11 June 2014, Washington, D.C. – EMPEA today announces the launch of its newly formed Energy Council, an advisory body comprised of and dedicated to fund managers, institutional investors and service providers active in energy-related private equity investments in emerging markets. Scott Mackin, Managing Partner and Co-President of Denham Capital, chairs the group.

The Council will provide a platform for its members to steer EMPEA’s energy-related research and programming and engage in best practice development.

Commenting on his appointment as the Chair, Scott Mackin said “I am pleased to help lead this initiative and look forward to collaborating with my fellow Council members to advance the industry’s understanding of the energy opportunities in emerging markets.”

EMPEA’s formation of the Council reflects the growing investor interest in this specific fund strategy. According to EMPEA’s 2014 Global Limited Partners Survey, 20% of respondents plan on expanding their commitments to emerging markets infrastructure (including energy-specific) funds in the next two years. The Council will therefore focus on sharing best practices, and communicating the unique attributes and opportunities inherent to energy investment, including sharpening the broader investment thesis around energy security as growth drivers.

Robert van Zwieten, EMPEA’s President and CEO, elaborated on the Council’s launch, “The Energy Council creates a platform to engage EMPEA’s growing energy-focused membership to collectively inform and elevate the level of discourse about energy investment opportunities in emerging markets.“

The Council will initially be comprised of eleven leading fund managers, institutional investors and service providers who are involved with energy-related private equity investments across the full spectrum of the sector, from conventional oil and gas to renewables, from generation to distribution. Council members will also contribute expertise gained from operating in diverse markets, from Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe.

The Council held its inaugural meeting in Washington D.C. on 13 May 2014 alongside IFC’s 16th Annual Global Private Equity Conference in association with EMPEA. EMPEA will provide updates on Council developments as the group begins to execute on specific initiatives introduced during the first meeting.

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About EMPEA:

EMPEA is the global industry association for private capital in emerging markets. We are an independent non-profit organization. As EMPEA celebrates our 10th anniversary in 2014, we have over 300 member firms, comprising institutional investors, fund managers and industry advisors, who together manage more than US$1 trillion of assets and have offices in more than 100 countries across the globe. Our members share EMPEA’s belief that private capital is a highly suited investment strategy in emerging markets, delivering attractive long-term investment returns and promoting the sustainable growth of companies and economies. We support our members through global authoritative intelligence, conferences, networking, education and advocacy.

EMPEA Energy Council

Scott Mackin, Denham Capital (Chair)
Andrew Affleck, Armstrong Asset Management
Reyaz Ahmad, IFC Asset Management Company
Cyrille Arnould, EIB GEEREF
Todd Cater, Global Environment Fund (GEF)
Lance Crist, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Elaine Delaney, Quantum Capital Partners
Nigel Purse, Eaglestone
Somit Varma, Warburg Pincus
Dean White, Tetra Tech
Aygen Yayikoglu, Crescent Capital