Splitstone Capital is delighted to announce the appointment of Marcus Shadbolt as an Investment Partner. Marcus brings more than 30 years of experience across private equity, cross-border M&A and strategic board-level roles.
Marcus co-founded Vermilion Partners in 2004, which was built into the leading China-focused M&A advisory firm, with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, London and Munich, before its sale to Natixis SA (Groupe BPCE) in 2018, when Vermilion became the China-arm of Natixis’ global M&A business. Marcus stepped down as CEO of Vermilion at the end of 2023 and continues to assist Vermilion and some of his longstanding multinational clients.
In addition to Vermilion’s advisory work, Marcus led a successful investment in XDK Group Limited, a fibre optics connection assembly business with operations in China, the USA and Vietnam, serving as a Director from 2010 to 2019.
Earlier in his career, Marcus spent eight years at Botts & Company, a European mid-market private equity investor, where he focused on origination, execution and portfolio management across industrial products and services, leisure and media. From 2000 to 2002, he lived in Munich where he established and managed Botts’ German office.
Marcus began his career in the Financial Services division of Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC). He is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MSc in International Banking and Financial Studies from Heriot-Watt University and a BSc in Mathematics with Philosophy from Durham University. Marcus is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator.
In his role as Investment Partner at Splitstone, Marcus will support deal origination, transaction execution and sit as a member of the firm’s Investment Committee alongside Peter Foxwood and Steven Clark.
Peter Foxwood, Managing Partner of Splitstone Capital, said:
“Marcus brings a rare combination of commercial judgement, experience spanning large-scale and smaller business and personal qualities that make him a great person to work alongside. He has a trusted network built over three decades in the industry. Having known Marcus for 17 years, and worked with him on a highly successful carve-out and, most recently, the carve-out of Ecobat Resources UK, I’m delighted to welcome him to the team as Investment Partner and look forward to working together as we continue to scale the firm.”
“Perhaps more than any other investing discipline, successful carve-outs are a function of non-monetary inputs. This is highly attractive for a specialist team who can bring their experience and hard work to bear, alongside their capital. Already Splitstone have established themselves in the market, including closing their first £50 million carve-out of Ecobat Resources. I look forward to supporting Pete and the team with origination, execution and Investment Committee responsibilities as the firm continues to grow.”
About Splitstone:
Splitstone Capital LLP is a London-based private equity firm focused on complex corporate carve-outs of UK and European businesses in the industrial and business services sectors. Splitstone partners with corporate sellers to deliver ownership transition solutions while supporting management teams with strategic guidance and long-term capital. Splitstone is part of the Omni Group of Companies: www.omnigc.co.uk.
For further information see: www.splitstonecapital.co.uk.
