Richard Wilson becomes 26th EVCA Chairman

24th November 2009

Richard Wilson, Partner at Apax Partners, has become the 26th Chairman of the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EVCA), following Jonathan Russell of 3i.

Brussels, 24 November 2009 - Richard Wilson, Partner at Apax Partners, has become the 26th Chairman of the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EVCA), following Jonathan Russell of 3i.

Richard assumes the EVCA Chairmanship at an exciting time for the industry. Far-reaching changes to the Association's new structure and governance have been adopted and he will now take charge of their implementation. EVCA's new structure addresses the need for the industry to speak with one voice to policy makers at a time of significant legislative pressure. It also recognises the increasingly diverse nature of the industry, which covers seed funds and specialist investors through to very large buyouts.

As Chairman, Richard will also chair the new Public Affairs Executive, which will be directly responsible for forming the industry's stance towards policymakers as they continue to work on the proposed AIFM Directive. The Public Affairs Executive is a collaborative structure of independent associations and includes representatives of the three existing EVCA platforms, as well as a new platform representing the interests of LPs.

An engineering graduate of Cambridge University and Chartered Engineer, with an MBA from INSEAD, Richard joined Apax Partners in 1995 and has invested at all stages of the industry across Europe, from emerging technology companies to large, established businesses. He is Chairman of Apax's Technology and Telecoms Advisory Board and has represented Apax's funds on a number of portfolio company boards across Europe.

Commenting on the priorities of his chairmanship, Richard Wilson said: "I am delighted to be taking on this role at a time of change for both EVCA and the industry. I believe it is time to deliver on several fronts: first, we must substantiate the benefits of EVCA's new governance structure, ensuring that it effectively and efficiently serves the industry. An immediate test of this will be our continuing engagement in the AIFMD process.

"Second, we need to communicate better the rich variety of services available to our members and deliver further value with new services that are in the pipeline.
"Finally, we must ensure that the important role played by private equity and venture capital in the real economy is backed by rigorous data. Our industry has a great story to tell. We will make sure that it is told."


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For further information, please contact:
Astrid Pirlot, EVCA, +32 2 715 0029 astrid.pirlot@evca.eu
Chantal Ligertwood, UK PR for EVCA, +44 (0)7976 229 210


NOTES FOR EDITORS

RICHARD WILSON
CHAIRMAN, EVCA
PARTNER, APAX PARTNERS

Richard Wilson joined Apax Partners in 1995 and has invested at all stages of the industry across Europe, from emerging technology companies to large, established businesses. He is Chairman of Apax's Technology and Telecoms Advisory Board, having previously been global head of the firm's Technology and Telecoms investment team, and has represented Apax's funds on a number of portfolio company boards across Europe.

An engineering graduate of Cambridge University and Chartered Engineer with an MBA from INSEAD, Richard began his career with Marconi Space Systems before joining technology consultants, Scientific Generics.

In November 2009, Richard became Chairman of the European Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (EVCA). He is also a Council Member of the British Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (BVCA).

Richard is married with three children and enjoys travel and all sport, particularly golf. He is a member of the Investment Committee of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge and a Trustee of The Apax Foundation.

European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
EVCA is the voice of European private equity and venture capital.
We promote and protect the interests of our more than 1,300 members, to ensure they can conduct their business effectively.
EVCA engages policymakers and promotes the industry among key stakeholders, including institutional investors, entrepreneurs and employee representatives.
EVCA develops professional standards, research reports and holds professional training and networking events.
EVCA covers the whole range of private equity, from early-stage venture capital to the largest buyouts.

For more information, please visit www.evca.eu