Toronto investment firm Northleaf Capital Partners has appointed Sophia Damianou as managing director of Business Development for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Damianou will be the company’s first London-based managing director of business development.
“Sophia brings expertise that will be integral to the ongoing expansion of our activities in Europe.”
In her role, Northleaf said Damianou will lead the investment firm’s business development and investor relations activities from its London outpost, and will look to continue developing relationships with institutional investors, consultants, and advisors across the EMEA region.
“We are delighted to welcome Sophia to the Northleaf team,” said Jeff Pentland, managing director and head of Business Development at Northleaf. “As our first London-based business development executive, Sophia brings the content-driven, consultative fundraising and relationship-building expertise that will be integral to the ongoing expansion of our activities in Europe.”
Prior to joining Northleaf, Damianou most recently served as director of marketing at CapeView Capital, a London-based alternative asset manager. Previously, she managed the business development strategy for new markets in the EMEA region at Mesirow Financial, an international financial services firm. She began her career on the capital introductions team at Credit Suisse.
Northleaf also announced that it had raised additional capital for its global private mid-market investment program and now manages more than $12 billion USD in private equity, private credit, and infrastructure commitments on behalf of institutional and family office investors in Canada, Europe, the United States, and Asia.
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In 2017, it appointed Kathleen Ffrench as its VP of sales at the same time it opened its Montreal office. In December, Northleaf closed its Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund II, which was one of the five named in June of this year to receive a portion of the $350 million earmarked to Stream 1 of VCCI in Budget 2017.
Northleaf’s 130-person team spans Toronto, Montreal, London, New York, Chicago, Menlo Park, and Melbourne. The firm’s portfolio includes more than 350 active investments in 34 countries, with a focus on mid-market companies and assets. It currently has an existing team of around 10 investment professionals working in London across private equity, private credit, and infrastructure.
“I am excited to further develop Northleaf’s footprint in Europe and the Middle East, and to execute the firm’s customized, high-end client servicing strategy,” said Damianou. “This is a very compelling opportunity to enhance Northleaf’s position as a top-calibre institutional asset manager worldwide.”
Image courtesy Northleaf Capital Partners