Corporate Vision July 2017

CORPORATE VISION / July 2017 5 NEWS , With 2016 revenues, more than 346 mil- lion of Euros, almost entirely realised in foreign markets, and over one century of history, Savio operates worldwide with produc- tion plants in Italy, China, India, Belgium, Germany and Switzer- land. Its leadership position has been achieved thanks to contin- uous focus on research and de- velopment, extreme flexibility and high quality standards. The transaction will enable H.I.G. and Tikehau Capital to support Alpha Private Equity in the de- velopment of the Company and further expansion at global level, in a highly technological industry. Guido Lorenzi, Director of H.I.G. WhiteHorse, has commented: “This transaction confirms H.I.G. WhiteHorse willingness to invest in Italy supporting leading com- panies and its ability to originate proprietary transactions. Thanks to the joint effort with Tikehau and Alpha Private Equity, we believe we can support the next stage of development of the Company”. Luca Bucelli, Country Head of Tikehau Capital in Italy comment- ed: “This transaction is a further demonstration of Tikehau Capi- tal’s willingness to invest in Italy and support the development of local companies with tailor made capital solutions. Savio has an extremely strong technological know-how and management team. We are delighted to invest in Savio alongside H.I.G. and Alpha Private Equity and we be- lieve we can effectively support the next stage of development of Savio.” Valentina Pippolo, Partner of Al- pha, has commented: “As Alpha, we have always been committed in targeting highly-technological companies with leading positions in their reference markets and strong international exposure, supporting their management teams in developing growth strat- egies and fostering global expan- sion plans also through financial resources” Essentia has acted as Debt Ad- visor for Alpha Private Equity. H.I.G. e Tikehau Capital were assisted by Studio Legale Gattai, Minoli, Agostinelli and Partners while Alpha Private Equity has been assisted by Pedersoli Stu- dio Legale. www.higwhitehorse.com www.tikehaucapital.com Niall Daly joins the first Welsh business on the London Stock Exchange Elite Programme as it prepares to float. OpenGenius, the creators of iMindMap and DropTask, has announced the appointment of a new Chief Fi- nancial Officer (CFO), Niall Daly. Niall is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years’ experience in IT and software businesses. OpenGenius, which also owns Tec Marina in Penarth, recently became the first company in Wales to be accepted onto the London Stock Exchange Group’s ELITE programme, which helps ambitious companies prepare for growth through access to long term financing opportunities. Other companies accepted onto the programme this year include Mumsnet and British manufactur- er of hybrid airships, Hybrid Air Vehicles. Chris Griffiths, CEO, OpenGeni- us, commented on the appoint- ment: “We feel very lucky to have recruited Niall into this role. This is such crucial time for the business as we look to acceler- ate our growth and prepare for a flotation in 2018. The next 12 months is going to be an exciting ride for OpenGenius and we are thrilled that Niall is going to be part of it. He also brings more than the traditional CFO skillset with him and will be involved in developing product concepts, branding and messaging.” Prior to joining OpenGenius, Niall founded Backpocket CFO, a business that provides flexible CFO and Financial Director sup- port for companies of all sizes. He has extensive experience in helping businesses with their H.I.G. WhiteHorse and Tikehau Capital Complete an Investment in Savio exits, and as such, has been instrumental in several trade sales, management buyouts and flotations. Previously, Niall was Chief Operating Officer with e-skills UK for eight years, where his main responsibilities were finance, IT, HR and programme delivery. He has also been a Growth Expert on the Goldman Sachs 10KSB programme for the past five years, two of the companies he coached also undertook the London Stock Exchange Elite programme. On his appointment, Niall said: “This is a great opportunity to join a company with ambitious growth plans. Open Genius Mind Map- ping software is used by over a million people worldwide and that number is growing all the time. I’m looking forward to getting started and helping Chris and the team on their path to flotation in the next couple of years.” OpenGenius are the creators of the pioneering Mind Map- ping, brainstorming and project planning software, iMindMap and task management app, DropTask. The company delivers bespoke and accredited training courses worldwide in Mind Map- ping, applied innovation, speed reading, leadership and memory skills. Their software and training solutions are used by individuals worldwide within Disney, NASA the BBC and Microsoft. The company is headquar- tered in Penarth Tec Marina, a purpose-built office space that aims to bring a Silicon Valley look and attitude to Wales. It officially opened on July 1st 2015 and currently houses 26 businesses. H.I.G. WhiteHorse – a credit affiliate of H.I.G. Capital – and Tikehau Capital– an independent pan-European asset management and investment firm – on 3rd June announced it has reached an agreement for a joint investment of 85 million of Euros inNotes issued by Savio Group, a global leader in production of machinery and quality control systems for the textile industry, controlled by Alpha Private Equity.