How Actis Leverages its network of Industrial Advisors

Actis has a rich heritage across many of the countries and businesses we operate in. We have a deep, sectorspecific knowledge base which has allowed us to source assets and provide robust, sustainable returns for our investors for many years. This has enabled us to build an unrivalled track record in the markets we operate in.

Noting the competitive advantage that such deep insight had provided, while acknowledging the market shifts and a broader strategy in the newer funds, we decided to supplement our own expertise with a network of external experts who we can call on to help our portfolio companies as they develop their strategies. In particular, as we developed our long-life infrastructure fund ALLIF, we saw the need to expand our expertise and insights into wider asset classes, including areas such as roads, bridges, district cooling and other infrastructure.

We therefore decided to expand and institutionalise the Actis Industrial Advisor Network. The individuals involved are not Actis employees: rather, they are a select group of highly experienced subject matter and sector specific experts who are thought leaders in their fields. We call on these individuals to supplement our directors, deal teams and management teams to provide deeper, more extensive knowledge of the sectors and/or geographies involved.

All are champions of industry, with prior C-suite experience, who have a proven record and a strong reputation in their sector. Currently, we have access to advisors with particular expertise in areas such as digital infrastructure, roads, power, district cooling, Commercial and Industrial energy contracts, amongst others. We are looking to supplement this network, and find a number of individuals in geographies including developed Asia and North America, as well as in fields such as energy trading and others.

Having such a network brings a number of benefits. The advisors help improve the level of board engagement, through complimentary skill sets and gravitas with the management teams. They are able to bring much deeper experience to bear on projects that our portfolio businesses are undertaking. They offer a far more holistic input: by using them prior to the deal as well as during operations, they offer continuity of understanding around core challenges and opportunities facing the business plans and can support the company’s evolution over time.

Typically, these individuals are existing industry experts with a long track record at senior levels in the sectors they operate in. They offer investors better outcomes, since they have in the past generally been on the same journey that our portfolio companies are about to undertake. They are experts at driving value, spotting how to achieve a successful outcome, as well as at offering insights during the due diligence process and seeing opportunities for the future. They help our portfolio companies deliver to the best extent possible against their investment thesis.

For the advisors themselves, becoming an Actis Industrial Advisor offers a number of attractions. It gives them the ability to bring their expertise to bear in some of the most interesting and pivotal sectors and regions of the world. It gives them exposure to some of the biggest geopolitical and economic themes, such as the drive to net zero, sustainable infrastructure, and the need to ensure an equitable energy transition around the world. Working with a business such as Actis allows them to continue to build their own network, enjoy new challenges, and develop their knowledge base in what is a collegiate and intellectually-stimulating atmosphere at a company with a global reputation.

Actis’ Industrial Advisor Network offers a unique perspective on our activities. The range and depth of experience of our advisors makes them a vital part of our businesses’ operations. We believe they play an important role in helping us navigate the markets we operate in, and provide the best outcomes possible for our investors.