RenCap Hires James Friel as Global Head of Investment Banking

Renaissance Capital, a leading emerging and frontier markets investment bank, has hired James Friel as Global Head of Investment Banking effective September 2015.

Friel will oversee all investment banking activities at the Firm with a strategic mandate to further develop Renaissance Capital’s EEMEA and new markets franchise, and will report directly to Renaissance Capital CEO Igor Vayn.

He will be based in Moscow and will travel extensively to Sub-Saharan Africa and the bank’s other key regions across its universe.

Friel joins from Rothschild, where he has spent the last ten years, and headed the firm’s business in Russia and the CIS, in addition to having global responsibility for the steel sector.

While at Rothschild, Friel worked on numerous large Russian M&A transactions, IPOs and financing deals across a wide range of sectors, including advising Abbott on the c.$700m acquisition of Veropharm; AAR on the $28bn sale of its stake in TNK-BP to Rosneft; Sberbank on its $3.5bn acquisition of DenizBank in Turkey; and UC Rusal on the restructuring of its c.$17 bn of debt, its $2.2bn IPO in Hong Kong and its $4.75bn and $400m PXF refinancing deals.

Prior to joining Rothschild Friel spent eight and a half years at Lazard in London and Paris where he worked on a number of large European transactions, such as Eurotunnel’s restructuring of its £6 billion of debt; Veolia Environment’s $610 million disposal of Culligan to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and its acquisition of Southern Water Services and associated £2 billion securitisation, among others. Friel earned his BA from Princeton University.

Igor Vayn, CEO of Renaissance Capital, commented thus, “We are delighted to welcome James on board and think he will be an invaluable addition to the Firm. He has built an exemplary reputation after many years in investment banking and can draw on a wealth of experience in both developed and emerging markets. We are confident that James’ strategic vision and impeccable track record will help our investment banking franchise boost revenue growth and expand footprint around our established and new high-opportunity geographies.”

Founded in 1995, Renaissance Capital is a leading emerging and frontier markets investment bank with operations in Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and offices in major financial centres, such as London, New York and Dubai. Renaissance Capital has established market-leading positions in each of its core businesses – M&A, equity and debt capital markets, securities sales and trading, research and derivatives.

The Firm continues to build its practices in metals & mining, oil & gas and agriculture across its target markets. Renaissance Capital is part of ONEXIM Group.