Cognetas, the independent mid-market European private equity firm, announces today that David Pusinelli has joined the firm as a senior adviser specialising in Financial Services. David brings considerable experience and financial sector expertise. He will be based in the firm’s London office.

Before joining Cognetas, David was a Main Board Director at Close Brothers Group plc and was centrally involved in the development and rapid growth of Close Brothers. He played a key role in some 30 acquisitions and start-ups for the banking, asset management, securities and corporate finance divisions with a combined equity and debt value of around £1 billion. He also served on the investment committee of Close Brothers Private Equity for four years. Transactions led during 2008 included the acquisitions of Amber Credit and Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander Premium Finance, providers of insurance premium finance, and Commercial Acceptances, a provider of property bridging finance. David has almost 25 years’ experience in merchant banking activities.  He qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand and is a graduate of Brasenose College, Oxford.

"We are delighted to have someone of David’s calibre and experience joining our firm." commented Nigel McConnell, Managing Partner of Cognetas. "David brings strong experience of the sector and a wealth of contacts. He will join our London team to help spearhead our focus on Financial Services."

David commented, "I am very pleased to have joined Cognetas at a time when the Financial Services sector offers so much opportunity in a period of unprecedented change."