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KKR shores up exec team with hire of Macquarie Capital VP – exclusive

James Gordon has joined the group as an investment director, following a raft of senior staff departures earlier this year.

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KKR has appointed Macquarie Capital’s senior vice president James Gordon as a new investment director, Infrastructure Investor has learnt.

Gordon will move from his role in Macquarie Capital’s infrastructure and utilities M&A team in London to his new position at KKR, reporting to head of European infrastructure Tara Davies, sources said. His switch ends an 11-year tenure at Macquarie.

Gordon confirmed his new position focused on KKR’s European assets. Macquarie declined to comment on Gordon’s move.

His appointment follows the departure of several senior members of the European infrastructure team this year. Infrastructure investment directors Guido Mitrani and Ram Kumar left in March and July, respectively, following the revelation in January global co-head Jesus Olmos would leave in April. Olmos is believed to have now set up his own infrastructure fund, supported by former KKR investor relations director Winnie Wutte. Raj Agrawal became the sole leader following Olmos’s exit.

KKR yesterday confirmed the final closing of its Global Infrastructure Investors III fund on $7.4 billion, exceeding an original target of $5 billion. It has so far secured one midstream deal in the US and a telecoms towers business in France.

European investments accounted for 54 percent of KKR’s first $1 billion fund, raised in 2010 and spread across France, Spain, Germany and the UK. This fell to 41 percent for its second $3.1 billion vehicle closed in 2015.