OUR PEOPLE
Listed by last name in alphabetical order
Iiro Aalto Setälä
Partner
Helsinki
Iiro is one of Aalto Capital’s senior partners and has extensive experience in investment banking management positions for more than 30 years. He has executed numerous M&A transactions, financing transactions and IPOs. Iiro has experience from PCA Corporate Finance, PwC Corporate Finance, Lehman Brothers and KOP. Iiro holds a LL.M. with court training from University of Helsinki and an MBA.
Hans-Georg Bachmann
Partner
Munich
Hans-Georg joined Aalto Capital in 2022 to expand the real estate activities. He is in the real estate industry for over 15 years in different positions with a focus on real estate financing. Hans-Georg set up among other things the commercial real estate financing business case for an insurance company and built up a financing team for an Asset Manager with a financing book of over EUR 3.5 bn.
Hans Jørgen Bentzen
Partner
Oslo
Hans Jørgen has extensive experience from M&A, corporate finance, IT-management and management consulting from the IT/tech, telecommunications, retail and travel industry. Prior to co-founding the Oslo office of Aalto Capital (Incepto) in 2007 he worked at McKinsey & Co, Avenir and ICA/Hakon group. He holds a M.Sc. degree in Electrical engineering from ETH Zürich and completed his masters thesis on software radios as a visiting scholar at MIT in Boston.
Krzysztof Bobrowski
Partner
London
Krzysztof has more than 20 years of successful executive experience including CEO experience in PE-backed and in publicly listed companies with exposure to capital raising and M&A. He also acts as a private investor.
Martine Brechter
Senior Analyst
London
Martine is from New York. She completed an honours degree in Physics at the University of St Andrews. During her time at university, she interned at Aalto Capital and the fund administrator, Heptagon Capital. Martine wrote her dissertation on graphene as a transparent contact for solar cells and other optoelectronic devices. She also co-founded Operation Smile in conjunction with a nonprofit organisation that sends doctors to developing countries.
Gianmario Calderini
Analyst
Munich
Gianmario graduated at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) with a BSc in Finance and a MSc in Management major in Corporate Finance). He is currently pursuing the CFA exam (Level 1 achieved). He also studied at SGH Warsaw School of Economics for a fall semester Exchange Program. Gianmario started his career at Unicredit Bank of Ireland in Dublin, then he moved to Grant Thornton in 2019 as Risk Consultant. In 2020 he started a role as Equity Research Analyst for Bloomberg at Infosys BPM. Gianmario joined Aalto Capital in 2022.
Christian Danford
Associate
Helsinki
Christian holds a M.Sc. in Economics (Finance) from Aalto University. Christian has versatile transaction experience in an international setting. He gained experience from Citibank and Nordea before joining Aalto Capital in 2020.
Robert Edwards
Director
London
Robert joined Aalto Capital in 2018 from EY in South Africa where he qualified as a chartered accountant. He placed 4th in South Africa for the CA board exams. At EY he worked in the forensic accounting division following 4 years in audit. After school, Robert studied finance in the USA on a golf scholarship. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, he returned to South Africa to do a post-graduate degree in accountancy at Rhodes University.
Knut Ola Evensen
Director
Oslo
Knut Ola has financial experience from EY (audit), SEB Merchant Banking (transactions), First Securities (fixed income) and Vaagen Asset Management. In addition, he has decade of industrial experience from real estate development across different segments. He holds a Masters degree in Business from NSM (BI) with a thesis on IT services and knowledge sharing in consulting firms.
Niels Fischer
Managing Partner
Zurich
Niels set up Fischer & Partner in Switzerland in 2000 after having worked for PwC in Switzerland as Tax Manager and after a three year assignment to Stockholm, Sweden, for the Swiss Federal Department of Defence. Niels graduated from Zurich University with a MA in Economics. He is a Certified Tax Expert and a full member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners). In 2020 Niels founded the Zurich office of Aalto Capital.
