Riverside hires ex-Invest Europe chief as COO

Dorte Hoppner, former Invest Europe chief executive, has been named chief operating officer of the Riverside Europe Fund.

As well as working with the funds operations and human resources teams, Hoppner will help develop the firm’s European investor relations efforts.

“I’m eager to help Riverside navigate the LP landscape in Europe. There are multiple jurisdictions and investors face a lot of EU-specific issues. I’m looking forward to using the expertise I gained working with Invest Europe at Riverside, to drive Riverside to the next level,” Hoppner told pfm.

Appetite for private equity investment among European LPs is strong, as the asset class has generated strong and stable long-term returns for them, she added.

Hoppner, who joins the company from German law firm P&P where she was managing director, said Brexit, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive review, and new tax rules are the biggest regulatory issues facing the European market.

“Ideally the negotiation process would be orderly, and private equity industry bodies, such as Invest Europe and the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association would have a voice in those negotiations,” Hoppner said.

Brexit could, she said, impact on the AIFMD review which is due to take place this year.
“[The review] will be a slow process, but it is of high importance to the industry. The European Commission has already issued an impact study but it’s uncertain how Brexit will affect the review,” Hoppner said.

She replaces Avi Turetsky, who will leave the firm in the summer to focus on private equity research.