Meridiam benefits from the financial support of strong sponsors.
The Meridiam Infrastructure Fund benefits from the financial and operational support of its sponsors, Crédit Agricole S.A. and AECOM Technology Corporation, which are both active in the PPP field. The Fund’s structure will take advantage of potential synergies with its sponsors, while also guaranteeing a fully autonomous investment process.
Crédit Agricole S.A.
Crédit Agricole S.A is a major financial institution leading the French market and operating in 66 countries. It benefits from a AA- rating by Standard&Poor’s. It is providing funds to Meridiam via two wholly-owned subsidiaries:
Crédit Agricole Private Equity S.A. through CACIF
CAPE is among France’s top three private equity investors. CAPE manages €1,4bn funds. It is active in a number of different segments of the private equity market, such as capital risk, capital development and transmission, mezzanine financing and secondary market trading. In order to diversify its presence in the private equity market, CAPE has invested in two funds: Capenergie, dedicated to new energy sources, and the Meridiam Infrastructure Fund.
PREDICA
Founded in 1986, Predica is the life insurance business of the Crédit Agricole Group. It is France’s leading ‘bancassurance’ services provider and the country’s second largest life insurer. Predica’s long-term commitment to infrastructure can be seen by its recent equity subscriptions in the privatisations of the French road operator, SANEF, and Aéroports de Paris.
AECOM Technology Corporation
AECOM, which played the role of first sponsor to Meridiam, is a global engineering company. It provides design and management services in the transportation, facilities and environmental markets through a family of operating companies all over the world.
AECOM is a public traded (NYSE:ACM), financially strong company with annual revenues of US$5.2 billion for fiscal year 2008. The company employs 43,000 people in more than 60 countries worldwide and has clients in both the public and private sectors.
Through its extensive Northern American network, AECOM identifies new investment opportunities which are proposed to Meridiam on a first refusal basis through its subsidiary, AECOM Enterprises. AECOM offers also a strong local and knowledgeable presence in US to partners of PPP consortia. During bid process, “Chinese walls” are established with the various Aecom’s Operating Companies.
