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Robert is a Managing Director of Excellion Capital, having previously worked for eight years at J.P.Morgan and J.P.Morgan Cazenove in Investment Banking and Equity Capital Markets. Robert started his career at J.P.Morgan in Equity Derivatives, prior to which he successfully launched an entrepreneurial start-up during University days. Robert graduated from Law School at the University of Cologne.

Robert has significant expertise across capital markets and M&A, in particular in relation to UK & foreign companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, across Main Board and AIM.

Some examples of Robert’s pre-Excellion advisory work include a $2,500 million follow-on offering for Xstrata, winning J.P.Morgan Cazenove an IFR Award in 2006 for European Deal of the Year; a $270m follow-on offering for Mvelaphanda (SA) and a $200m follow-on for Gold Fields (SA), both on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Robert also acted on Xstrata’s $5,500m rights issue, at the time the largest-ever capital raising.

Robert’s involvement in convertible bonds includes a $270m convertible bond for Harmony Gold (SA), a $150m convertible bond for Peter Hambro Mining plc (UK / Russian) on AIM and more.

Robert’s experience in structured equity includes a $750m share pledge and margin loan for Mr Kim, Chairman of Kazakhmys PLC, to acquire 25% in ENRC PLC, a $825m Option Agreement for Kazakhmys plc over Mr Kim’s 25% stake in ENRC and a $550m placing of shares and warrants for Aricom PLC, now part of Petropavlovsk PLC.

Robert has also had significant cross-border M&A experience, including a $19,000m hostile M&A offer by Xstrata plc for Falconbridge Limited (Canada); a successful $8,300m M&A defence for Gold Fields (SA) against a hostile bid from Harmony Gold (SA); the $3,500m Xstrata acquisition of Glencore’s coal companies, Enex and Duiker (AUS and SA); the $3,000m Xstrata acquisition of MIM (AUS); the $920m acquisition by Kazakhmys plc (UK / Kaz) of a 25% stake in ENRC PLC(Kaz / NL); a $250m exchange offer of shares in ITI SA (Lux) for shares in TVN SA (Poland); and a $150m strategic investment by Glencore (CHF) into Nikanor PLC (UK/DRC).

Robert was an integral part of the team that led companies like Xstrata PLC, Vendanta PLC, TVN SA, Kazakhmys PLC and Nikanor PLC to immensely successful IPO’s.

Raffael is a founder of Excellion Capital, having previously worked at Rothschild Investment Bank in Frankfurt for over seven years. Prior to that, Raffael was a management consultant for PwC. Raffael graduated with distinction from the Hogeschool for Economy and Management in Utrecht, specialising in Finance and Accounting. Whilst at university, Raffael launched a successful entrepreneurial start-up.

Raffael has significant experience in M&A, Private Equity advisory as well as debt advisory and restructuring. He has written the section on leveraged buy-outs for a leading German corporate finance and valuation handbook (Praxishandbuch Unternehmensbewertung, 2005).

Raffael’s M&A experience includes acting as adviser to KarstadtQuelle AG on the €4.5bn disposal of its real estate portfolio; adviser to the insolvency receiver of EMTEC Consumer on the restructuring and subsequent disposal of EMTEC; adviser to the family shareholders of Wella AG on the €6.5bn disposal of Wella AG to Procter & Gamble; adviser on the disposal of Pickenpack to Hussmann & Hahn and Orlando Private Equity; and adviser to the insolvency receiver of EMTEC Magnetics on the disposal of Data Media.

In Private Equity transactions, Raffael acted as an adviser to Blackstone and Lion Capital on the disposal of Appolinaris and Schweppes to Coca Cola and Krombacher; adviser to Gilde Private Equity on the acquisition of Stankiewicz from Continental AG; adviser to Advent International on the sale of Viatris to Meda; adviser to ABN Amro Capital and 3i on the sale of Atlantic Zeiser Group AG to Orell Fueslli; and adviser to Warburg Pincus on the sale of Domus Homecare AG to Invacare Corporation.

Raffael also has significant debt advisory experience, including acting as corporate finance adviser to KarstadtQuelle AG on its financial restructuring programme in 2004-2005 averting a short-term liquidity squeeze, as well as advising on capital structure issues and overseeing the successful implementation of an operational restructuring plan.