Central Europe Trust (CET) was co-founded in 1989 by The Rt Hon the Lord Lawson of Blaby, PC, who as energy minister and chancellor under Baroness Thatcher led the economic liberalization of the United Kingdom, “Big Bang” financial deregulation of the City of London, ₤80b privatization program, and was of Central & East European (CEE) descent. CET’s leadership has 300+ years of experience including at Booz Allen Hamilton, JP Morgan, SG Warburg, Rothschild, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley.
CET is headquartered in London; represented in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, fmr Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Russia and has been involved in projects having 1,000+ clients/counterparties:
Financial advisory: 250+ merger, acquisition, corporate/project finance transactions (including 50+ involving $10b+ of private equity)
Private equity: 8 CEE funds, 80+ investments, $825m+ with partners European Union (PHARE Programme), European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), PPF (Petr Kellner †), AIG, Framlington (now AXA), Credit Commercial de France (HSBC/Cerberus), Bank Zachodni (Santander/Erste), Jupiter Asset Management, Commerzbank, and Charterhouse, generating 30%IRR/3.5x ROIC.
Management consulting: 1,000+ market entry, business development, operational/financial optimization, and restructuring engagements
CET seeks minority and majority equity, credit and asset transactions proactively in CEE but can consider worldwide of €1m-500m+ in all sectors, including, inter alia, technology, financials, health care, consumer, communications, industrials, energy, real assets, materials, and utilities.