Octopus adds Lambert to team

Octopus Investments has hired Tim Lambert as strategic partnerships manager. Previously, Lambert worked at Parallel Capital.

PRESS RELEASE

Octopus Investments (‘Octopus’), one of the UK’s fast-growing fund management businesses with dominant positions in several specialist sectors including property, healthcare, energy and smaller company investing, has announced the appointment of Tim Lambert to the Strategic Partnerships team. In his role, Tim will work closely with family offices, private clients and high net worth individuals as the company seeks to build and expand its relationships across its investor base.

Tim joins from Parallel Capital, which he founded in 2011, having identified investment opportunities in the retirement, healthcare and assisted living space. In recent years, through his work at Parallel, he worked closely with the Octopus Healthcare team, predominantly on the development of the company’s retirement village in Wadswick Green.

At Octopus, Tim’s initial focus will be on the affordable housing sector. Octopus recently announced its entry into the market through the formation of Octopus QSH, a joint venture with housing developer QSH, which specialises in building affordable homes in the UK. The business aims to transform the affordable housing market in the UK by developing thousands of new homes in the next few years, and Tim will be seeking to attract investment from the institutional and family office sector into site developments for some of these projects.

Octopus now manages a number of retail and institutional funds on behalf of a range of investors. The company recently announced the launch of the Octopus Zenith Opportunities II LP, a £90 million institutional-only fund – which is now closed for investment – aimed at providing growth capital to successful fast-growing later-stage companies across Europe. The first investment from the fund has already been made, with Octopus leading the recent £39 million round with Google Ventures into Secret Escapes, the London-based members-only luxury travel site. Last year, Octopus raised £130 million to launch the Commercial Real Estate Debt Fund, which is also now closed for investment, offering institutional investors a credit-based exposure to the highly attractive UK commercial property market.

Mark Williams, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Octopus, commented: “At Octopus, we have a track record of investing in and scaling businesses in order to really make a difference for our investors. Tim’s appointment highlights our strong and growing commitment to partnering with high net worth individuals, family offices and institutional investors in order to provide them with attractive investment opportunities in these markets.”

Tim Lambert, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Octopus, commented: “Given the close nature of the work I have been carrying out alongside Octopus over the past couple of years it seemed the logical step to join. Octopus is an innovative and forward-thinking company and I’m excited about potential opportunities that we will be offering investors across a number of areas.

“Octopus’ entry into affordable housing is a great example of how the business looks to enter sectors where it can really transform the market. With a chronic shortage of housing and huge government targets in place, there is significant opportunity for investors in the affordable housing market. I’m looking forward to working with the team at Octopus to help take the offering out to investors and develop the business going forward.”

Prior to setting up Parallel Capital, Tim was head of consulting at Ducalian, a property investment company. He has also previously worked in marketing roles at Citywise and Akiko.

About Octopus Investments
Octopus Investments is a fast-growing UK fund management business with leading positions in several specialist sectors including property, healthcare, energy and smaller company investing. Founded in 2000, Octopus manages more than £5.5 billion of funds on behalf of 50,000 investors.

Working closely with financial advisers, we create investment solutions that combine our expertise in smaller company investing with government approved tax reliefs. Our core product range currently includes Venture Capital Trusts, Enterprise Investment Schemes and Inheritance Tax Services offering award-winning solutions for investors looking for capital growth, income generation or capital preservation.

As an entrepreneurial company, we understand what it takes to build a business. We work hand-in-hand with some of the most successful entrepreneurs and management teams in the country to help finance companies capable of creating, transforming or dominating their industry. We invest in both private companies and those listed on the Alternative Investment Market.

Exceptional customer service and a straight talking approach to investing are integral to the way we do business at Octopus. We have twice been voted one of the best 100 smaller companies to work for.

For further information, visit www.octopusinvestments.com.