Macquarie hires new France and Benelux head

Australian fund manager Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has hired Stéphane Brimont to head its French and Belgian operations.

Brimont will join from utility GDF Suez, where he was chief operating officer for energy in Europe. He was previously chief financial officer of Gas de France – the company’s name before its merger with Suez – having been hired in 2004 as chief strategy officer.

His career started within the French administration, where he initially worked for the Ministry of Economy and Finance before becoming an advisor for budget matters to the Prime Minister.

In addition to his role as regional head, Brimont will hold several board positions in connection with MIRA’s existing assets, including toll road operator APRR Group, oil storage business Pisto and Brussels Airport.

He will succeed Bruno Angles, who recently left Macquarie to become head of France and Belgium at Credit Suisse. Angles had been MIRA’s head of France since 2007. Angles will maintain a connection with Macquarie by joining the Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund advisory panel, Edward Beckley, head of MIRA in EMEA, said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Infrastructure Investor reported that MIRA was considering a bid for Antin Infrastructure’s 36 percent stake in Pisto, which the European firm is said to be looking to sell.

Both Macquarie and Antin declined to comment at the time.