Senior Midlands hire at private equity provider

Private equity firm LDC has added to its Midlands team with the appointment of Craig Hinde as origination director.

Hinde, who will be based in LDC’s Birmingham and Nottingham offices, joins from private equity-backed technology-led marketing business Inspired Thinking Group, where he was business development director. He has nine years’ experience in private equity and working with private equity-backed businesses and was previously an origination manager at LDC. Hinde played a key role in originating LDC’s investments in Zip World and Panther Logistics, along with originating two acquisitions for Midlands manufacturer Stuart Turner. Prior to this he held corporate finance analyst and research roles at AlphaSights and Grant Thornton.

Richard Whitwell, head of LDC in the Midlands, said: “We’re committed to backing ambitious management teams of growing Midlands businesses, and we’re extremely pleased to welcome Craig back to the team to help us do this. While we hold cautious optimism for lockdown measures easing, we’re poised to support management teams across the region that are looking to build scale as new opportunities begin to emerge. Craig has an extensive network in the region and has played an important role in supporting our investment pipeline in the past. He will be a valuable asset to the team.”

Hinde added: “LDC has a long-established reputation as the leading private equity investor in the Midlands and it’s great to rejoin a team involved in so many of the region’s standout growth stories. The Midlands is home to a number of world-class businesses, which have shown resilience and adaptability during the pandemic, and are now in a great position to make the most of new opportunities moving forward.”