Dag Friis-Baastad
Partner
Oslo
Dag has extensive experience from early stage M&A, entrepreneurship and management consulting in IT/tech/telecom/banking/fintech and ESG. Prior to Joining the Oslo office of Aalto Capital (Incepto) in 2011 he worked with Early stage SAAS Venture capital and private startups. He holds a Master degree in Business from The Norwegian School of Management ( BI) and did a dual specialization in Information Management and Entrepreneurship. Additional Master Program in Entrepreneurship with Cornell University, and worked part time in a High End Silicon Valley startup (South San Francisco).
Pekka Halonen
Partner
Helsinki
Pekka is one of the senior partners of Aalto Capital and has extensive experience in investment banking management positions for more than 30 years. He has executed numerous M&A transactions, financing transactions and IPOs. He has previously worked for Proha, PCA Corporate Finance, Selin CF, Lehman Brothers and KOP. Pekka holds a LL.M. from University of Helsinki and an MBA.
Susan Hoffmeister
Partner
Munich
Susan Hoffmeister started her career as Head of Corporate Communications for OSRAM in London. In 2011, she founded CROSS ALLIANCE, a leading agency for IR in Germany. She is a qualified supervisory board member of Deutsche Börse and works in this capacity at LEHNER INVESTMENTS. Susan joined Aalto Capital as Partner in 2017.
Svein Stavelin
Managing Partner
Oslo
Svein founded the Oslo office of Aalto Capital (Incepto) in 2007 after beeing a partner at Oaklins Norway. Svein has extensive experience from M&A and top management of both private and listed IT and Consulting companies for more than 30 years. He holds a M.Sc. degree in Computing Science from NTNU and a Business Economist degree from BI Norwegian Business School.
Michael Hough
Partner
London
Michael co-founded Apax Partners Corporate Finance; he and his partners sold the business in 2000. Michael stayed with the business, renamed Altium Capital, until 2005. Michael left to start Iceni Capital, a London-based PE fund and also became Chairman of Aurora Russia Investment Advisors in 2006. Michael has made investments and served on the board of a number of public and private companies including Raven Property Group, the LSE listed £1.25bn Russian property company. In 2019, he co-founded the London business of Aalto Capital.
Jonas Jokstys
Partner
Munich/Vilnius
Jonas worked as CEO and CFO in large capital groups in Lithuania for more than 12 years, before starting as a Partner with Aalto Capital in 2018. His core competence sectors are automotive, aviation, renewable energy, clothing retail and real estate. Jonas specializes M&A and debt market in the Baltic States and beyond. Jonas holds B.Sc. in Economics and Business from Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and M.Sc. from London School of Economics.
Henri Kiili
Director
Helsinki
Henri holds an M.Sc. (Econ.) from Aalto University School of Business. He rejoined Aalto Capital in 2022. Henri has broad experience from working with capital markets, M&A and strategy domains from previous positions – latest at F-Secure Corporation.
Lauri Lampi
Managing Partner
Helsinki
Lauri was educated at Helsinki School of Economics with a M.Sc. in Economics (Finance). He worked at PwC's Corporate Finance arm before founding Aalto Capital's Helsinki office with other partners in 2009. Lauri not only manages the Helsinki office, but is also closely involved in all merger and acquisition advisory within the group.
Gerhard Luther
Partner
Munich
Gerhard worked as a banker in two regional banks Cassa di Risparmio Bolzano SPA and in Hypo Tirol Bank AG in South Tyrol. Later, he worked as a financial advisor for the Alpen Bank AG before joining Aalto Capital in 2020. His main tasks consist in maintaining and expanding the Italian business through client networking and developing new business opportunities.
Brandon Matthews
Associate
London
Brandon is from Zimbabwe and graduated from the University of Cape Town with an honours degree in Finance. He is a CFA Level 2 candidate. Before joining Aalto, he worked at Bloomberg LP as an Equity Analyst in the Global Data Department. During school, he was a member of the Interact Society, which undertook various fundraising efforts to donate to different orphanages in Zimbabwe.
John McRoberts
Managing Partner
London
John set up Apax Partners Corporate Finance in Russia in 1998. The Firm was sold in 2000 and renamed Altium Capital. John remained at Altium until 2003 when he was appointed to set up Deloitte’s corporate finance advisory business in Moscow, becoming a Partner of the firm. In 2006, John listed the Russian PE fund, Aurora Russia, on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange which he managed until 2013. John has started and built a number of companies investing capital and managing the growth process. In 2019 John co-founded the London office of Aalto Capital.
