector-focused private equity investor, today announces two new appointments to its Services sector team. HgCapital’s investment approach is to maintain dedicated sector teams focused on targeted niches across Europe, supporting the best management teams in medium-sized businesses and helping them grow into industry champions. The recruitment of Simon Cottle and Thorsten Toepfer reflects HgCapital’s continued commitment to the Services sector and ongoing focus on maintaining and developing the very best investment professionals within its sector teams.

Simon Cottle has been appointed Associate Director. He joins from Cognetas where he spent three years as an investment manager, specialising in the European mid-market. Prior to that, Simon worked at Deutsche Bank. He is a graduate of Oxford University with an MBA from INSEAD. Simon is also a British Olympian having rowed for Team GB at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Thorsten Toepfer also joins as an Associate Director. He was previously a member of the investment team at Hellman & Friedman, following a period with Morgan Stanley. Thorsten also spent two years working for McKinsey & Company in Vienna. He has a Masters in Commerce and a CEMS Masters in International Management from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, and also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Thorsten speaks fluent English, German and French.

HgCapital’s Services team now comprises five investment specialists, headed by Matthew Rourke.  In the last 18 months, the HgCapital Services team has continued to focus on opportunities in targeted sector themes; leading to new investments in JLA Limited, the UK’s largest commercial laundry services supplier, and ATC Group, the Netherlands-based trust services provider. The team has also recently completed the merger of SHL, the European market leader in objective psychometric testing, with its US equivalent Previsor, to create a global champion within this growing sub-sector.

Matthew Rourke, Head of HgCapital’s Services Team, said: “We see great potential in specific sub-sectors of the Services market to invest our client’s capital in growing businesses led by top management teams. The recruitment and development of outstanding individuals such as Simon and Thorsten will allow us to take full advantage of the market opportunities.”

Nic Humphries, HgCapital’s Chief Executive, said: “The development of the Services team reflects our commitment to that sector and these appointments continue the strong progress made by the team in the last 18 months. Recruiting and developing strong investment professionals within well-resourced sector teams is key to executing our investment strategy.”