Investec drives European direct lending sales with new hire

Investec has boosted its European sales team with a new hire who will target direct lending in Benelux and Scandinavia.

Pascal Vernaeve (pictured right) will join the bank as head of investor coverage for those regions, with the aim of expanding Investec’s direct lending business there.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in institutional sales across Europe. He was most recently head of northern Europe at Lombard Odier Investment Managers, where he led institutional sales efforts across both liquid and illiquid assets.

“Pascal’s extensive experience and strong relationships within the institutional landscape will be key as we enhance our presence in Benelux and Scandinavia,” said Callum Bell, head of direct lending at Investec.

“His ability to develop strong client partnerships and to provide them access to our direct lending franchise demonstrates our continued and active investment in our private credit capabilities,” he added.

Investec has been very active recently across its European direct lending platform, completing several transactions across senior, unitranche and integrated-ABL financing solutions.

Deals include senior debt facilities to support AnaCap’s acquisition of DK Accountants & Adviseurs; CBPE’s investment in HF, and integrated-ABL for Freshstream’s investment in G2V Group.

Additionally, Investec arranged senior debt facilities for Rivean Capital-backed ZND, LLCP portfolio company NMi and Thesis Asset Management, owned by Ventiga Capital Partners and J Leon Group.

“I am excited to join Investec and help build the business in Benelux and Scandinavia. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team here to unlock new opportunities for our clients across the region,” said Vernaeve.

Founded in 2010, Investec Direct Lending focuses on providing financing solutions to lower mid-market companies and has deployed over €9.5bn (£7.9bn) across more than 330 unique investments since inception.