Private placements call for active fundraisers

With private equity fundraising set to slow, in the not too distant future there could be renewed demand for people who can actively raise new funds.

Last year, the European private equity industry raised a record €60bn ($73bn). But according to the likes of Almeida Capital, a private equity placement and advisory group, the fundraising cycle has already peaked.

Logan Naidu, a consultant at recruitment firm the Cornell Partnership, says any slowdown will be good news for people looking for jobs in private placement, the industry that raises money for private equity firms.

He says specialist private placement firms put hiring on the backburner during the recent times of plenty. "There's been so much capital flowing into private equity that there's less need for people to go out and actively bring the money in," he says.

But at least one London-based firm is already boosting its team. In the past year, Helix Associates, a London-based private equity placement agency owned by investment bank Jefferies & Co., has grown its client facing team from 10 to 15.

Helix managing director Mark Cunningham says there are plans to hire additional staff in the next 12 months, particularly in the US, where the team is set to double. "We're predominantly looking for juniors to bring up through the business," he says.