Investing at the Forefront of Private Equity

Antoine Dréan founded Mantra in 2007 and is based in Paris. Antoine sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee. He is also the founder and Chairman of Triago (1992), one of the first independent placement agents in private equity, and the founder of Palico (2012), an online marketplace for the private equity fund community. Antoine started his professional career in 1986 in a French advisory firm specialized in distressed situations. In 1988, Antoine founded an M&A boutique which he eventually sold to an American investment bank in 1990. Antoine holds an MBA from the Wharton School (WG ‘92) and is Chairman of the Wharton Executive Board for EMEA. Antoine is a French national.

Jean-François Borde was part of the founding Mantra team in 2007 and is based in Paris. Jean-François sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee. Jean-François has been a private equity professional for over 35 years, having held many management positions in three large groups: Institut de Développement Industriel (IDI), Axa Private Equity and TCR Europe Fund. Over 70 transactions involving both minority and majority stakes were successfully realized under his supervision in various private equity segments (growth capital, buyout, turnaround, etc.), with an overall IRR of 20+%. Jean-François was also the largest shareholder and manager of Compagnie Privée de Banque, a private bank now under the HSBC group, for more than five years. Jean-François is a French national.

David Hersh was part of the founding Mantra team in 2007 and is based in New-York since July 2011. David sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining Mantra, David worked in the Paris office of PFC Energy, handling financial transactions, consulting and mergers & acquisitions for companies operating in the energy business, including Exxon Mobil, Total and Royal Dutch Shell. David’s responsibilities included financial modeling, directing due diligence, executing transactions and monitoring performance. Previously, David worked at Morgan Stanley in Chicago in its asset management division, participating in a wide variety of tasks, notably providing strategic and financial advice to a number of clients. He was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University (Canada). David is a French and American national.

Olivier Gervais Blondel joined Mantra in 2013 and is based in Paris. Olivier sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee. Olivier is based in Mantra’s Paris office and covers all the steps of the investment process, including industry research, sourcing, due diligence, and valuation of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Previously, Olivier worked at Lincoln International, an international mid-market investment bank. Olivier holds a Master’s Degree in Corporate Finance from EDHEC Business School. Olivier is a French and New Zealand national.

Jérémy Desdouets joined Mantra in 2016 and is based in Paris. Jérémy sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee. Jérémy is based at Mantra’s Paris office and covers all of the steps of the secondary investment process, including sourcing, due diligence, valuation and pricing of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Mantra, Jérémy worked 2 years in Transaction Services at Ernst & Young Paris. Jérémy holds a Master in Management and a Master of Science in Corporate Finance from EDHEC Business School. Jérémy is a French national.

Alexis de Vries joined Mantra in 2016 and is based in New-York. Alexis sits on Mantra’s Investment Committee and covers most of the steps of the investment process, including due diligence, valuation of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Mantra, Alexis worked for over 5 years in fundraising, investor relations, and business development at 21 Invest, a leading European mid-market buyout firm investing in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Poland. Alexis holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University (Canada) and a Master of Science in Management from EM Lyon Business School. Alexis is a French national.

Marc Petitmengin joined Mantra in 2018 following a six-month internship. Marc is based in Paris and covers most of the steps of the investment process, including industry research, due diligence, and valuation of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Mantra, Marc worked as Chief Operating Officer on commodity derivatives trading at Societe Generale CIB in London. Marc holds a Master Degree in International Finance from Rouen Business School. Marc is a French national.

Meriem joined Mantra in 2022 and is based in the New York office. Meriem covers most of the steps of the investment process, including industry research, due diligence, and valuation of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Mantra, Meriem gained experience in audit, at KPMG and at the United Nations. After that, she worked at iii-financements, a French consulting firm, where she was in charge of the department helping innovative startups raise debt. Meriem holds a Business Management Master's Degree and a Master of Science in Strategy and Consulting from EDHEC Business School. Meriem is a French national.

Rafail Iosifidis joined Mantra in 2022 following a six-month internship. Rafail is based in Mantra's Paris office and covers most of the steps of the investment process, including industry research, due diligence, and valuation of potential investment opportunities as well as the monitoring of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Mantra, Rafail worked at Bain & Company. Rafail holds a Master in Mechanical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master in Management – Grande Ecole from HEC Paris. Rafail is a Greek national.

Sam Lundquist has worked as a leader in higher education administration throughout his professional career. He is currently the Senior Advisor for International Relations at the University of Southern California and the Marshall School of Business. He retired in June 2023 as Vice Dean & Chief Advancement Officer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Other key roles during his 30-year career at Penn and Wharton included Assistant Vice President for Development and Campaign Initiatives, Chief of Staff and Director of MBA Admissions. Sam also served as Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations at Bucknell University and Director of MBA Admissions at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sam is a graduate of Denison University in Ohio where he studied psychology with a concentration in learning and motivation. Sam holds advisory and board appointments with Mantra Americas LLC, First Seafront Fund Management Co., Ltd., the Forum for World Education, and Keystone Mountain Park Trust.

