Mumbai-based mid-market investment bank Avendus Capital has appointed R S Sharma, former CMD of ONGC, as a director on its board. Sharma was concurrently the chairman of ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and five other ONGC Group companies for more than four-and-a-half years till January 2011. He currently holds several honorary positions, including that of a member of the Search Committee at the Competition Commission of India.
"The young and professional team of Avendus has built a formidable practice in crossborder M&A within a short span and it is now building repute in the equity markets, institutional equities, alternate asset management and wealth management space. I look forward to applying my experience and skills to help the firm continue its rapid rise and international expansion,” said Sharma in a release.
Ranu Vohra (managing director and CEO), Kaushal Aggarwal (managing director) and Gaurav Deepak (another MD at Avendus) are the existing board members of the firm. Pravin Gandhi, Nasr-Eddine Benaissa and Samir Begrajka are the other board members of Avendus.
With deals worth $2.2 billion closed in 2011, Avendus Capital is one of the more prolific investment banks in the country. It has closed 35 crossborder transactions in the past four years.
Headquartered in Mumbai, the firm also has offices in New Delhi and Bangalore. Avendus Capital, Inc (US) and Avendus Capital (UK) Pvt Ltd, located in New York and London, respectively, are wholly owned subsidiaries offering M&A and PE syndication services to clients in the respective regions.
