LONDON, 23 September 2014 – Advent International, one of the largest and most experienced firms dedicated solely to private equity, today announced that Werner Geissler has been engaged as an Operating Partner, effective January 1, 2015.

Mr Geissler, who has extensive global operational experience, will work closely with Advent’s Retail, Consumer and Leisure team, leveraging his knowledge of working with prominent international brands. His main role will be to assist the team with identifying attractive investment opportunities and, as appropriate, generating post-investment value in Advent’s portfolio companies globally.

Mr Geissler’s industry experience consists of over three decades at Procter & Gamble Company (“P&G”). Most recently he was Vice Chairman of Global Operations for the company where he was responsible for all country operations globally, some $80bn in sales and over 100,000 employees. Prior to this, he was Group President of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, managing all businesses in the region. During his time with P&G he worked with a considerable number of the company’s well-known brands including Ariel, Gillette, Max Factor, Oral-B and many major retailers across the world.

Having worked with P&G since he graduated from the University of Cologne in Germany, Mr Geissler has built an outstanding reputation for growing international businesses across the consumer industry. He has also lived and worked in numerous countries, including the US, Germany, Japan, Turkey and Switzerland.

Tim Franks, Advent International Partner, said: “Werner is one of the leading consumer-focused executives and we are delighted to welcome him as an operating partner. His substantial operational experience, gained from working with a large number of different companies and brands during his time at P&G, will support our existing businesses as well as help us pursue future investment opportunities across the global consumer industry.”