Downing bulks up energy and infra team with new partner hire

UK-based investment group Downing has added a third partner to its energy and infrastructure team with the hiring of Tom Williams.

Williams has joined the firm from his managing director role at renewable energy supplier Solarplicity where he established an investment and asset management arm. He has previously held two roles at Macquarie Group in both an advisory and senior vice president capacity working across its private debt and private equity businesses. Williams was also a founding partner of WHEB Infrastructure Partners, which focused on renewable energy generation.

Williams’s appointment comes a month after Downing hired Shane Swords as its head of institutional fundraising. The company recently announced plans to build a 2GW network of electric vehicle chargers and batteries across the UK, in a partnership with Pivot Power worth £1.6 billion ($2.1 billion; €1.8 billion). Downing plans to raise funds from institutional investors to support the development.

“Tom’s extensive industry experience of infrastructure and renewables investment, working for prominent industry names, will prove invaluable as our business continues to make strategic developments in the energy sector,” said Chris Allner, partner and head of investment at Downing, in a statement.

Downing said last month that it is placing “increasing emphasis” on the energy infrastructure market. While it has funded more than £500 million of energy and infrastructure projects since 2010, this has often focused on smaller-sized projects and transactions. Last week it secured £36 million from the sale of two biogas assets with a combined capacity of 11MW, which were commissioned in 2014.