Matthias joined the Zurich office of Rivean Capital in 2012 before he established the office in Frankfurt in 2019 which now consists of 14 professionals. He is a Senior Partner and Member of Rivean Capital’s Executive Committee and Investment Committee.

In the past twelve years, he has actively accompanied and advised on numerous Rivean Capital investments in DACH/Europe. The focus is on owner-managed medium-sized companies (“hidden champions”), which Rivean accompanies and supports in their digital transformation, international growth and focus on sustainability. Outstanding investments already completed include Pro-Gamers Group (e-commerce provider of high-end equipment for the gaming community, 2018-2021) and vocational training services provider Comcave (2014-2019). Amongst other things, Matthias is currently advising on Rivean’s investments ]init[ AG for digital communication, Green Mobility Holding (GMH), one of Europe’s leading technology-based (e-)bike leasing groups, and Rivean’s recent signing Dataciders GmbH, one of the leading providers of data analytics services in Germany.

Prior to Rivean Capital, Matthias worked for Intermediate Capital Group, focusing on special situations and mezzanine financing solutions. From 2002 to 2008 Matthias worked at Goldman Sachs International in London.

Matthias holds a Master’s Degree in Finance and Information Technology from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel (Germany).

Steve leads the private equity industry for PwC Germany for almost ten years and is a member of the PwC Global Private Equity Board. Since 2020 he also leads the PwC Private Equity Industry for the EMEA region. With a wide exposure to various industries advising on both the buy-side and sell-side, Steve has significant experience in large cross border deals for private equity and corporate clients.

Steve joined PwC in the UK in 1993 and moved to Frankfurt am Main in July 2001 to focus on serving the private equity market. Steve joined the partnership in PwC Germany in 2005. 

Giovanna is a Partner at Altor Equity Partners in Zurich where she helped building the DACH presence. She focuses on investments in Mittelstand companies. For Altor she has lead the investments into Berlin-based D2C athleisure business oceansapart, partnered with the family-owners and SMS Group to invest in the globally active Mittelstand-gem Kaefer Isoliertechnik with more than 100 years of family heritage and partnered with management and founders in the investment in VTU, an Austrian head-quarted life-science engineering firm.

Prior to joining Altor in 2018, she spent nearly 10 years at 3i in Germany. Giovanna started her career in M&A at Morgan Stanley and strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company in Frankfurt and London.

Ralph Aerni is a Managing Director in Hamilton Lane’s Client Solutions Group and Head of Business Development in EMEA, based in the firm’s Frankfurt and Zug offices.

Prior to joining Hamilton Lane in 2021, Ralph served on investment committees and boards of institutional investors and as Head of Business Development with a Swiss asset manager. Before that, Ralph was a co-owner and the Chief Investment Officer of SCM AG, a private markets investment firm, from 2003 until the trade sale to Mercer in 2015. At Mercer Private Markets, Ralph served as Chairman of the Investment Committee and global Co-Chief Investment Officer. Ralph started his career in corporate banking at UBS in 1989.

Ralph received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich, Switzerland.

Neil has over 35 years’ of private equity experience. He led Silverfleet Capital, a pan-European PE fund for 15 years from its buyout from Prudential plc until his retirement as managing partner. He raised and successfully invested 3 buyout funds, the most recent, being the European Development Fund focussed on lower mid-market deals. Silverfleet invested in 22 buyouts in DACH and Benelux. Neil served on the boards of two German and one Dutch company.

After reading physical Natural Sciences and Computer Science at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge and receiving an MA, he joined Bain & Co. He has studied German at school and at work gaining a B1 CEFR certification.

Neil is a Past Chair of the BVCA, a member of the board of UKBAA and an active angel investor