Today I start a new chapter in my life. After 25 years helping to build and lead KKR in Europe, I have decided to retire as Chairman of KKR in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and as an active partner of the firm.
Going forward, I will remain part of KKR as a Senior Advisory Partner. In this role, I will continue to serve on the boards and support the growth of Marshall Wace, Axel Springer and Roompot.
We have been working on a smooth leadership transition plan in Europe over the past few years, with Tara Courtney Davies and Mattia Caprioli co-leading our European business very effectively, alongside our regional business heads.
It has been a distinct pleasure to build and mentor our business heads in Europe over many years, among them Mattia and Philipp Freise who joined in 2001, two years after me, and who now co-run our private equity business in EMEA, Tara and Vincent Policard who co-run our European infrastructure business, as well as Mark Danzey who’s been with the firm since 2009 and leads our capital markets business and institutional client solutions team in EMEA, and also Guillaume Cassou who joined us in 2012 and leads our real estate business in the region and Michael Small in private credit. We have a world-class team driving the European platform and I look forward to closely following their continued growth and success.
This step will allow me to focus on the next phase of my life, including investing my own capital, and spending more time on my charitable and many other personal interests.
I will never forget the cold call I got from Henry Kravis in March of 1998 asking me to join the firm, or the guidance and advice he and George have given me over these 25 years. Looking ahead, I truly believe that KKR, following a decade of business building, is even better positioned for the future than it has ever been, particularly with the leadership of Joe and Scott. I am proud to be part of the firm’s continued growth story as a significant shareholder.
The foundation of our success has been and continues to be our strong values and culture. These really differentiate us, and this is what I love most about KKR. I look forward to continuing to work together with many colleagues in my new role.
For everyone across the industry who I’ve worked with over the years, thank you for your partnership. I hope that many of us will stay connected and have the ability to work together in my next chapter.