Cofra Holding announces leadership change: Georg Wunderlin appointed new CEO
Zug, Switzerland-based Cofra Holding AG is completing the restructuring of its leadership team. On Tuesday, the holding company of the Brenninkmeijer family, which owns C&A, announced the appointment of Georg Wunderlin as chief executive officer (CEO). In October, the company had already announced the appointments of Florian Brenninkmeyer as the future chairman of the board and Henry Schirmer as chief financial officer (CFO).
Wunderlin will assume his new role in April next year and will also join the board of Cofra Holding. He succeeds Boudewijn Beerkens, who has led the company since 2019 and is now retiring. However, the appointment remains subject to approval by the relevant regulatory authorities.
According to his future employer, the designated CEO has “more than 20 years of experience in building and developing private markets investment businesses”. Most recently, he served as CEO of the investment firm Schroders Capital. Under his leadership, “assets under management at Schroders Capital grew from 38 billion to 116 billion dollars”, according to a statement.
With Wunderlin at the helm, Cofra Holding will “continue to invest both proprietary and client capital, driving the accelerated growth of its investment businesses Bregal, Redevco and Anthos Fund & Asset Management”, the company stated. “These businesses selectively partner with clients and independent investment managers to manage asset portfolios whose investment strategies and underlying values align with the Cofra Group's mission.”
Brenninkmeyer, who will succeed Martijn Brenninkmeijer as chairman of the board next April, explained the personnel decision. “The board and the Cofra owning family see in Wunderlin a leader who brings the right combination of leadership skills, investment experience, ambition and humility. Cofra needs these qualities to continue on its path as a values-driven investment group,” he said in a statement. “He has already successfully built two private markets platforms by bringing together specialist asset managers and supporting their growth. His commitment to sustainability and impact investing aligns with our mission to be a force for good in the world through business.”