Riverside Australia Fund Bolsters Team with Seasoned M&A Experts for Enhanced Growth
Riverside Australia Fund (RAF) is pleased to announce the expansion of its team with the addition of experienced mergers and acquisitions (M&A) professionals. RAF specializes in partnering with entrepreneurial founders of high-growth, profitable Australian and New Zealand-based businesses. The fund aims to accelerate growth both domestically and internationally by leveraging its global knowledge and experience. Since its inception in 2010, RAF has completed 40 investments with a focus on building bigger, more sustainable, and more profitable businesses through organic and add-on strategies.
The new team members bring a wealth of expertise and diverse backgrounds to RAF:
1. James Elsom joins as Principal, with 16 years of M&A and corporate finance experience spanning Australia and Southeast Asia. Elsom previously worked as a Partner in Deloitte’s M&A Advisory team, where he advised owners and acquirers of mid-market growth companies.
2. Kevin Xu has been promoted to Principal after serving with Riverside since 2014. Xu has played a pivotal role in numerous investments, add-ons, and divestitures and is an integral part of the team.
3. Hannah Davies and Dominique Ling have been appointed as analysts. Davies joins from PwC, while Ling hails from BCG. Both analysts bring diverse M&A experience to support Riverside’s local team.
Elsom and Xu will work alongside Principal Nicholas Pejnovic, under the guidance of Managing Partner Simon Feiglin. Feiglin, an Australian native, has led Riverside’s Australian investing and operating teams for the past 14 years. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategy, as well as overseeing the acquisition, growth, and sale of portfolio companies. Feiglin established RAF in 2010, assembling a team of 10 investment professionals and six operating executives to support local growth.
RAF’s mission is to support and assist underserved businesses, utilizing Riverside’s global network. Feiglin believes that as the world becomes more complex, the owners of Australia’s approximately 80,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will increasingly value a partner who can help them formulate and execute growth strategies, enabling them to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Simon Feiglin, Managing Partner of the Riverside Australian Fund, expressed his enthusiasm for the team’s new additions. He particularly praised James Elsom, highlighting their successful collaboration on multiple deals over the years. Elsom’s extensive track record in supporting the owners and acquirers of mid-market growth companies, developing M&A strategies, and contributing to global growth makes him a valuable addition to the team.
Based in Riverside’s Melbourne office, Elsom will focus on fostering enduring relationships with portfolio companies, sourcing new deals, and supporting the execution of strategies in Australia and New Zealand.
James Elsom, the incoming Principal at RAF, expressed his excitement in joining the team, emphasizing his dedication to the crucial mid-market segment and helping Riverside expand its regional presence. He looks forward to leveraging Riverside’s global reach to support local and national mid-market growth companies in achieving their objectives.
Kevin Xu, recently promoted Principal at RAF, praised Riverside’s global connectivity and partnership model, highlighting its positive impact on multiple investments. Xu emphasized that this impact manifests in accelerated growth, job creation, and significant benefits to communities.
Riverside Australia Fund is part of The Riverside Company, a global investment firm focused on providing private capital and credit options for business owners and portfolio company employees in the smaller end of the middle market. Since its establishment in 1988, Riverside has successfully made over 980 investments. Its international private equity and flexible capital portfolios consist of more than 150 companies.
With a focus on investing in Australia- and New Zealand-based companies with LTM EBITDA of up to AUD$25 million, Riverside Australia Fund continues to contribute to the growth and success of businesses in the region. For more information about RAF, please visit www.riversidecompany.com.
