Permira Bulks Up Tech Investing Team

Brian Ruder and Bruce Chizen have joined Permira as a partner and senior advisor, respectively. Ruder previously was with Francisco Partners, while Chizen is the former CEO of Adobe Systems. In related news, Permira announced that Richard Sanders will relocate from London to Menlo Park, in order to lead the firm’s tech investing team.

PRESS RELEASE

Permira, a leading international private equity firm, announced today that it has strengthened its global technology team with the hire of Brian Ruder, formerly of Francisco Partners, as Partner and Bruce Chizen, former CEO of Adobe Systems, as Senior Adviser. Permira Partner Richard Sanders has relocated to Menlo Park, California to lead the team after nine years working on technology and technology-related investments from the firm’s London office.

Prior to joining Permira, Brian Ruder spent eight years with Francisco Partners focusing primarily on investments in the software and services sectors, while Bruce Chizen served as CEO of Adobe Systems between 2000 and 2007. The balance of the team includes Ignacio Faus, an investment professional who has relocated from Permira’s Madrid office and Michael Nevens, former head of McKinsey & Co.’s global technology practice, who has worked with Permira as a Senior Adviser since 2006.

Tom Lister, Co-Managing Partner of Permira, commented:

“Permira has a long track record of successful investments in the global technology industry, which has been a key area of focus for the Firm over the past 20 years. The appointment of highly-regarded and well-connected senior figures of the industry considerably strengthens our team of seasoned investment professionals in the U.S. and around the world.

Richard Sanders, Partner and Head of the Menlo Park Office, commented:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with such a strong and complementary team. Brian Ruder brings a wealth of technology investing experience. Bruce Chizen is respected across the industry as a world-class operating executive, while Mike Nevens offers strategic insight gleaned from years advising technology companies. Ignacio and I look forward to working with these leading Silicon Valley professionals to further drive Permira’s global technology efforts. We are well-positioned to leverage Permira’s expertise and strong network of relationships within the technology industry and to seize prudent buying opportunities when they begin to emerge.”

Permira’s current and past investments in the technology, media and telecom sectors include such leading companies as Intelsat, Memec/Avnet, Inmarsat, Freescale Semiconductor, ProSiebenSat.1, All3Media, austriamicrosystems, EEMS, TDC, debitel and NDS Group.

Permira recently exited its investments in Memec/Avnet, Intelsat, Aearo Technologies and Jet Aviation, achieving four successful realizations in the North American market.

About Permira

Permira is an international private equity firm. Our funds, raised from pension funds and other institutions, make long-term investments in companies with the ambition of transforming their performance and driving sustainable growth.

The firm’s teams are based in Frankfurt, Guernsey, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, New York, Menlo Park, Paris, Stockholm and Tokyo, advising funds with a total committed capital of approximately EUR20 billion (US$28 billion). Since 1985, the Permira Funds have completed over 190 private equity transactions.

For more information visit: www.permira.com.

Notes to Editor

Mr. Sanders joined Permira in 1999 and became a Partner of the firm in 2006. He is currently responsible for building Permira’s technology efforts globally. He has worked on a number of transactions including Freescale Semiconductor, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Wireless Information Network and NDS. Prior to Permira, Mr. Sanders worked for Morgan Stanley in London in the M&A and High Yield Capital Markets divisions. Mr. Sanders has an MA in Classics from Oxford University, an MBA from Stanford Business School and is a Fulbright Scholar.

Mr. Ruder was most recently a Partner with Francisco Partners where he focused primarily on investments in the software and services sectors during his time with the firm from 2000 to 2008. Prior to joining Francisco Partners, Mr. Ruder was an Associate with Hellman & Friedman and an Analyst in the Corporate Finance division of Morgan Stanley. Mr. Ruder received an AB in Mathematics and Philosophy from Harvard College where he graduated summa cum laude and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School.

Mr. Chizen joined Adobe Systems in 1994 and served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer from December 2000 to December 2007 and as its President from April 2000 to January 2005. He also served as Adobe’s acting Chief Financial Officer from November 2006 to February 2007. Mr. Chizen stepped down from his position on the Board of Adobe in April 2008, a role he had held for over a decade. Under Mr. Chizen’s leadership, Adobe was transformed into one of the world’s largest and most diversified software companies in terms of revenue, global reach and breadth of products. Mr. Chizen received a Bachelor of Science from Brooklyn College, City University of New York. He currently serves on the boards of Oracle Inc., Synopsys Inc. as well as a number of non profit boards.

Mr. Nevens has been a Senior Adviser to Permira since 2006. From 1995 to 2002, Mr. Nevens served as a director in McKinsey & Company’s Silicon Valley office, where he was the managing partner of the firm’s Global High Tech Practice serving clients in the computer, software, networking, semiconductor, aerospace and telecommunications industries. He received a BS from the University of Notre Dame and an MS in Industrial Administration from the Krannert School of Purdue University. He currently serves as a director at Borland Software Corporation, is an Adjunct Professor of Corporate Governance at the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the school’s advisory board.

Mr. Faus works across sectors, with a particular focus on the technology, media and telecom sectors. He has worked on a number of transactions including Cortefiel, Telepizza and the NDS transaction. Prior to joining Permira in 2005, Mr. Faus was a Director at KPMG in the Transaction Services department. Mr. Faus has a degree in Business Administration from the Deusto University, Spain and is a Chartered Accountant.