Amethis, a Pan-African private equity group, has promoted two new Partners, Aurélie Pujo and Jean-Sébastien Bergasse.

They will join the two Founding and Managing Partners Luc Rigouzzo and Laurent Demey as part of the senior management of the firm.

Through this nomination, Amethis intends to conduct its continued growth, as it has now deployed more than 70% of its €280m equity base, through 10 equity and 4 debt transactions.

Both Partners will bring to Amethis and its investors base their longstanding experience in private equity and deep knowledge of the African continent.

Aurélie Pujo will remain the General Counsel and Compliance Officer of Amethis group.

Pujo is responsible for overseeing and managing legal issues arising in connection with Amethis’ investment activities, through all long term financial instruments. 

Prior to Amethis, she was Principal Counsel at Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), a Pan-African private equity fund based in Tunis (2009/2012) and a lawyer at White & Case (Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Practice / Paris) and Herbert Smith (African desk, Paris / Shanghai).

Pujo is admitted to the Paris Bar since 2005, as Avocat à la Cour.

She completed a DESS-DJCE in International Business Law (L.L.M. equivalent) at the Business Law Institute, Aix-en-Provence, France, and graduated in International Law (Oil & Gas law) from OK Law School (USA). 

Pujo serves as board members within Amethis group and portfolio companies (including Amethis West Africa, Novamed and PetroIvoire).  

Jean-Sébastien Bergasse will continue to focus on investment: originating, executing and monitoring deals. He will coordinate and supervise deal-origination.

Prior to Amethis, he worked for Proparco during five years, as Senior Investment Officer in the Banking and Capital Market division.

In 2011, after heading Proparco’s Banking and Capital Market division, Bergasse took up the post he held until 2013, creating and running an SMEs unit for Africa with the goal of developing direct investment in debt and equity for Sub-Saharan African SMEs.

Before joining Proparco, Bergasse was appointed by the American Group Marsh MacLennan as Key Account Consultant for "political risk”, focused on emerging countries.

He started his career in Africa after a Master’s degree in finance at Grenoble Ecole de Management, joining in 2002 the Credit Lyonnais, for which he was posted to the Ivory Coast subsidiary to work for the soft commodities division, focusing on the financing of cotton and cocoa campaigns.

He serves as board member for two of Amethis’ portfolio companies, Ramco and Boulos.