Partners Group continues to strengthen transformational investing capabilities with appointment of Wolf-Henning Scheider as Partner and Head of Private Equity

• Mr. Scheider is the current CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management at ZF Group and has 35 years of industry experience
• He is the latest in a series of senior hires from industry, highlighting Partners Group's commitment to transformational investing

Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm, today announces the appointment of Wolf-Henning Scheider as Partner and Head of its Private Equity Department. Mr. Scheider will join Partners Group at the conclusion of his current contract and will be based in the firm's global headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland. Mr. Scheider will succeed David Layton, Partners Group's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), as Head of Private Equity. Mr. Layton had retained leadership of the Private Equity Department after being appointed Co-CEO in 2018 and sole CEO in 2021.

Mr. Scheider is currently CEO and Chairman of the Board of Management at ZF Group, a global technology company that manufactures systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and industrial technology, generating over EUR 38 billion[1] in annual revenue and employing more than 150,000 people in 2021. Previously, he served as CEO and Chairman of the Management Board at MAHLE Group. Mr. Scheider started his career at Robert Bosch in 1987 and later became a member of the firm's management board.  

At Partners Group, Mr. Scheider will give particular focus to the firm's control private equity portfolio, which is organized around four industry verticals: Goods & Products, Health & Life, Services, and Technology. Within this portfolio, the firm owned more than 100 companies in 23 countries and employed over 250,000 individuals as of 31 March 2022.[2]

David Layton, Partner and CEO, Partners Group, says: "We are delighted to welcome Wolf to Partners Group. While the term 'private equity' conjures up a Wall-Street image for some, our private equity approach today is about building businesses – it's about entrepreneurial governance, strategy, operational excellence and culture. With more than three decades of senior management experience, Wolf is ideally positioned to deepen the operational expertise that underlies our transformational investing efforts. In this changeable macroeconomic environment, the ability to truly transform companies will be a crucial point of differentiation in private equity."

Wolf-Henning Scheider, comments: "After a long career in industry steering companies to success, I am excited by the opportunity to apply my experience across Partners Group's broad portfolio of companies. I look forward to working alongside the impressive private equity team to execute on the firm's transformational investing strategy. Partners Group's emphasis on entrepreneurial ownership as the driver of investment performance means that it places a premium on operational experience. It's hugely appealing to an industry veteran like me that professionals with operating experience and investment experience work side-by-side throughout the entire investment and ownership lifecycle."

With its unique operating model and strong track record of performance, Partners Group has attracted a number of top operators to its investment teams. The firm recently announced the appointment of Ben Breier as Partner and Head of its US Private Equity Health & Life industry vertical. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Breier built a long operating track record within the healthcare sector, most recently as CEO of Kindred Healthcare, one of the largest providers of healthcare services in the US.

Steffen Meister, Executive Chairman of the Board, Partners Group, adds: "At Partners Group, we believe that public and private markets are swapping roles and that private markets will be the future stewards of the growth and sustainability of the real economy. As the industry matures into this role, there are lessons we can learn from successful industrial and technology conglomerates, which share several characteristics with today's private markets firms and their diversified portfolios of assets. The best ones exemplify strategic rigor, industrial logic and operational value creation – all of which are critical tools for building businesses. For this reason, we purposefully hire experienced operators from market-leading companies into leadership positions within our investment business. We warmly welcome Wolf and Ben to Partners Group and look forward to working with them."

[1] ZF Group 2021 https://www.zf.com/mobile/en/company/company.html

[2] Figures as of 31.03.2022. Refers to unrealized or partially realized investments.