Diana Capital boosts its third fund with the signing of Alejandro Mejías, former Bank of America, as new partner
- The Spanish private equity manager strengthens its team after completing last July the raising and fundraising of €150 million for Diana Capital III FCR, with a target size of €200 million.
- Mejias, a key banker in Bank of America’s investment banking team in Spain, will focus on the origination and execution of new investments.
- Since its inception in 2000, Diana Capital has invested more than $300 million supporting medium-sized Spanish companies in their international growth.
Madrid, December 14, 2023.
Spanish private equity manager Diana Capital strengthens its team with the signing of Alejandro Mejías, from Bank of America (BofA), as a new partner. Mejías, who also spent time at BBVA, will drive the origination and execution of new investments for the private equity firm’s third fund launched in 2023 with a target size of €200 million.
Last July, Diana Capital announced a €150 million commitment to its new vehicle, Diana Capital III FCR, aimed at growth capital investments and acquisitions supporting Spanish companies in the lower middle-market segment and with a strong international projection.
Mejías was a Senior Director at the American investment bank Bank of America for more than 10 years where he executed transactions in a wide variety of sectors and was a key person in the consolidation of Bank of America as the number one M&A advisor in 2022, being the bank that advised Diana on the sale of Gransolar, a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic plants and energy storage systems, to the Trilantic fund, with which Diana Capital multiplied its investment by five times. The transaction earned the Spanish fund manager the award for “Best Expansion Capital Transaction” at this year’s 16th edition of the Private Equity Awards in Spain, organized by SpainCAP, Deloitte and IESE Business School.
His incorporation as a new partner at Diana Capital comes after the closing of the firm’s third fund at a particularly complex economic environment for raising new capital (fundraising) from domestic private investors due to the new interest rate environment, doubts about macro developments and the impact of high inflation.
“My joining Diana Capital, a pioneer with more than 20 years of experience in the private equity sector in Spain, is a natural step in my career at a very relevant time for the fund manager after the launch of its third fund, which doubles the size of the previous one to support small and medium-sized companies, the bulk of the Spanish productive fabric, with our strategy of investing in medium-sized companies with growth potential and very solid management teams in the ‘low mid-market’ segment and without resorting to leverage,” says Alejandro Mejías.
Francisco Gómez-Zubeldia, Vice Chairman and CEO of Diana Capital, said: “We are very proud to announce the appointment of Alejandro Mejías as our new partner. His extensive experience will allow us to continue supporting and accompanying companies in their growth and internationalization plans and reinforcing our investment strategy in the most dynamic and attractive segment of the Spanish market with low levels of debt,” he adds. “There is more and more money in private equity, both in funds and in investment, and the private equity sector is gaining weight in the national GDP,” he adds. The market environment favors our unleveraged growth capital approach,” he adds.
Diana Capital’s track record includes other divestments such as Burger King, a company owned by Restaurant Brands Iberia, which owns the operating rights in Spain and Portugal for Burger King; the lighting firm Indal, now part of the Philips Group; and Guascor, acquired by Siemens and currently in the hands of the Swiss private equity holding company Mutares. With its third fund, the private equity firm will raise capital between 10 and 50 million euros and will give preference to its investors if larger investment opportunities arise.