Cees J.A. van Lede to Join The Carlyle Group's European Advisory Board

London, UK - Global private equity firm, The Carlyle Group, announced today that Mr. Cees van Lede, former CEO and chairman of the management board of Akzo Nobel NV, has joined the advisory board of the firm’s €1 billion buyout fund, Carlyle Europe Partners. In this capacity he will advise the company on industrial, economic and market issues related to its investment activities throughout Europe.

Mr. van Lede was CEO and chairman of Akzo Nobel NV, from 1994 until retiring from the post earlier this month. He continues at Akzo Nobel as a member of the supervisory board. Mr. van Lede is also chairman of the supervisory board of De Nederlansche Bank, the Dutch central bank, and chairman-elect of the board of directors of INSEAD. He also serves as a member of the supervisory boards of Scania AB, Heineken NV, Sara Lee Corporation, Philips Electronics NV, L’Air Liquide and Reed Elsevier NV. He was also recently appointed Commander in the Order of the Dutch Lion, one of the highest royal decorations for civilians in the Netherlands.

“I am very glad to be joining Carlyle’s advisory board and I look forward to contributing my industrial experience and advice to the Carlyle investment team. The private equity market is a growing area, particularly in Europe and I think there is a lot of potential in the Netherlands for private equity deals,” said Mr. van Lede.

Mr. van Lede, 60, studied law at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands and received his MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. He started his career at Shell International Petroleum Company, and then moved to a consulting role at McKinsey & Company, working on projects in Europe, the US, and South America. After a seven-year stint with the strategy consulting company, Mr van Lede transferred into the construction industry, and became president of the board of management at Koninklijke Nederhorst Bouw B.V. At the Federation of Dutch Industries (VNO) he served as chairman, and then was vice president of the Union of Industrial and Employer’s Confederations of Europe (UNICE).

“We are delighted that Mr. van Lede has joined our advisory board. He is a prominent and well-respected member of the Dutch industrial community. His knowledge of the industrial sector in the Netherlands is second to none and will be of enormous value for us,” said Christopher Finn, managing director of The Carlyle Group in London.

Carlyle’s European buyout fund seeks to create partnerships with corporations and large family-owned businesses that aim to restructure and expand their businesses in order to attain European or global leadership positions. The fund has invested in 20 companies in France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, UK, Italy and Sweden.

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