Toronto-based Northleaf Capital Partners reports that its infrastructure investment program, which was launched in mid-2011, has reached approximately $500 million in capital commitments across its infrastructure co-investment fund and customized investment mandates.
The independent global private markets fund manager’s infrastructure program is focused on direct investments in OECD markets and is currently in advanced due diligence on several promising investment opportunities.
“We are very pleased with the progress of our infrastructure investment program and the confidence demonstrated by leading investors and consultants in our team, investment strategy and track record,” said Stuart Waugh, managing partner of Northleaf.
In parallel with its successful fundraising, Northleaf has expanded its investment team with the appointment of George Zakem as managing director and co-head of its infrastructure program. Zakem joined Northleaf in 2011 as a senior advisor after a decade at the Macquarie Group, where he participated in some of the most prominent and successful infrastructure transactions in Canada and was most recently head of the firm’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) team in Toronto. Previously, he held senior positions with TD Securities in the government and infrastructure projects group and worked as a project management engineer.
Northleaf also recently welcomed Olivier Laganière as an associate. Laganière joined Northleaf’s Toronto office from the Infrastructure Finance Group at RBC Dominion Securities. He was previously with the Macquarie Group’s infrastructure team in Toronto.