Enterprise Investors implements a succession plan and promotes new partners

In parallel with raising its new fund (Polish Enterprise Fund VI with capitalization of €658 million), Enterprise Investors Corporation has implemented a succession plan agreed with the firm’s two founders, John P. Birkelund and Robert G. Faris. Mr. Birkelund stepped down as Chairman of EIC after serving in this position for 16 years, and became a senior advisor. Mr. Faris resigned from his position as president of the firm, which he had also held for 16 years, and was elected chairman by the Board of Directors. The Board also elected Jacek Siwicki, managing partner since 2000, as the president of Enterprise Investors Corporation.

The Board of Directors of EIC currently includes Robert Faris, Jacek Siwicki and four managing partners: Robert Manz, Dariusz Prończuk, Michał Rusiecki and Ryszard Wojtkowski. The Board members jointly decide on key issues at the firm such as promotions, compensation, carried interest allocation and strategy. For outline CVs of the Board members please see www.ei.com.pl.

As part of the program of developing internal talent and rewarding professional achievement, the Board also decided to promote three of the firm’s vice presidents – Agnieszka Kowalska, Rafał Bator and Sebastian Król – to the position of partner.

Agnieszka Kowalska joined EI in 2000. Ms. Kowalska has eight years of business experience. At EI, she has assisted in the completion of three transactions and sits on the board of one portfolio company. Prior to joining EI, while at ING Barings, she was a key account manager for large foreign and Polish corporates. Ms. Kowalska graduated from Columbia University with a master’s in international affairs with a specialization in international finance and business and holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Bridgewater College.

Rafał Bator joined EI in 2002. Mr. Bator has five years of private equity experience and ten years of IT experience. At EI he has made four IT investments, worked on four exits and sits on three portfolio company supervisory boards. Prior to joining EI, Mr. Bator worked for Prokom Software Systems, Price Waterhouse and Optimus. Prokom and Optimus are two of Poland’s leading IT companies. He is a graduate of the Wrocław University of Technology in software engineering and holds a master’s degree in economics from the Academy of Economics in Wrocław.

Sebastian Król joined EI in 2001. Mr. Król has ten years of private equity and consulting experience. He has worked on five investments at EI and sits on the boards of two portfolio companies. Prior to EI, Mr. Król worked for Arthur Andersen Poland, and Hachette Distribution Services. He holds a master’s degree in economics from the University of Łódź and is ACCA certified.

Enterprise Investors Corporation, based in the US with offices in Warsaw (Poland) and Bucharest (Romania), is the largest private equity firm in Central and Eastern Europe.

Enterprise Investors has the region’s largest and most experienced team of 30 investment professionals, including 13 partners. Active since 1990, EI manages funds totaling €1.6 billion. To date, private equity funds managed by Enterprise Investors have invested €0.9 billion in 102 companies, exited 85 investments and returned over €1.1 billion to their investors at attractive rates of return.