3i Benelux strengthens its advisory board with two appointments
3i Benelux today announces that Marc van Gelder (CEO of OPG Group) and Marcel van Poecke (founder and ex-CEO of Petroplus) have joined its advisory board.
This follows Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, the former Minister of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands, joining the advisory board in February.
Marc and Marcel will offer strategic insight in their specific fields of expertise to 3i’s portfolio companies, help 3i during the due diligence process and assist 3i in identifying market opportunities.
Menno Antal, Partner, Managing Director 3i Benelux commented: “We are very pleased with today’s appointments for 3i. Both Marc and Marcel bring with them fantastic expertise and strong relationships that will add significant value to our team. These appointments show 3i’s commitment to strengthen our strong position as a leading private equity player in the Benelux as demonstrated by our recent activity including Dockwise, VNU, ABX Logistics and Electrawinds.”
Marc van Gelder has extensive international experience in the fields of strategy, retail marketing, logistics, e-commerce and IT. Marc is currently CEO of listed pharmaceutical group OPG Group, a position he has held since December 2005. Prior to this, Marc worked at Ahold, McKinsey & Company and MIP Venture Capital Fund in The Netherlands.
Marcel van Poecke has an extensive track record in the oil & gas sector, having worked in the industry for over 20 years. Since its foundation in 1993 until late 2006, Marcel was co-CEO of Petroplus, a leading Pan-European midstream oil company with core activities in oil and refining and LNG storage.
About 3i
3i is a world leader in private equity and venture capital. We focus on Buyouts, Growth Capital, Venture Capital, Infrastructure and Quoted Private Equity (“QPE”) and invest across Europe, the United States and Asia. Our competitive advantage comes from our international network and the strength and breadth of our business relationships. These underpin the value that we deliver to our portfolio and to our shareholders.
3i Benelux, which has been operating since 1998, has invested in companies worth over €3.0bn to date. The buyout team leads mid-market buyouts between €25m and €1bn and the growth capital team invests €10m to €150m in minority stakes. Both teams invest in companies with high growth potential. Once 3i is invested, it works in partnership with the management team. 3i supports the growth of businesses through its international network, market insight and the strength and breadth of our business relationships
The current portfolio includes Electrawinds, the leading independent renewable energy company in Belgium; Aviapartner, one of Europe’s leading independent ground handlers; Hyva, a leading hydraulic solutions provider to the commercial vehicle sector; Dockwise, the world-wide market specialist in heavy-lift transportation for the marine and oil and gas industry; ABX Logistics, one of the world''s top international freight forwarders and logistics services providers, and VNU BME, the leading Dutch careers classified and B2B magazines group.
Recent exits include Refresco, one of the leading European producers of fruit juices and soft drinks for European retailers, which was sold to an Icelandic consortium in April 2006; United Transport Tankcontainers, the international tank container operator, which was acquired by Interbulk Investments plc in February 2006; and YBR, a leading European directory services provider, which was sold for €1,825 million to a consortium led by Macquarie Capital Alliance Group in May 2005.
For further information please contact:
Kathryn van der Kroft
email. kathryn.vanderkroft@3i.com
tel. +44 207 975 3021