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3 Mar 2023
Synergy Capital, a fast-growing private equity manager specialising in the Industrial Metals and Infrastructure verticals, is pleased to announce the expansion of its investment activities into Shipping, underlying the firm's ambitions to realise further opportunities across its core sectors. Jaap Kalverkamp will join as Senior Advisor to source, structure and develop opportunities and investments in the space. He brings over 35 years of experience starting in the Royal Dutch Navy, followed by senior positions as a shipping broker and financier at leading financial institutions.
The energy transition and supply chain transformation themes underpin Synergy Capital’s investment thesis, and these factors particularly affect the Shipping sector. Maritime transport accounts for 80% of global trade by volume, according to UNCTAD, and the sector is responsible for carbon emissions similar to those of Japan. This has resulted in the adoption of new standards and policies that soon to come into effect that can lead to material cuts in effective capacity and the establishment of bifurcated markets with differentiated economics. As a special situations fund manager with significant experience in the markets serviced by the Shipping industry, Synergy Capital is preferentially positioned to benefit from the investment opportunities offered by market dislocation.
Investments in Shipping are also characterized by high current cash yields that increase the certainty of returns and cash flow visibility to our investors.
Jaap has a Master’s Degree in Maritime Engineering. He served in the Royal Dutch Navy, before spending over 15 years as a ship broker and ship financier. He was the Global Head of Shipping for MeesPierson and Fortis Bank and, more recently, he held several senior positions at ABN AMRO as CEO for the United States, CEO of the Asia Pacific Region, and Global Head of Credit Risk.
Sudhir Maheshwari, Founder & Managing Partner, commented:
“The team at Synergy Capital has significant experience in the Shipping industry. We have been following it closely and concluded that this is a space where we are ideally positioned to become an investment partner of choice. We are pleased that Jaap is joining Synergy Capital to spearhead our Shipping efforts. He brings significant experience and relationships and also shares our prudent investment and ESG ethos.”
Jaap Kalverkamp, Senior Advisor, added:
“I am excited to join Synergy Capital at this crucial time for the Shipping Industry. Many segments have suffered from chronic underinvestment that will compound with the new environmental regulations, further restricting supply. I look forward to working together with Synergy Capital’s capable team on investment opportunities that provide strong risk-adjusted returns to our investors.”