Central Europe Trust

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: 230+ 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, AIG, Framlington (now AXA), Credit Commercial de France (Cerberus), Bank Zachodni (Santander), Jupiter Asset Management, Commerzbank, and Charterhouse, generating 3.5x ROIC/30% IRR.

Management consulting: 1,000+ market entry, business development, operational/financial optimization, and restructuring engagements

$76m+ invested in Hungary enabled investees to attain market leadership:

$40m TriGranit (attained CEE market leadership; exit to Nathaniel Rothschild, Sandor Csanyi)

$20m Waberer's (attained European own-fleet market leadership; exit to MidEuropa Partners)

$10m Csopak Holding (Ceres attained Hungarian toast market leadership; exits to Penam/Agrofert [Andrej Babis], Polus-Coop, Ivydale)

$5m Royal Tokaj (attained global HORECA leadership among Hungarian vintners; exit to Euroventures, Damon de Laszlo)

$1m Infoline (exit to Magyar Telekom)

CET seeks minority and majority equity or credit 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 estate, materials, and utilities.