New chairman Takes On EVCA –

Edoardo Bugnone was appointed the new chairman of the European Venture Capital Association for the year 2001-2002 at the Annual General Assembly of the EVCA held in Rome last month. Bugnone is the managing partner of pan-European private equity firm Argos Soditic.

Bugnone began an entrepreneurial career by investing in two businesses before taking a degree in economics at Geneva University. He then joined SG Warburg-Soditic in Geneva, where he co-founded the private equity division that became Argos Soditic. Today, Argos Soditic is an independently owned firm with offices in Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Bugnone said, “The next 12 months will be exceedingly busy for EVCA, co-ordinating our efforts with national private equity and venture capital associations, especially at the policy making level, pursuing efforts to achieve greater transparency and fund comparability for the industry and assisting members in emerging European economies. Europe continues to offer a large number of investment opportunities in young high tech businesses, but also in expanding long-established companies. The industry is well funded to back these opportunities and although a consolidation is broadly expected, both investors and entrepreneurs should continue to experience sustained activity over the coming 12 months.”