SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TSG Consumer Partners (“TSG”), a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on the branded consumer sector, today announced that it has opened an office in London, its first office outside the U.S.
TSG’s presence in London deepens its commitment to the European market and enhances the firm’s ability to identify and execute on compelling investment opportunities in the region. TSG’s foothold in Europe comes following a series of investments in leading European companies such as Revolution Beauty – which was recently named the third fastest growing private company by the Sunday Times Fast Track 100 – BrewDog, Canyon Bicycles, Bergfreunde.de, as well as ZOEVA and HUDA Beauty, both of which opened offices in London last year.
Beth Pickens, former Managing Director and head of European consumer banking at William Blair, has joined TSG as a Principal based in London. Colin Welch, Partner and Managing Director at TSG, is responsible for guiding the new office located in Mayfair.
“Europe represents a dynamic and attractive marketplace with exciting investment opportunities across the consumer and retail spectrum,” said Chuck Esserman, CEO and Founder of TSG Consumer Partners. “TSG has a strong track record in Europe, and the size of our business has grown steadily over the past few years – one-third of the capital from our TSG7 fund was deployed overseas, primarily on the continent. Now with an established office in London, we will be better positioned to collaborate closely with leading brands and their management teams to help them reach their full global potential.”
Colin Welch commented, “The addition of a London office further positions us as the partner of choice for consumer companies throughout Europe, particularly those looking to capitalize on cross border growth opportunities. It also helps us create additional value for our U.S.-based partner companies as they expand their overseas operations. I am thrilled to work closely with Beth, as we collaborate to identify new investment opportunities and accelerate our momentum in the region.”
Beth Pickens added, “TSG is the pre-eminent investor in the consumer sector and their collaborative approach, and appreciation of the power of an entrepreneur’s vision, makes the firm truly unique. I’m excited to be joining Colin and the talented team at TSG, as we deepen TSG’s European presence and continue to back the global growth of strong consumer brands.”
Beth Pickens joins TSG with nearly two decades of investment banking experience, most recently as Managing Director and head of European consumer banking at William Blair in London. In addition to providing strategic and financial advice to companies across the consumer sector, Ms. Pickens founded William Blair’s European consumer practice, and has been based in London since 2001. Her notable engagements include advising Rapha Racing Limited on its sale to RZC Investments, Happy Socks AB on its sale to Palamon Capital Partners and the initial public offering and follow-on offerings for Tumi.
Ms. Pickens received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois.
About TSG Consumer Partners
TSG Consumer Partners, LLC is a leading private equity firm focused exclusively on the branded consumer sector. Since its founding in 1987, TSG has been an active investor in the food, beverage, restaurant, beauty, personal care, fitness, health & wellness, household, apparel & accessories, and e-commerce sectors. Representative past and present partner companies include Duckhorn Wine Company, Planet Fitness, IT Cosmetics, REVOLVE, HUDA Beauty, BrewDog, Canyon Bicycles, Pabst, Backcountry, vitaminwater, thinkThin, popchips, Stumptown, Smashbox Cosmetics and e.l.f. Cosmetics. For more information, visit tsgconsumer.com.