John D. Bernstein Joins General Atlantic

Global Growth Equity Firm Expands European Leadership

GREENWICH--General Atlantic LLC (GA), a leading global growth equity firm, today announced that John D. Bernstein has joined GA as a Managing Director in its London office. This appointment reflects GA’s ongoing expansion of its global team of nearly 70 investment professionals and its continued strategy to increase its investment profile in Europe.

Mr. Bernstein has been an active investor in the private equity industry in Europe since 1995. He has extensive relationships with experts and advisors in the region and has led or co-led investments in fourteen companies, including MACH, Aircom International, CAMS, Bookham Technology, Cordena Call Management, Cybercity, EUnet International, Jazztel and Tertio.

William E. Ford, CEO of GA, said, “John has an excellent track record investing in growth companies in the technology and communications industries. This expertise and his desire to focus his efforts on growth-oriented investing and growth buyouts fit well with our global strategy. We have a strong team in London and Düsseldorf, and with John serving as co-head of our European investment effort, GA will be well positioned to further expand our European business.”

Founded in 1980, GA manages approximately $17 billion, investing more than $2 billion per year in growth companies globally. Since its first investment in the United Kingdom in 1988, the firm has invested nearly $2 billion in European growth companies, including Xchanging, CompuGROUP, SaxoBank and GlobalCollect, among several others.

Klaus Esser, Managing Director and GA’s head of Europe, added, “John brings a wealth of regional knowledge and experience. I look forward to working together to continue strengthening GA’s position as an active partner with growth companies across Europe and for John to share in the leadership of our European activities.”

Mr. Bernstein commented, “As one of the first private investment firms to expand globally, beginning with Europe in the late 1980s, General Atlantic has a long record of success providing both capital and expertise to growth companies. I look forward to helping the firm continue to expand its activity across Europe as an active, value-added, long-term partner to growth companies.”

Mr. Bernstein has over 12 years of private equity experience and has invested in leading growth companies across Europe. Most recently, he led the European telecoms and technology investment practice at Advent International, where he was a partner. Before joining Advent in 1995, he was a partner for five years at InterMatrix Ltd., a management and strategy consulting firm. From 1984 to 1989, he specialized in capital markets and mergers and acquisitions in the London and Tokyo offices of Hambros Bank Ltd.

Mr. Bernstein has an M.A. in economics and law from Downing College, Cambridge University, and is qualified as a barrister.