From left, HGL Private Capital’s Ged Gould, Chris Hurley, Mark Beardmore and Andy Lyndon
Mark Beardmore has joined private equity house HGL as it looks to prioritise investment in businesses across the UK and internationally, including in the US.
The former senior partner of Eversheds Sutherland will act as general counsel to HGL Private Capital, which was founded by Chris Hurley, Ged Gould and Andy Lyndon – previously directors and investors at LDC.
The trio has rebranded the business from Dealspan to HGL and will concentrate on equity investments up to £10m, with specialisms including management buy-outs, cash-out deals and finance for growth plans, both organic and “buy and build” strategies.
The team has collectively completed more than 300 deals and managed a £2.5bn private equity portfolio.
In one of its first deals since rebranding, HGL has invested in Stelvio Group, a US-based recruitment business, buying a minority equity stake to back its expansion.
With headquarters in Austin, Texas, and additional offices in Miami, Florida, and Leeds in the UK, the company specialises in connecting top-tier talent with high-growth technology firms using in-house AI-driven tech.
The strategic investment will provide the capital needed to accelerate Stelvio’s US growth, opening new locations and expanding its team to meet demand. Chris Hurley and Ged Gould have joined the board of Stelvio Group as non-executive directors.
Chris Hurley said: “The launch of HGL Private Capital marks the start of the next exciting phase for our team, who have invested in mid-market private equity for more than 25 years. Under our new name our differentiator will be speed of execution, with no red tape on deals, as well as an entrepreneurial outlook and the benefit of using our in-house legal expertise for due diligence.
“As well as offering strong investment expertise, we have sat on numerous company boards across various sectors and stages of growth, bringing us deep experience in navigating the challenges that businesses typically encounter when executing their growth plans.
“We have collectively completed more than 300 deals and successfully managed a £2.5 billion private equity portfolio that consistently generates upper-quartile returns, so we look forward to building upon this track record as HGL Private Capital builds for the future. Mark is a hugely experienced and respected transactional lawyer with an entrepreneurial mindset and he has the ability to build strong relationships with the businesses and management teams he works with.”
Robert Turner, chairman of Stelvio Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome HGL Private Capital as a strategic partner in our growth journey. This marks an exciting new chapter for Stelvio Group, and we look forward to achieving great success together.”