Exclusive: Partners boosts infra team with new co-head

Swiss-based Partners Group has moved Juri Jenkner, formerly the firm’s co-head of private debt, to become its new co-head of infrastructure alongside Brandon Prater. Michael Barben, the previous co-head of the infrastructure programme, is now more focused on the investment side, as chairman of the Private Infrastructure Investment Committee.

According to a Partners’ spokesperson, Jenkner's move came about “to support the rapid growth of our infrastructure business”. The private markets specialist has been growing its infrastructure programme at the rate of almost €1 billion a year over the last four years (see table below) and is estimated to have ended 2015 with some €4.8 billion of infrastructure assets under management.

René Biner, Partners’ co-head of investments, is now also taking on the role of co-head of private debt, to help plug the gap created by Jenkner's move. He will lead the unit alongside existing debt co-head Scott Essex, who also runs Partners’ New York office. Christopher Bone, European head of private debt, and senior vice-president Edward Tong round out the debt team.

Late last year, the firm acquired a 25 percent stake in Sentinel Energy Centre, an 800-megawatt natural gas-fired power generation facility, from US developer Competitive Power Ventures. 

Partners Group Infra AUM

*estimated