July 3rd, 2012
Wood Mackenzie Acquired by Hellman & Friedman
EDINBURGH, Scotland and LONDON, U.K.
Wood Mackenzie has today announced that a recapitalisation transaction has been signed with Hellman & Friedman (H&F), a leading, global private equity firm, for a majority stake in Wood Mackenzie. The deal places an enterprise value on the business of £1.1bn.
Stephen Halliday, CEO for Wood Mackenzie, said: “We are delighted with the investment from Hellman & Friedman and the continued involvement of Charterhouse as Wood Mackenzie moves into the next phase of its development.”
Hellman & Friedman will hold a 63% majority share in Wood Mackenzie, whilst Charterhouse will retain a 13% share. The remaining 24% will be held by Wood Mackenzie management and staff.
“We are delighted to partner with management and Charterhouse in this next phase of Wood Mackenzie’s growth” said Patrick Healy, Deputy CEO of Hellman & Friedman. “Wood Mackenzie and its employee owners are a perfect fit with the investment focus we have at H&F of investing in high growth, mission critical information service businesses. We share management’s goal to create the pre-eminent global research and consulting firm to the energy and metals industries.”
Charterhouse has signalled their confidence in the future prospects of Wood Mackenzie by retaining a minority stake. Malcolm Offord, Senior Partner of Charterhouse said: “We have enjoyed a highly successful partnership with Wood Mackenzie for the last three years and we are delighted to retain a significant shareholding.”
Wood Mackenzie concludes “Overall, this deal provides the financial platform for Wood Mackenzie to pursue its goals and we believe that in Hellman & Friedman and Charterhouse we have two strong partners who share our aspirations for the business.”
The deal is expected to be completed by 31st August, 2012