Verdane has announced the appointment of two new senior hires; Moez Gharbi joins Verdane as a Partner based in its London office and Bjarne Abrahamsen joins Verdane as its Chief Operating Officer in Verdane’s Oslo office.
These senior hires will help Verdane cement its flexible investment approach, which allows the firm to partner with the most ambitious entrepreneurs across Europe and to invest thematically behind two structural growth trends, digitalisation and decarbonisation.
Gharbi joins Verdane from his previous role as Managing Director at Blackstone Growth in London. His appointment will help Verdane expand its presence across Europe and deepen its partnership with the continent’s leading B2B software entrepreneurs and other GPs.
Before joining Verdane, Gharbi spent over 12 years at Blackstone. He was a key member in launching the Blackstone Growth team in Europe and was previously part of the European private equity buyout team. His experience spans a range of sectors as well as various stages of investing. Gharbi holds a Double Master’s Degree in Management Studies from HEC Paris and MIT Sloan.
Abrahamsen joins Verdane from Antler, where he worked as Co-Chief Operating Officer, building the backbone and running the operations of an investment firm spanning 30 locations. He previously worked at SEB, McKinsey & Company, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America. He holds a Master’s in Finance from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Economics from the University of Warwick.
The appointments follow another strong year for Verdane in 2024 when the firm announced the closure of its Idun II fund at €700 million, bringing AUM to €8.4 billion.
Bjarne Kveim Lie, Founder and Managing Partner at Verdane, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Moez and Bjarne to Verdane. Moez’s network and investment expertise perfectly complement those of our existing partner group. Bjarne’s operational expertise and technology focus will help us strengthen the firm’s capabilities across all dimensions. Their entrepreneurial drive and alignment with our values means I am confident they will be valued core members of our team in the years ahead.”
Moez Gharbi, Partner at Verdane, commented: “I’m thrilled to join Verdane and to work with the team on consolidating the firm’s position as a preferred partner to European entrepreneurs and GPs. Verdane’s flexible investment mandate, entrepreneurial culture and best-in-class performance made it the perfect home for me.”
Bjarne Abrahamsen, Chief Operating Officer at Verdane, commented: “Verdane has an ambitious approach to partnering with leading European businesses and I’m looking forward to working with the entire Verdane team to support the firm’s presence across Europe.”
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About Verdane
Verdane is a specialist growth buyout investment firm that partners with tech-enabled and sustainable European businesses. Verdane can invest as a minority or majority investor, either in single companies or through portfolios of companies, and looks to deploy inside two core growth themes: digitalisation and decarbonisation. Verdane has over €8 billion in assets under management and its funds have made more than 200 investments in fast-growing businesses since 2003. Verdane’s team of over 140 investment professionals and operating experts, based out of Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Oslo and Stockholm, is dedicated to being the preferred growth partner to tech-enabled and sustainable businesses in Europe. Verdane is also a certified B Corporation, the most ambitious sustainability accreditation globally. The firm only backs businesses that pass its 2040 test, which indicates whether the company can thrive in a more sustainable future economy. Verdane is partly owned by the Verdane Foundation, which is focused on two areas: climate change and more equitable and inclusive local communities.
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