Canada

Secondaries Investor caught up with the insurer's global co-heads of secondaries Jeff Hammer and Paul Sanabria, and global head of private markets Stephen Blewitt, to discuss the unit's plans.

The appointment is the third former CPPIB investment professional to join the preferred equity firm this year.

Matthew Sparks, who ranked 13th in last year's Young Guns ranking, has been with the mid-market secondaries firm for more than nine years.

The portfolio is understood to be worth between $250m and $500m, according to sister publication Buyouts.

Large North American public pension plans may be fuelling one part of the secondaries market, while pouring cold water on another.

The secondaries firm has hired George Weekes, a former Canada Pension Plan Investment Board funds, secondaries and co-investment professional.

The $256bn Canadian pension has sold stakes before, including a large private markets portfolio to Ardian in 2016.

Northleaf Capital Partners' latest fund is more than three times larger than its predecessor. Managing director Michael Flood discusses how the firm plans to deploy the vehicle and the additional $500m it amassed in SMAs.

A survey carried out by 17Capital suggests most LPs do not feel their liquidity needs are met by the secondaries market.

The preferred equity specialist has raised $729m a month after Secondaries Investor reported that the firm was preparing to hold a close in the first quarter.