Independent private investment firm Ardian (ex-AXA Private equity) announced last week the appointment of Tobias Gewolker as a Director in the Infrastructure team based in the Paris office.

Mr. Gewolker, a German national, has more than 13 years' investment banking experience in the City of London, with a focus on energy and infrastructure.

Prior to joining Ardian, he worked at DC Advisory, preceded by 4 years at Barclays Capital. Recent mandates have included advice to iCON Infrastructure Partners on the acquisition of Firmus Energy and advice to Allianz and Borealis on the €1.6 billion acquisition of Net4Gas from RWE.

The appointment represents the latest strengthening of Ardian's Infrastructure team following the appointment of Juan Angoitia as Managing Director last year. The expansion comes during a busy period for the team, following a number of key developments. The company has deployed €1.4bn through its 3rd generation of infrastructure fund, while its most recent transactions include the acquisition of London Luton Airport and Vinci Park.

Mathias Burghardt, Head of Infrastructure at Ardian, said:

"I am extremely pleased to welcome Tobias to our growing Infrastructure team. We highly value Tobias' extensive sector knowledge and experience with the main energy players, especially in Germany and Northern Europe."

Tobias Gewolker, Director at Ardian, added:

"Ardian has demonstrated an impressive track record of deal sourcing and asset management since its creation. We anticipate a number of interesting opportunities in the energy sector, particularly through corporate assets, and I look forward to helping the team capitalize on these."

Having begun his career at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Mr. Gewolker's experience spans a multitude of strategic and financial investor clients including EdF, EnBW, Verbund, CEZ, Centrica, Red Electrica, NRG Energy, Osaka Gas, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and PGGM.

Ardian's Infrastructure team, led by Mathias Burghardt, which has over $4 billion of assets under management, has firmly established itself as a market leader by investing in core infrastructure assets and partnering with leading industrial players across Europe. Its strength was highlighted when it successfully raised €1.75bn for Ardian's Infrastructure Fund III last year.