

A little over a year since InfraRed Capital Partners named Ben Loomes head of infrastructure, the London-based firm has split the position, appointing two senior-level executives as co-heads of its infrastructure group.
“James Hall-Smith and Harry Seekings have worked well together for more than 20 years,” a source told Infrastructure Investor, partly explaining why the position is now being shared. The move does not indicate a change in strategy or approach, which the source described as “successful and proven long-term”.
Hall-Smith and Seekings joined the firm in 1997 and 1998, respectively. Hall-Smith has served as managing partner since 2011, while Seekings is being promoted to managing partner as well as being appointed co-head of infrastructure, the firm said in a statement.
“Harry […] will take on the new role in addition to his existing responsibilities as the leader of the day-to-day operations of HICL Infrastructure Company,” the firm said in the statement, referring to one of its listed infrastructure funds, launched in 2006. The Renewables Infrastructure Group, which currently has a portfolio of more than 50 investments in wind and solar projects in the UK, Ireland and France, is its second listed vehicle, which went public in July 2013.
The firm did not provide further details about Hall-Smith’s responsibilities, but according to the company website, he is also currently responsible for establishing the firm’s “next value-add greenfield infrastructure fund.”
The appointments come after Ben Loomes, whom InfraRed hired as head of infrastructure in June 2017, left the firm.
“He has successfully led the process of evolving InfraRed’s infrastructure business from a multi-fund structure into an integrated global execution platform,” the firm said in its statement in reference to Loomes, without providing further details.
A spokesman for InfraRed declined to comment beyond the press release.