31 Jul 2007
Bruno Deschamps to head 3i France
Bruno succeeds Guy Zarzavatdjian, who became responsible for 3i’s Growth Capital business last autumn.
Bruno joins from Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (‘CD&R’), where he has been a Partner since 2002, and most recently served as Chairman of Brake Bros. He also has been involved in other private equity investments in Europe including Rexel, WVR and Culligan.
Philip Yea, CEO of 3i commented on the appointment: “I am delighted to have someone of Bruno’s market stature and experience joining our leadership team. His deep knowledge of International markets, his expertise of adding operational value to the companies in which he invests, and his strong reputation and network in the European market makes him a great asset to our business as we grow internationally.”
Bruno commented: “This is an exciting time to be joining 3i. The firm has a unique position in the industry and has been expanding its business and geographical network, particularly in the US and Asia. Leading a strong and experienced team, who give French businesses access to that network is very exciting.
Very few private equity businesses offer the diverse investment asset class that 3i does and I’m delighted to join such a dynamic organization.” he added.
Bruno Deschamps holds an MBA in marketing and finance from ISG Paris and is fluent in French, English, German, and Spanish. He is a member of the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and a Knight of the Legion d''honneur France.
Notes to editors
Bruno Deschamps Biography
Prior to CD&R, Bruno led his family-owned specialty chemicals company S.A.I.M in France, before joining the Henkel Group, the German-based European leader of detergents and cosmetics and the worldwide leader in adhesives. He started his tenure at Henkel as the Head of the French adhesives business before becoming Group Vice President and head of Henkel industrial adhesives, based in Germany. He then became CEO of Henkel Ecolab, a 50/50 joint venture between Henkel and Ecolab, headquartered in Germany. He then joined Ecolab Inc. in Minneapolis, USA, as President and COO of the Fortune 500 company with revenues above $4bn. He merged the European joint venture with Ecolab, which then became the worldwide leader in sanitation products and services. In 2002, Bruno joined CD&R, based in NY and London, as Operating Partner. Over the five years at the company he was involved in a number of investments including VWR, Culligan, Rexel and Brake Bros, at which he held positions as Chairman and CEO.
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
About 3i France
3i France office was opened in 1984 and today employs a total of 50 staff including 23 Investment executives. The team focuses on venture capital, medium-large growth capital investments and mid-market buyouts. Recent operations include Keolis, SeLoger, Tiama-MSc on exits side and Selective Beauty, Empruntis, Cerenicimo for investments.
