StepStone Group LP, a leading global private markets firm, has announced that it has opened its first Latin American office in São Paulo, Brazil, and that the Firm has named Duncan Littlejohn and Bruna Riotto, both formerly of Paul Capital in Brazil, as Partner and Vice President, respectively. Their appointments are effective May 1, 2014.
Mr. Littlejohn and Ms. Riotto will be responsible for the Firm’s investment activities in Latin America, including reviewing primary, secondary and co-investment opportunities, and leading research efforts. They will also handle client development in Brazil and the wider Latin America region.
“These strong additions to our team and office expansion allow us to enhance our global coverage of the private markets,” said Monte Brem, CEO of StepStone. “Investors, including institutions and family offices, increasingly want access to private markets opportunities in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, which has the largest economy and population in the region. As our clients increase the capital they deploy there and Latin American clients look at global opportunities in alternative investments, we are pleased to be able to offer a full-service local presence.”
“We welcome Duncan and Bruna to the StepStone team,” added StepStone partner Jose Fernandez. “With talented and experienced Brazilians heading our new office, we will be well-positioned as we continue to invest in Latin America and serve our clients based in the region. We believe in building local teams with deep expertise in the markets in which we operate and we are sure that strategy will serve StepStone and its clients well in São Paulo.”
Mr. Littlejohn, 60, a 25 year veteran of the private equity industry in Latin America, joins StepStone from Paul Capital, where he had led the firm’s Latin American efforts since 2008. Previously, he was a Partner of BPE Investimentos and its predecessor, Brasilpar, a Brazilian primary private equity fund manager, which he joined in 1995. Prior to that, he worked in executive roles for companies such as AVM Auto-equipamentos Ltda, Pirelli Fintec Ltda, S&W Berisford (UK) Group, and Productos Ecuatorianos (Prodec). Mr. Littlejohn holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. He has served on the boards of multiple portfolio companies, non-profit organizations, ABVCAP (the Brazilian private equity and venture capital association), and on various Latin American private equity fund advisory boards.
Ms. Riotto, 29, also joins StepStone from Paul Capital, where she had been since 2010. While at Paul Capital, Ms. Riotto was involved in all aspects of diligence, including company research, valuation, portfolio analysis, and transaction structuring. Previously, she worked as a financial analyst within the M&A team at Grupo Stratus. Ms. Riotto began her career with the Financial Controller team at Siemens. She earned her BBA with a concentration in Finance from Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo, where she was also a member of the University’s consulting team.
StepStone is a leading private markets firm that oversees approximately US$60 billion of private capital allocations, including US$11 billion of assets under management. It is a global firm with offices in New York, London, Beijing, San Diego, Hong Kong, Seoul and São Paulo.