Hayfin adds Paris-based director

Hayfin Capital Management has appointed its first secondaries professional based outside London.

The alternatives manager, majority owned by pension manager British Columbia Investment Management Corporation, has appointed Severin de Mortemart as director, Secondaries Investor understands. He started on 6 April and is based in Paris, the firm confirmed.

Mortemart comes from seven years at Access Capital Partners, where he was an investment director focused on primary, secondaries and co-investments in the European lower mid-market, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Hayfin targets GP-led secondaries deals in Europe with a ticket size between €10 million and €50 million. The secondaries unit is part of a 10-strong wider team, which is co-led by managing directors Gonzalo Erroz and Mirja Lehmler-Brown.

In 2018, Secondaries Investor reported that Hayfin had hired Pantheon’s Vladimir Balchev as a principal focused on secondaries.

Speaking to Secondaries Investor last month, Balchev said there are opportunities to gain exposure to good assets at a slightly lower entry value than before the pandemic if buyers are able to see past short-term setbacks.

“Last year there was so much uncertainty that only sponsors holding assets that were resilient to covid could come to market. For us, 2021 is more interesting as you have assets that are right in the middle, which maybe had some performance impact from covid but are still in a strong position.”

The firm mainly invests BCI’s capital and has no immediate plans to raise a commingled fund, Secondaries Investor understands.

Access did not respond to a request for comment.