M&G Investments has appointed Emmanuel Deblanc as chief investment officer to lead its 86 billion euro private markets business. Deblanc, most recently at Allianz Global Investors, brings two decades of experience in investing in private credit, structured credit, impact and private equity, real estate and infrastructure.
M&G said that its private markets investment is central to its growth ambitions in asset management. Private markets continue to be a bright spot for the asset management industry, it said, accounting for half of the industry’s global revenue in 2022. “One of M&G’s priorities is to become the European champion for private assets,” the firm said in a press release.
Deblanc at Allianz Global Investors led and developed its private markets capability and was instrumental in building out the company’s private debt franchise. Prior to this, he spent nine years at BNP Paribas where, as co-head of its debt advisory and financing team, he led on European infrastructure and energy deals. Deblanc will report to Joseph Pinto, chief executive officer of M&G Investments. He will join on 14 March and will be based in London.
Long-term investors
“Private markets is an area where long-term investors remain attracted to the diversification benefits on offer, typically with higher returns and lower volatility, and as the opportunities evolve, is an area with the potential to play a key role in impact investing,” Pinto said in a statement.
“The past 15 years have turbocharged the growth of private markets,” Deblanc added, “and the next decade is poised to be equally as exciting as the industry evolves to meet the needs of both clients and societies, whether it is by broadening access through tokenisation or by investing in infrastructure, real estate and companies that shape the world around us.”
M&G’s private markets business dates back to 1848 having first invested in UK real estate. It comprises six cores, respectively in private credit, structured credit, impact and private equity, real assets strategies, real estate and “responsAbility”. This last centre operates as impact asset manager specialising in private debt and equity focused on emerging markets.
Further reading on Investment Officer:
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- ‘Investors don’t need private markets’
- Outlook 2024: For private markets it’s back to basics