Risk warning
The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up and an investor may get back less than the amount invested. Past performance is not a guide to future results.
Experience
£13.0bn/€14.5bn/$16.9bn AUM and we hold over 400 advisory board seats. We offer a huge range of private equity solutions for our clients, having raised over 100 vehicles, backed over 500 private equity general partners (GPs) and having made over 1,000 fund commitments.
Source: abrdn, all data as at 31 December 2021.
Expertise
We have over 40 private equity professionals globally, bringing invaluable on-the-ground insight and expertise.
Resource
Our ESG approach to equity investing
We believe that ESG factors are financially material and can impact a company’s performance – either positively or negatively. Understanding ESG risks and opportunities, alongside other financial metrics, is therefore an intrinsic part of our research process.
We actively engage with the companies in which we invest with a top down Portfolio Construction Committee assessment of ESG risks by country. We screen out pipeline opportunities that do not fit with our ESG focus and objective and combine this with the insights of our investment managers, ESG equity analysts and central ESG investment team. This comprehensive approach means we can build a richer, more holistic view of each company. It also means we can consistently evaluate one company against another.
This is all part of our responsible stewardship of our clients’ assets – helping us mitigate risks, unlock opportunities and enhance potential long-term returns.
Challenges within private equity sustainability podcast
Listen to abrdn Head of Strategy Innovation for Private Equity, Alistair Watson and Investment Manager, Kanika Goela who examine the challenges European deal makers are facing in regard to sustainability and ESG criteria in private equity investments.
This podcast is produced and hosted by UK Investor Magazine. You will leave abrdn's website and enter UK Investor Magazine to listen. Please note that abrdn plc does not control, cannot guarantee, and is not responsible for the accuracy, timeliness, privacy or continued availability of this outside information.
What we offer our clients
Primary investments
Secondary investments
Co-Investments
Investment trust
Our team
Cameron Graham
Deputy Head of Secondaries – Private Equity
Cameron is based in the Edinburgh office and joined SL Capital Partners in 2008. SL Capital merged with the private markets team of Aberdeen Asset Management in 2017, when Aberdeen Standard Investments was formed. He has involvement in all aspects of primary fund investments, co-investments and has a particular focus on the secondary market. Cameron also has specific responsibility for the firm’s investment activities and relationships in the French market. He sits on the advisory boards of a number of European GPs. Before joining SL Capital, Cameron worked at Ernst & Young in their Financial Services Advisory practice.
Cameron has a BSc (Hons) degree in Management with French from the University of St Andrews
Colin Burrow
Head of Co-Investments
John Dickie
Co-Head of Private Equity USA
Karin Hyland
Senior Investment Director – Private Equity
Karin is a Senior Investment Director and member of abrdn’s Private Equity Operating Committee. She is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing co-investments and secondary transactions. Karin has been with abrdn since 2006. In this time, Karin has developed strong relationships with European private equity and private debt funds, with a particular focus on UK funds.
Karin holds a BA (Hons) in International Business and Modern Languages from the University of Strathclyde.
Kirsten Morin
Co-Head Global Venture Capital
Mark Nicolson
Head of Primary Investments
Mark is based in Edinburgh and joined the company in 2007. He is responsible for making investments across the private equity spectrum (Primaries, Secondaries and Co-investments) as well as having overall responsibility for abrdn's Primary Investment business.
Mark is a member of abrdn's Private Equity Operating Committee and Investment Committee. He also sits on the Advisory Boards of a number of leading private equity funds. Prior to the merger that created abrdn in 2017, Mark was a Partner and Head of Primary Investments at SL Capital Partners where he joined in 2007. Before this, Mark spent seven years working as a lead adviser in the corporate finance teams of EY and KPMG, focusing principally on buyouts. Mark is a Chartered Accountant and has BA (Joint Honours) degrees in Accounting and Economics from the University of Strathclyde. Mark is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.Mark is a member of abrdn's Private Equity Operating Committee and Investment Committee. He also sits on the Advisory Boards of a number of leading private equity funds. Prior to the merger that created abrdn in 2017, Mark was a Partner and Head of Primary Investments at SL Capital Partners where he joined in 2007. Before this, Mark spent seven years working as a lead adviser in the corporate finance teams of EY and KPMG, focusing principally on buyouts. Mark is a Chartered Accountant and has BA (Joint Honours) degrees in Accounting and Economics from the University of Strathclyde. Mark is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
Merrick McKay
Head of Europe - Private Equity
Merrick joined the company in 2014 and is based in the Edinburgh and London offices. abrdn's European Private Equity business, with over €8bn AuM, encompasses primary and secondary fund investments and co-investment activities undertaken by a team of over 30 investment professionals. Merrick is Head of Europe and a member of the abrdn Private Equity Investment Committee.
An Australian, Merrick has over 25 years’ experience in the European private equity industry. Prior to joining abrdn, Merrick was Head of European Investments and Senior Partner of Macquarie’s Private Markets division. Previous roles include 13 years as a Partner and Investment Committee member of Primary Capital (the London-based, lower mid-market private equity firm) where he was responsible for leading, originating and managing numerous private equity investments in the UK. Merrick holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Queensland.
Merrick is a regular speaker at private equity conferences, and is a member of Invest Europe’s Limited Partner Council.
Patrick Knechtli
Head of Secondaries
Peter Lawrence
Co-Head Global Venture Capital
Scott Reed
Co-Head of Private Equity USA