Jean-Marie is a former Group Executive Committees member and regional leader of several top tier international corporate & funds services providers. He joined Mantra’s Board of Directors in 2011 and is an Independent Director, in charge of the funds’ Risk Management issues. Jean-Marie sits on the board of several investment funds (AIFs and UCITS) and brings extensive industry experience to source, structure and manage all types of alternative investment strategies. He previously held the position of Country Head of the Occorian, Managing Director of SGG Luxembourg S.A., CEO of Experta Corporate & Trust Services S.A. and General Manager at T&F Luxembourg S.A., Independent Director at MDO/TDO Associates. He was also in charge of overseeing various Luxembourg-regulated financial and commercial firms, including UCITS funds, real estate, private equity, and hedge funds. Jean-Marie earned a Law Degree and “Maîtrise” in Private Law from University of Metz and completed the INSEAD International Directors Program, Ecoda Professional Development for European Directors, and PWC Leadership Program.

Javier sits on the boards of several investment funds based in Luxembourg (Alternative Investments funds and UCITS). He joined Mantra’s Board of Directors in 2014 as an Independent Director. He brings extensive industry experience to source, structure and manage all types of alternative investment strategies. He previously was a member of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee at Adepa Asset Management S.A. in Luxembourg, Country Manager Spain at Foyer International SA, Sales and Client Relationship Manager at Credit Agricole Investor Services, Marketing Director at Union Bancaire Privée, Authorized Officer Commercial Department at Banque Privée Edmond De Rothschild, and Senior Account Controller at State Street Bank. Javier Valls earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance & Insurance from Northeastern University in Boston and an Economic Advisor Authorized by the Ministere Des Classes Moyennes Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Dominique is a member of the Supervisory and Governing bodies of several companies and institutions in the financial sector in Luxembourg. He joined Mantra’s Board of Directors in 2020 and brings extensive industry experience to source, structure and manage all types of alternative investment strategies. He previously held the position of Head of Department “Business Enablement Service" and IT Program Manager at POST Luxembourg, CEO of Fundsquare S.A, Member of the Executive Committee at Bourse de Luxembourg, Chief Executive Officer at Finesti (formerly CCLux) and Director, Member of the Management Committee at the Brussels Stock Exchange. Dominique Valschaerts earned a law degree, completed the International Directors Programme at INSEAD, and has authored multiple publications on finance and securities.

Myriam Prat joined Mantra in 2020 and is based in Paris. Myriam is in charge of Mantra's business development and investor relations. Prior to joining Mantra, Myriam gained experience at Adaxtra Capital, a French private equity firm. After that, she worked at Ardian in investor relations in London, and then as a private equity analyst within the Paris Buyout investment team. Myriam holds a Business Management Master's Degree from Edhec Business School. Myriam is a French national.

Diana Gatcan joined Mantra in 2017 and is based in Luxembourg. As COO, Diana is responsible for Mantra’s operating procedures, compliance policies, establishment of cash forecast reports, treasury management, and oversight of reporting. Prior to joining Mantra, Diana worked at Triago for 9 years, where she was involved in the sourcing, evaluation, qualification, diligence and execution of secondary transactions. Diana holds a Master of Science in Management from HEC Paris and a Major in Business Administration from Bocconi University (Italy). She is also a CFA charter holder. Diana is a French and Moldovan national.

Anthony joined Mantra in 2023 and serves as a Fund Finance Manager at Mantra Investment Partners. He is based in Mantra's Paris office and is in charge of the finance and reporting process of funds. Prior to joining Mantra, he worked for more than 5 years at PwC Paris, auditing private equity funds and management companies. Before that, he worked as a credit analyst for 2 years at Credit Agricole. Anthony holds a Grande Ecole Master in Management from NEOMA Business School. Anthony is a French national.

Baptiste Altefrohne joined Mantra in 2020 and is based in Luxembourg. Baptiste is in charge of Mantra's administrative and back-office operations. Prior to joining Mantra, Baptiste gained experience as a Fund Officer at Alter Domus, a global service provider for private equity firms. Baptiste holds a DSCG (pre-qualified ACCA) Master's Degree from the Institution DE LA SALLE METZ. Baptiste is a French national.

Sofio Kobiashvili joined Mantra in 2021. Sofio is based in the Paris office and is responsible for Mantra's fund reporting. Before joining Mantra, Sofio worked in the banking industry for more than 10 years, including as Credit Portfolio Risk Manager at TBC Bank and as Credit Unit Manager at Bank Republic Société Générale Group. Sofio graduated with a Master's in International Accounting, Audit & Control from IESEG School of Management in Paris. Sofio is a Georgian national.