Brookfield global head of private fundraising quietly left earlier this year

Leo Van den Thillart, who headed up Brookfield Asset Management’s internal private markets fundraising group that has raised billions for its flagship pools, left the firm earlier this year, according to sources.

A Brookfield spokeswoman confirmed Van den Thillart’s departure. His departure has not been previously reported.

It is understood that Van den Thillart will be taking time off and has been named to lead one of Brookfield’s portfolio companies. Van den Thillart did not respond to a LinkedIn connection request.

Leadership of Brookfield’s private funds group has been absorbed by the existing management team Van den Thillart helped build, the spokeswoman said. Brookfield has not appointed a single global leader of the group.

Van den Thillart joined Brookfield in 2009 from Bear Stearns, where he co-led the private funds group. At Brookfield, Van den Thillart built out the private fundraising, marketing and product development function into an internal group similar to those at other large firms like Carlyle Group and KKR.

Prior to Bear Stearns, Van den Thillart co-founded and was senior managing partner and chairman of Crane Capital Associates, a placement agency acquired by Bear Stearns, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Brookfield has raised increasingly larger funds, and earlier this year closed its fourth infrastructure fund on $20 billion. Late last year, the firm closed its fifth flagship PE fund on $9 billion. In January 2019, Brookfield closed its third real estate fund on $15 billion.