Philip Borel

Private equity veteran John Higgins is joining the publisher of PERE to help strengthen its reach into the world’s largest alternative investment markets.

Eddie Izzard, patron of the Marathon of Marathons, explains how to keep on running through the pain. After his extraordinary 43 Marathons in 51 days, he should know better than anyone.

Hamilton Lane has been selected to take over as the Washington State pension plan’s private equity mandate from Capital Dynamics.

Philip Borel worries about David Snow, his hapless challenger in the Marathon of Marathons.

The new owner designate of London Gatwick Airport has announced that David Rowlands, a former head of Britain’s Department for Transport, is to chair the company from December.

BAA has agreed to sell the UK’s second largest airport, ending months of negotiations. Rival bids from syndicates featuring Borealis and Citi were trumped by GIP, which reportedly secured more than £1bn in debt financing.

The bank, which is currently assisting with fundraising for groups including MBK Partners, Alinda Capital and Citadel, has decided to wind down its private equity fund placement arm by year end. Two of its executives have already been hired by Credit Suisse as part of its asset management division's global expansion.

The buyout industry has been incapable of ‘using leverage sensibly’ and must support restrictions on excess LBO debt, argued Hugh MacArthur, global head of Bain & Co’s private equity practice.

The emerging markets-focused firm has already invested 12% of the fund, which will limit its use of leverage to deals in South Africa and Southeast Asia.

Concern is mounting that EU legislators will introduce new rules for financial services in general that will do disproportionate damage to private equity in Europe.