Private equity investor expands South West team

Private equity investor LDC has made two appointments in its South West team.

Vera Kuehne has been appointed an investment manager and Sally Tam an investment executive.

Vera Kuehne has six years’ experience in private equity and investment banking.

Most recently, she was a senior associate at CPP Investments, where she worked on all stages of the transaction process, from deal origination to post-acquisition value creation.

Sally Tam joins LDC from PwC where she was a merger and acquisition manager and played a key role advising on transactions in the UK and overseas.

The firm’s now six-strong team in the South West, led by partner Dewi Hughes, supports businesses looking to expand with access to growth finance.

Dewi Hughes said: “The region is home to so many innovative and fast-growth businesses. We’re pleased to welcome Vera and Sally to the team to help boost our support for them, as we continue to focus on meeting and backing the entrepreneurs and business leaders that make the nation so vibrant.”

Vera Kuehne said: “LDC stands out as one of the leading supporters of medium-sized businesses across Wales and the South West of England. I’m looking forward to working with the team and its network of advisers to help local management teams to grow their businesses.”

Sally Tam added: “I’m relishing the prospect of helping the team build on its recent successes, and supporting ambitious business leaders across the region and a variety of sectors to realise their growth potential.”

The appointments follow a busy period for LDC, which is part of Lloyds Group. In 2023 the team completed six transactions, including backing the management teams of Cardiff-headquartered Idwal Marine Services and Taunton-based legal services firm The Barrister Group, and exiting its investment in Bristol-based Cakesmiths, following a two-year partnership which saw the artisan cakemaker almost treble its revenue.