Partners Group announces Co-CEO succession; David Layton to succeed Christoph Rubeli

Partners Group announces Co-CEO succession; David Layton to succeed Christoph Rubeli

Press release

Baar-Zug, Switzerland, 30 August 2018

Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, today announces a change in the firm's Co-CEO office. David Layton, Partner and Head of Private Equity, will replace Christoph Rubeli as Co-CEO from 1 January 2019. He will join André Frei, who has been Co-CEO since 2013, in the Co-CEO office. Christoph Rubeli will additionally step down from Partners Group's Executive Committee and Global Executive Board by the end of this year, but he will remain a Partner of the firm.

Christoph Rubeli states: "After five years as Co-CEO and two decades as a Partner of the firm, I believe the time is right to hand over to a successor. David has risen through the ranks on the investment side of the business and he is ideally suited to succeed me and to share the Co-CEO office with André, whose focus is on clients and related portfolio management activities. In my new role, I will support the further build-out of the investment platform globally, with a particular emphasis on the entrepreneurial governance of our portfolio companies."

Christoph Rubeli joined Partners Group in 1998 from UBS. In his early years with the firm, he was instrumental in building out its global investment activities. He also established Partners Group's footprint in Asia, spending several years as Head of the Singapore office.

David Layton joined Partners Group in 2005 in its headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland. Prior to his current role as global Head of Private Equity, he was the Americas Head of Private Equity, based in New York. David Layton has played a key role in developing Partners Group's direct private equity practice, leading some of the firm's most successful investments to-date on behalf of its clients. In 2016, he moved to Denver to establish the firm's new Americas regional headquarters, which today has approximately 150 professionals. He is a member of Partners Group's Executive Committee and its Global Executive Board, as well as its Global Investment Committee.

David Layton comments: "It is an enormous honor to be asked to become Co-CEO of Partners Group. I believe we have tremendous potential ahead of us. Our focus moving forward will be to ensure that our successful entrepreneurial ownership of companies and assets increases on a global basis, which is key to securing attractive returns for clients today and in the future. I am excited to be partnered with André, for whom I have the greatest respect, and see our overarching task as Co-CEOs to ensure that we fulfil our responsibility towards our clients, employees and shareholders by steering the firm to capture the opportunities available to us."

Steffen Meister, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, states: "Speaking also on behalf of my colleagues, I would like to congratulate David and welcome him as our new Co-CEO. We have worked very successfully together with David for many years and regard him as a highly effective strategic thinker and entrepreneur; for instance, he was key to our direct private equity business becoming one of the leading practices globally. Like many of us in senior management, David joined Partners Group early in his career and has progressed up through the ranks. As a result, he is extremely knowledgeable about the firm and he is a strong culture carrier for our growing global business."

Alfred Gantner, Co-Founder and Executive Member of the Board of Directors, adds: "On behalf of all of us in the senior leadership team who have worked with Christoph since he joined Partners Group two decades ago, I would like to thank him for being a true senior leader of the firm over the years and for his important contribution as Co-CEO. Christoph will continue to dedicate his expertise and experience to our investment efforts at this pivotal time in the growth of our business and we look forward to working with him for many years to come."

About Partners Group
Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with EUR 67 billion (USD 78 billion) in investment programs under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm manages a broad range of customized portfolios for an international clientele of institutional investors. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and has offices in Denver, Houston, New York, São Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Manila, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm employs over 1,000 people and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PGHN) with a major ownership by its partners and employees.

 

Investor relations contact
Philip Sauer
Phone: +41 41 784 66 60
Email: [email protected]

 

Media relations contact
Jenny Blinch
Phone: +44 207 575 2571
Email: [email protected]

 

www.partnersgroup.com

Press release

Baar-Zug, Switzerland, 30 August 2018

Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, today announces a change in the firm's Co-CEO office. David Layton, Partner and Head of Private Equity, will replace Christoph Rubeli as Co-CEO from 1 January 2019. He will join André Frei, who has been Co-CEO since 2013, in the Co-CEO office. Christoph Rubeli will additionally step down from Partners Group's Executive Committee and Global Executive Board by the end of this year, but he will remain a Partner of the firm.

Christoph Rubeli states: "After five years as Co-CEO and two decades as a Partner of the firm, I believe the time is right to hand over to a successor. David has risen through the ranks on the investment side of the business and he is ideally suited to succeed me and to share the Co-CEO office with André, whose focus is on clients and related portfolio management activities. In my new role, I will support the further build-out of the investment platform globally, with a particular emphasis on the entrepreneurial governance of our portfolio companies."

Christoph Rubeli joined Partners Group in 1998 from UBS. In his early years with the firm, he was instrumental in building out its global investment activities. He also established Partners Group's footprint in Asia, spending several years as Head of the Singapore office.

David Layton joined Partners Group in 2005 in its headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland. Prior to his current role as global Head of Private Equity, he was the Americas Head of Private Equity, based in New York. David Layton has played a key role in developing Partners Group's direct private equity practice, leading some of the firm's most successful investments to-date on behalf of its clients. In 2016, he moved to Denver to establish the firm's new Americas regional headquarters, which today has approximately 150 professionals. He is a member of Partners Group's Executive Committee and its Global Executive Board, as well as its Global Investment Committee.

David Layton comments: "It is an enormous honor to be asked to become Co-CEO of Partners Group. I believe we have tremendous potential ahead of us. Our focus moving forward will be to ensure that our successful entrepreneurial ownership of companies and assets increases on a global basis, which is key to securing attractive returns for clients today and in the future. I am excited to be partnered with André, for whom I have the greatest respect, and see our overarching task as Co-CEOs to ensure that we fulfil our responsibility towards our clients, employees and shareholders by steering the firm to capture the opportunities available to us."

Steffen Meister, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, states: "Speaking also on behalf of my colleagues, I would like to congratulate David and welcome him as our new Co-CEO. We have worked very successfully together with David for many years and regard him as a highly effective strategic thinker and entrepreneur; for instance, he was key to our direct private equity business becoming one of the leading practices globally. Like many of us in senior management, David joined Partners Group early in his career and has progressed up through the ranks. As a result, he is extremely knowledgeable about the firm and he is a strong culture carrier for our growing global business."

Alfred Gantner, Co-Founder and Executive Member of the Board of Directors, adds: "On behalf of all of us in the senior leadership team who have worked with Christoph since he joined Partners Group two decades ago, I would like to thank him for being a true senior leader of the firm over the years and for his important contribution as Co-CEO. Christoph will continue to dedicate his expertise and experience to our investment efforts at this pivotal time in the growth of our business and we look forward to working with him for many years to come."

About Partners Group
Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with EUR 67 billion (USD 78 billion) in investment programs under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm manages a broad range of customized portfolios for an international clientele of institutional investors. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and has offices in Denver, Houston, New York, São Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Milan, Munich, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Manila, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm employs over 1,000 people and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PGHN) with a major ownership by its partners and employees.

 

Investor relations contact
Philip Sauer
Phone: +41 41 784 66 60
Email: [email protected]

 

Media relations contact
Jenny Blinch
Phone: +44 207 575 2571
Email: [email protected]

 

www.partnersgroup.com