Germany

In June, Creon Capital established a branch in Düsseldorf. The new Creon mainstay is located directly on the Rhine. Its team is to bundle the investment activities in Germany. For this purpose, Creon Capital has boarded four new leading employees with extensive know-how and a widespread network in the European industries. The mission of the Düsseldorf team is to develop M&A as well as investment projects in Germany and to internationalize them on the Eurasian level.

Josef Rentmeister, the new Co-Chairman of Creon Capital, gained over 20 years of leadership experience at IBM, Cisco, and T-Systems with responsibility for over €1 billion budget and over 2,000 employees. Through his investments in German small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), he brings 15 years of experience in investment management and business development (rentmeister@creoncapital.lu).

“I am thrilled to join the Creon team, combining the outstanding expertise and network of Creon with my global experiences. Together with my team I am looking forward to contribute to bridge the gap between western businesses and eastern suppliers and investors”, said Josef Rentmeister.

Jan Wuppermann, Director, has more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, restructuring and auditing, amongst others as Head of Internal Audit North- and Latin America of a stock-listed packaging corporation and in the establishment of a bank’s M&A department. Jan Wuppermann completed his vocational training in banking and has a master’s degree in International Business from Maastricht University and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Münster. Jan Wuppermann is a founder and Managing Partner of Operando Partners, where he is responsible for marketing/communications, investors, and the origination of transactions. He is also a shareholder of Wuppermann AG, a family-owned metal processing business founded in 1872, which has an annual revenue of around 500 million euros (wuppermann@creoncapital.lu).

Peter Folle, Director Transactions, who gained over 20 years of experience as a PE fund manager. As a trained banker and holding degrees in business administration and economics, he has developed the fund and investment controlling of Triginta Capital since 2001 and is Managing Partner since 2003, responsible for more than 100 transactions. Besides that, he has extensive experience in the areas of investment controlling and restructuring SME, specialized on mechanical engineering, internet, IT as well as health and social services (folle@creoncapital.lu).

Jan Philip Neuhaus, Director, holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting and Finance. His main focus is the execution and support of M&A transactions in all phases. In addition, he supported the investment process for the company’s own portfolio with regard to investments in start-ups and SMEs (neuhaus@creoncapital.lu).

Currently, one may find merely few topics in European-Russian relations on which a constructive discussion is still possible. Environmental protection is one of these topics. While Russia just like Germany sticks to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the country’s oil and gas producers are striving to become cleaner and greener along their value chains: instead of flaring the associated gas in oil production they process it, areas contaminated with oil are being recultivated. Risk management and accident prevention systems are being implemented. German and European companies provide the necessary technologies and solutions.

In order to awaken the potential of the cooperation and to expand the cooperation, the 2nd summit “Ecological Responsibility in Russia’s Energy Sector” took place on December 5th in Berlin Marriott Hotel. The Moscow-based CREON Group and the group-owned fund management company Creon Capital (Luxembourg) hosted the event. CREON finances “green” projects in the oil and gas industry and accompanies them in execution. The German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV) and the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce supported the event, which attracted around 100 participants.

OAOEV Chairman Michael Harms confirmed that ecology is an issue where Germans and Russians are d’accord. The move to more environmental protection offers opportunities for German companies to sell their equipment. CREON Chairman Fares Kilzie emphasizes that “even in Russia the transformation towards a green economy” has started. “In the 21st century, sustainability in projects in the Russian oil and gas sector will be a crucial factor.” For Creon Capital and its fund, this opens a “new vector for innovative investment” wherefore CREON is looking for partners and know-how in Europe, says Kilzie. “We host this conference in Berlin by purpose, as concepts and solutions for a greener future have culminated here along with the ‘Energiewende’, Germany’s turnaround in energy policy a decade ago.”

To document progress in Russia and also further cooperation this potential, CREON invented the independent transparency rating of oil and gas companies on environmental responsibility five years ago. The results have been presented together with WWF Russia. Ulrich Benterbusch, who oversees the German ‘Energiewende’ at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), described the survey as “very important” and welcomed the establishment of the instrument. At the same time, he sees potential for a greener transport infrastructure: “Natural gas mobility could be an integral part of the energy transition in the transport sector in Germany.” LNG, as an alternative fuel especially for ships and heavy commercial vehicles, is cost-effective and environmentally friendly in the long term, especially as though the admixture of biomethane the CO2-free mobility would become a possibility.

