Andrea Negri To Head Advent International’s Italian Operations

Advent International has pulled off something of a coup with the appointment of Andrea Negri to spearhead expansion of the firm’s Italian investment activities.

Head of National Westminster Bank’s Italian operations since 1992, where he focused particularly on acquisition finance, buyouts and specialised financings, Andrea Negri previously spent 15 years with Continental Bank, where he became head of Italian operations in 1995.

As a board member of IPEF, NatWest Ventures Italia and Investitori Associati, Andrea Negri has been closely involved with the development of Italy’s private equity market.

Advent International first entered the Italian market in 1987 and opened its Milan office in 1991.

The firm believes that the time is now right to expand its Italian operation in order to capitalised on increased opportunities for private equity in the wake of European monetary union and other market developments.

Advent International managing director John Singer said, “In the years we have been investing in Italy, the marketplace has changed substantially and, with Andrea Negri’s appointment, Advent International is emphasising its commitment to investing in later- stage companies as well as to assisting strong regional companies with the potential to become international businesses”.

The firm plans to make further appointments to the Milan office during the course of this year.

Andrea Negri described his new role as “an exciting opportunity for me actively to help Italian companies become players in international markets for the 21st century”. For the medium-sized firms that form the backbone of Italy’s economy, many of which are poised to take advantage of growth opportunities arising from European monetary union, and the global marketplace, “private equity investment is the way forward”, Andrea Negri said.