Klaus Maurer Leaves Terra Firms for Silverfleet

European mid-market private equity firm Silverfleet Capital has bulked up its investment team in Germany with the appointment of Klaus Maurer as an executive.

Maurer joins Silverfleet’s Munich office from Guy Hands large buyout investment vehicle Terra Firma Capital Partners, where he worked as an analyst in the Frankfurt office.

Prior to Terra Firma, he worked in leverage finance at Societe Generale and BHF-Bank.

Maurer’s appointment brings the number of investment professionals in the Munich office to six, headed by partner Sebastian Kern. Silverfleet also has offices in London, Paris and Chicago.

“Klaus’ appointment underlines the importance to Silverfleet Capital of the German mid-sized buyout market and our commitment to it despite the currently challenging economic climate,” said Neil MacDougall, managing partner of Silverfleet Capital. “The sale of Jost last year was our second successful exit from a German investment.”

Jost World, a manufacturer of components for commercial vehicles, was sold to Cinven last August, generating a 3.1 times money multiple and an internal rate of return of 47%. Silverfleet had originally bought the business in 2005 for €320m.

The other successful exit for Silverfleet Capital, which became independent from its previous owner Prudential last year, when it was known as PPM Capital, was BS Safety Textiles, sold to International Textile Group in December 2006 for a 2.1 money multiple and 72% IRR.

Source: Thomson Merger News