goetzpartners advised Ardian

Ardian, a world-leading private investment house with US$72bn of assets managed, has successfully completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Opteven, an insurance company specializing in mechanical breakdown cover, maintenance contracts and assistance, from Aviva, the multinational insurance company, and Capzanine.

This tertiary LBO demonstrates the quality of the company led by a highly committed and seasoned management team and the outstanding potential to be seized ahead in France and many European countries, including Germany, the UK and Italy.

This new stage in Opteven’s corporate history will allow the company to conquer new European markets and consolidate further its leading positions as a pure player. Ardian’s strong support and international reach will undoubtedly help Opteven seizing external and organic growth opportunities in the targeted geographies.

Marie Arnaud-Battandier, Managing Director at Ardian Expansion: “We have particularly enjoyed working with Fortlane Partners, with whom we have established a good working relationship based on trust and proximity in a highly competitive process.”

Guillaume Piette, Managing Director at Fortlane Partners: “We are delighted to have advised Ardian in the course of the acquisition of this thrilling asset. This deal strengthens further our track record in advising successfully pan European private equity funds in auction bids, hence showcasing our ability to bring strong angles and insights on outstanding assets.”

About Opteven

Opteven is one of the leading players in Mechanical Breakdown Cover and Assistance, in France and in Europe, and a leader in service quality.

Opteven is an independent group headquartered in Lyon (France). Opteven operates in 7 countries in Europe and has offices in Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.

Over the past 10 years, the company's growth has demonstrated that the quality of its services is highly appreciated by all its customers, professionals in the automotive industry (manufacturers, distributors, rental companies), insurance and bank insurance. Opteven will achieve a turnover of 150 million euros this year and manage nearly 500,000 claims.

With a portfolio of more than 1,000,000 automotive service contracts and nearly 3,000,000 breakdown assistance contracts, Opteven has unique expertise in its markets.

About Ardian

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$72bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.

Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.

Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 530 employees working from fourteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo). It manages funds on behalf of around 750 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Funds of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.

Transaction team:

Guillaume PIETTE
Managing Director
 

Jeanne DELAHAYE
Analyst