GFG ALLIANCE appoints key directors to lead financial services offering in France.
Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance, has announced the creation of a French team to lead its financial services offering to drive the group’s M&A and investment banking activities in France and across Europe.
The French branch of GFG Alliance’s financial services arm will be led by Jean-Noël Hénon and Philip Vivier, who join the business from RiverRock, as joint Managing Directors of Investment Banking for the new office. Jean-Noël and Philip were key advisors to GFG in their former roles at RiverRock and will build on their already extensive knowledge of the group, extending its M&A capabilities and developing its offerings as an advisory financial services provider.
Both MDs have extensive investment banking and financial advisory experience – Jean-Noël has previously held senior posts at Arthur Andersen, Citigroup, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Santander while Philip has run his own financial consultancy since 2012, and formerly held senior roles at Lazard’s and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
Jean-Noël and Philip will pursue, analyze and advise on investment banking matters involving companies within GFG Alliance including M&A transactions for the Alliance across Europe, supporting any development plans in France and supporting GFG’s interactions with the French Government and local authorities around its ambitious expansion plans.
The team will also manage and develop the relationships with French banks and leading debt providers to support planned M&A transactions, equity and working capital facilities. The pair will be based out of GFG Alliance’s Paris office which is already headquarters to the group’s global aluminium business ALVANCE, which owns and operates the Dunkerque aluminium smelter and downstream facilities in France.
Jean-Noël Hénon said: “GFG Alliance has seen enormous growth in France since its first acquisition here in 2018 and I’m hugely excited to be joining the business at this time and to be given the chance to drive the group’s investment banking work in France and into Europe. These are challenging times for the industry and for markets internationally but there will be opportunities ahead and I’m very much looking forward to helping the Alliance capitalise on them for the benefit of its many businesses and the thousands of workers that work within them.”
Philip Vivier said: “GFG Alliance is an uncommon organisation whose ethos of investing in the heavy industries many western countries have turned their backs on makes it both an exciting and rewarding prospect from an M&A perspective. Its commitments to environmental and social sustainability are now, more than ever, considerations for both stakeholders and investors alike and so we’re relishing the chance to help take that vision to the market.”
Jay Hambro, Chief Investment Officer of GFG Alliance said: “I am delighted to welcome Jean-Noël and Philip to our expanding team and can think of no-one better to lead our operations in France which continues to be a key market for us across all GFG activities. Their experience and expertise will bolster our capacity to identify and capitalise on new M&A opportunities and underpin our international development as a financial services provider.”
GFG Alliance’s financial services sit within a family office structure and are managed separately from GFG Alliance’s three industrial pillars; LIBERTY Steel Group, ALVANCE Aluminium Group and SIMEC Energy Group. Combined GFG Alliance has revenues of $20bn USD and employees 35,000 people across 30 countries.