Rede hires Lazard managing director as head of strategic capital advisory

Rede Partners has tapped Lazard for its new head of strategic capital advisory.

Riccardo Villa joins the London-headquartered placement agent in the newly created role, where he will advise firms accessing capital at both the portfolio and corporate level, according to a statement.

UK-based Villa previously spent more than 19 years at Lazard, where he was most recently a managing director responsible for financial sponsors advisory, according to the statement and his LinkedIn. He advised alternative asset managers, institutional investors and portfolio companies on M&A, secondaries market transactions, and equity and debt capital markets.

Villa’s hire will add to Rede’s existing capabilities in GP-led transactions and fund financing. He will also advise Rede clients on inorganic expansion opportunities.

“Riccardo is an excellent addition to our team and further builds our toolkit in delivering for our clients,” Rede’s head of transactions, Magnus Goodlad, who advises on GP-led transactions, said in the statement. “His skill set encompasses both client coverage and relationships, as well as deep transaction execution expertise across a broad spectrum of private market transaction types, enhancing the breadth of solutions on which Rede can advise.”

Rede recently advised European software specialist Volpi Capital on its continuation fund transaction to move Cyclomedia and Digital Barriers out of Volpi Capital Investments and into Volpi Capital Investments Conti, Secondaries Investor reported last year. Schroders Capital was the lead backer on the deal, with the continuation fund around €250 million to €300 million in size.

The placement agent also advised Amsterdam-headquartered private equity firm Bencis Capital Partners on its multi-asset continuation fund, which saw four assets moved into a new vehicle with additional capital to support further growth, Secondaries Investor reported. Paris-headquartered secondaries firm Committed Advisors led on the €123 million multi-asset continuation fund.