Kelly Molera
Associate
London
Kelly is from Arizona, USA. She completed an MBA with a concentration in International Finance through Thunderbird School of Global Management after completing her undergraduate degree in Economics at Arizona State University. Kelly joined the London office in July 2022 after completing her MBA capstone project with Aalto Capital. Her paper on the Digital Transformation of the Grocery Industry was published by Harvard Business Publishing, and she is therefore focused on various technology sectors.
Boqun Mu
Associate
Munich
Boqun graduated from EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht with a Msc. In Finance. She joined Aalto Capital upon graduation in 2019. Previous work experience includes an internship with Allianz investment management and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
Sven Pauly
Director, Financial Reporting
Munich
Sven joined Aalto Capital in 2017. He holds a M.A. Corporate Communications/PR with major in financial communications. Sven specializes in Equity/Debt Investor Relations as well as Dual/Multiple IPOs, IBOs, and Listings. His experience spans about ten years of consulting engagements in various industries, such as financial services and private equity, industrial and consumer companies as well as pharmaceutical and media companies. At the beginning of his professional career, Sven spent more than 10 years in responsible positions in the production of television news and stock market programs at one of the largest European broadcasting groups.
Sara Pinto
Director, ESG & IR Advisory
Munich
Sara combines her international background with her passion for capital market and sustainability-related topics. After spending more than five years at FOCUS MONEY as Market Research Manager and developing an extensive B2B-experience, Sara started her carrer as IR-Consultant in 2019. She is the first contact person for sustainability strategy development, implementation of ESG criteria in corporate communications, and sustainability reporting.
Key Data on Sara´s education: MA in Business Administration & Management; Certified Environmental, Social and Governance Analyst CESGA (EFFAS); Language proficiency: Italian (mother tongue), German, English, Spanish.
Erlend Reitan
Associate
Oslo
M&A specialist with experience from complex cross-border transactions. Experience from more than 20 M&A transactions including more than 10 cross-border deals, exits with mainly publicly listed and Private Equity counterparts.
Helmut Stichlmair
Partner
Munich
Helmut was, in former times, a banker at the Vereinsbank (curreltly Unicredit) as well as at the private bank Bankhaus Reuschel (currently DonnerReuschel - a subsidiary of SignalIduna, a big insurance group in Germany). Helmut, graduated in business administration, was the founder of PPO GmbH, a consulting company specialized to insurance companies / pensions funds like Munich Re, Allianz, Bayerische Versorgungskammer etc. In 2012 Helmut founded together with Manfred SCALA Corporate Finance, later on Aalto Capital in Munich.
Manfred Steinbeisser
Managing Partner
Munich
Manfred started his career at FMS and quickly rose through the ranks in the German debt market. In 2011 he opened Aalto Capital's Munich office, which has gone from strength to strength. He studied at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich and graduated in 2001. Manfred leads the Munich office and over the years has been very successful in raising public and private debt for his clients.
Ari Tamminen
Partner / CFO
Helsinki
Ari is the CFO of Aalto Capital Helsinki and one of Aalto Capital’s partners. He has over 30 years experience in retail managing and investment banking operations. Ari has previously worked as an independent entrepreneur and for PCA Corporate Finance and Kansallis Bank.
Geir Udnæs
Partner
Oslo
Geir is an experienced Partner with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in Family Office, Venture Capital, International Shipping, Offshore Drilling, and Real Estate Financing. Strong entrepreneurship professional graduated from Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).
Duowen Xu
Associate
Helsinki
Duowen is an associate in Aalto Capital Helsinki and has worked within the financial sector for over a decade. He has participated and successfully completed numerous projects in M&A, equity financing and IPO amongst others. Duowen has previous experience from brokerage and asset management. He holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Aalto University.
Please contact us:
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MUNICH: germany@aaltocapital.com
HELSINKI: finland@aaltocapital.com
OSLO: info@aaltocapital.no
ZURICH: info@aaltocapital.ch
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