U.S. investor KKR appoints Jacques Veyrat as France advisor

By

Anaïs Lerévérend

Translated by
Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Jan 30, 2018

Signalling an interest in France, investment firm KKR announced on Monday the appointment of Jacques Veyrat, founder of the Impala investment firm, as an official advisor to France. 

Jacques Veyrat leads the Impala investment company, which he created in 2011. The firm's portfolio includes Maison Lejaby and Pull In, and stands with quite a diverse stable fold that ranges from energy to industry, as well as fashion. Veyrat is also board president for the Fnac Darty group. Aged 55, he was most notably chairman of the Louis Dreyfus trading group.

"France is an important market for KKR and we see significant opportunities across a certain number of sectors," said the American investment firm, in a statement.

Across its portfolio, the U.S. firm boasts a stake in only one French company, Webhelp, a provider of customer service.

However, KKR was previously a shareholder in France's Sandro Group (Sandro, Maje and Claudie Pierlot brands) for three years, starting in 2013. China's Shandong Ruyi, purchased the group in 2016, which saw KKR divest all capital last autumn, in preparation of the group's IPO. 

KKR looks to reinvest in French companies soon enough, especially with Veryrat's recent appointment as advisor to the local market there.

Anaïs Lerévérend with Reuters