At a panel discussion, Russia’s ex-Minister of Environment Sergej Donskoy, DEA Manager Michael Zettlitzer, Tatyana Minayewa of Wetlands International and Elena Kompasenko (Zarubeshneft) deepened the topic of “ecological responsibility” – and agreed on a conclusion, drown by Donskoy: Of course, there is still room for even more environmental protection in Russia, but it’s going in the right direction. “We are not wizards, but we are learning,” Donskoy said. But every initiative is important.

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CREON is a Moscow-based group of independent consulting and management companies, which has developed a comprehensive expertise in the chemical, energy and commodity processing industries in about 20 years. Luxembourg-based Creon Capital manages a private equity fund that invests in projects in the energy and chemicals sectors, including green technologies and building LNG infrastructure in Europe.

Contact: Florian Willershausen, Director BD/M/C, fw@creoncapital.lu, Tel. +49-151-16244591

Pictures:

CREON Capital chairman Fares Kilzie welcomes more than 100 participants to 2nd conference “Ecological responsibility in Russia’s Energy Sector”

Moderator Florian Willershausen (left) in discussion with Ulrich Benterbusch (Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy)

Discussion potential for envionmental cooperation between Russia and Germany (from left to right): Michael Harms, Fares Kilzie, Florian Willershausen, Ulrich Benterbusch

Sergey Donskoy served five years as Russia’s federal minister for ecology until he started to work for Irkutsk Oil Company.

As much as some may be surprised in the West: ecology and Russia – this combination is no longer a contradiction today. Not only since the Year of the Environment took place in 2017, the world’s largest country moves slowly but visibly in the right direction in terms of environmental issues: The burning of associated gas in the oil production is decreasing, landfills have been closed, recycling is being promoted by the state actively. Above all Russian oil and gas companies have to offer something, which could boost the EU-countries leap towards a cleaner economy structure: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for decentral regions and the transportation sector.

Ecology and Russia – this combination also becomes relevant for companies. Therefore, CREON Group invites to the second Berlin Conference this year. Businessmen and experts from both Russia and Germany will discuss how environmental responsibility can be shaped and improved further. Which solutions can German companies provide for Russian partners who want to tackle the topic? And conversely, can Russian companies contribute to a “greener Europe” by delivering Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)? These discussions will be supported by the German Eastern Business Association (OAOEV) and the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK).

During the conference we will present the results of our environmental responsibility rating in Russia’s oil and gas industry. For the fifth time, WWF Russia and CREON conduct the independent rating of major oil and gas companies regarding their efforts and transparency in terms of environmental responsibility: Who renatures oil-contaminated areas? Who is flaring on associated gas, who is not? How transparent are corporations in reporting on ecological issues? In the meantime, the rating has been established as a credible, objective and recognized tool to push the oil and gas companies towards on a more sustainable course. The initiative to conduct Global rating of the 32 biggest world oil and gas companies will be also presented in Berlin.

The aim of the conference is to promote ecological responsibility as a common topic for Germans and Russians. Therefore, we are pleased to welcome high-ranking politicians from both countries, who find common interests in the field of ecology beyond the well-known political dispute topics. Above all, however, entrepreneurs from East and West should be brought together: In Europe’s East, a market is now growing with its awareness of the problem, for which Germany particularly could supply “green” technologies. CREON has set itself the goal of connecting these networks.

Venue and Timing

Wednesday, December 05^th 2018

Time: 13.00 – 19.00

Hotel Marriott, Berlin (Potsdamer Platz), Inge-Beisheim-Platz 1, 10785 Berlin

DOWNLOAD the program here

MORE INFORMATION you may find on our website.

Creon Capital establishes office in Germany to intensify links between EU and Eurasia

CREON establishes conference as platform for East-West exchange on environmental cooperation

Safe the date: Ecological Responsibility in Russia’s Energy Sector