Thursday, 03 June 2021
The Centre for Private Equity and Management Buyout Research (CMBOR) has returned to its founding institution, Nottingham University Business School, after a hiatus in 2020.
CMBOR will reinstate its practice of providing comprehensive data and insight around European buyout activity and extend its 35-year track record as a leading academic institute devoted to the study of private equity, sponsored by Equistone.
The Centre, led by Dr Kevin Amess, Associate Professor in Industrial Economics at Nottingham University Business School, will continue in its previous scope of independently analysing management buy-outs and providing private equity statistics for Europe in a comprehensive and objective way.
CMBOR produces internationally esteemed reports that include journalistic content summing up trends along with charts and graphs ideal for reporting purposes. These reports are an essential investment validation tool for market practitioners looking for valuable evidence.
The Centre was founded in 1986 at the Nottingham University Business School by the late Professor Mike Wright, before moving to Imperial College Business School with him in 2011. Professor Wright, a dearly valued friend and colleague who died in 2019, established CMBOR and led it to receive global recognition as a leading provider of buyout data in Europe.
Dr Kevin Amess was the natural fit to lead the relaunched Centre, having previously worked with Professor Wright and sharing his passion for management buyout research. As well as being CMBOR’s original home, Nottingham University Business School today boasts a strong record of high-quality research and a prestigious reputation in management and finance.
Dr Amess said: “I have long admired the quality and longevity of CMBOR research, having been involved with the centre for a number of years. I am delighted to be leading the programme into the future. Having researched private equity and leveraged buyouts, I recognise the value of sourcing and analysing data of this kind, which is rare in private markets."
Private equity is facing a transformed post-pandemic landscape and we’re excited to shed light on the fundamental shifts that have taken place over the past year, as well as the emerging trends that will shape the future of the industry.
The Centre was founded in 1986 at the Nottingham University Business School by the late
Professor Mike Wright
Professor Duncan Angwin, Dean of Nottingham University Business School, said: “I am delighted that CMBOR is returning to its home under the leadership of Dr Kevin Amess and with the sponsorship of Equistone. CMBOR has long shown how excellent research and analysis has real impact on industry and it will continue to illuminate and inform fundamental changes in financial and business landscapes.”
Equistone, a supporter of CMBOR since its inception, has signed a new exclusive sponsorship agreement to fund the Centre upon its return to the University of Nottingham.
Christiian Marriott, Partner and Head of Investor Relations at Equistone, said: “We are excited to have Kevin and the University of Nottingham on board to bring back this longstanding research, providing in-depth analysis and insight on European buyout markets. Kevin’s expertise and enthusiasm will ensure that CMBOR remains a widely respected source of data on private equity deal activity. We are proud to resume our sponsorship of what is a trusted and highly valued resource for the industry.”
CMBOR will issue its next half-yearly analysis of data on European buyout activity later this month (June 2021).
Story credits
More information is available from Dr Kevin Amess at Nottingham University Business School in the Faculty of Social Sciences Kevin.Amess@nottingham.ac.uk
The Centre for Private Equity and MBO Research (CMBOR) is based at Nottingham University Business School and co-funded by Equistone Partners Europe. Founded in 1986 by the late Professor Mike Wright at Nottingham University Business School, CMBOR was the first centre of its kind devoted to the objective study of private equity activity and management buyouts.
The CMBOR database is the gold-standard for European private equity investments and management buyouts, collecting and aggregating quantitative data: value, volume, region, industry, structure, and exit. The database has been used to produce quarterly reports for industry and international media for more than 30 years. The Centre’s objective market intelligence of private equity activity and analyses of trends, presented in charts and graphs, provides essential insight.
CMBOR has provided independent analysis and advice to enhance government, industry and the wider public’s understanding of the private equity industry and inform the development of policies and practice in the UK, Europe, and US.
The next report, a half-yearly analysis of data on European buyout activity, is due out in June 2021 and will be found here.
About Equistone Partners Europe Limited
Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe’s leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between €25m and €200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between €50m and €500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its €2.8bn hard cap in March 2018.
Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Further information can be found at www.equistonepe.com
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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