Growthdeck, the private equity investment firm, has appointed ex-Laing O’Rourke Chief Investment Officer, Ceri Richards, to the board as a Non-Executive Director.
At Laing O’Rourke, Richards managed the Public Private Partnership portfolio, which included raising debt and equity finance for major infrastructure projects, and subsequently selling investments. She was also a key member of the team that led the 2016 European restructuring of the business.
At the beginning of her career, Richards spent 11 years with BNP Paribas, working her way up to become the head of the bank’s Public Sector Team in the UK. While there she was an integral part of the bank’s early entry into financing public projects.
After BNP Paribas, Richards moved to HBOS, and following the merger, became the Managing Director of Specialised Industry Finance at Lloyds Banking Group. Whilst at Lloyds she was responsible for the bank’s corporate real estate business, managing 400 people and assets in excess of £40bn.
Richards, who also serves on a number of boards including the Thames Valley Housing Association, said: “I hope to put my experience across banking and infrastructure finance to use at Growthdeck. It’s an exciting time to be part of the team.”
Gary Robins, Head of Business Development at Growthdeck, says: “Ceri’s extensive experience leading the due diligence of individual investment opportunities and managing complex investment portfolios will be invaluable as we continue to grow.”
