Oliver Smiddy

Vincenzo Morelli, partner emeritus at TPG, has been elected as chairman of European trade body EVCA at a pivotal time for the industry in Europe.

VTB Capital has ambitious plans to open several hundred burger restaurants in Russia, having agreed a joint venture with global brand Burger King.

3i Group has agreed its first deal under new chief executive Simon Borrows, with its debt arm adding €2bn to its portfolio through the acquisition of seven CLO contracts from Invesco.

Two of the Anglo-saxon investment world’s most famous dynasties have formed a strategic partnership to pursue investment opportunities together and share expertise.

Stanley Mavromates, chief investment officer at MassPRIM, has become the latest senior executive to leave the $50bn pension fund.

UK development finance institution CDC Group saw a swing of £341m from profitability in 2010 to a £72m loss last year, despite putting more capital to work in developing countries last year.

The former chief executive of BP and current partner at Riverstone singled out private equity, suggesting fewer than 1% of the people he knows in the industry are homosexual.

At least a quarter of companies in Europe whose collective €133bn debt is due to mature within the next two to three years will default, warns Moody’s Investor Services, despite efforts to refinance the sizeable loan book.

Of more than a thousand managers active in China to chose from, one experienced LP estimates there are fewer than a dozen genuinely worthy of a commitment. GPs looking for funding will need to do more to point to China’s growth story.

Alven Capital has begun marketing its latest fund with a €100m target. The fundraising follows strong returns for some VCs, including Advent Venture Partners, driven largely by burgeoning valuations in the technology sector.