Head of North America

THE OPPORTUNITY

A globally active, publicly listed private markets asset manager is appointing a Head of North America to lead and scale its presence across the United States and Canada. This is a senior, hands-on commercial leadership role combining full regional P&L ownership with direct, personal responsibility for institutional capital formation.

The successful executive will be the most senior representative of the firm in the region — setting strategy, leading the regional team, and simultaneously acting as a lead originator and closer of institutional capital. This is explicitly not a purely managerial or administrative profile. The firm is seeking a player-coach who thrives in the market: in front of LPs, inside due-diligence processes, and at the table when commitments are won.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Head of North America and Canada is responsible for leading the firm's overall business across the United States and Canada. The role combines full regional P&L ownership with strategic leadership across business development, institutional client coverage, investment-platform expansion, and operational execution.

The executive will drive growth by expanding the firm's footprint, building strategic partnerships, deepening institutional client relationships, and ensuring alignment with global strategy, governance, and performance objectives. As the senior-most leader in the region, the role requires a rare balance of commercial acumen, fundraising execution, leadership capability, and deep market expertise.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Regional Leadership & P&L Ownership

• Own and drive the overall performance of the North America business — including revenue growth, profitability, AUM contribution, and strategic execution.
• Define and implement the regional strategy in alignment with global priorities.
• Lead, develop, and manage regional teams across business development, client coverage, and support functions.
• Establish strong governance, risk management, and compliance standards in line with global frameworks.

Client Coverage & Capital Raising — Player-Coach Mandate

This is the commercial heart of the role. The executive is expected to be personally in the market, not managing the market from a distance.

• Maintain direct, primary coverage responsibility for a meaningful portfolio of top-tier institutional LPs — public pensions, large endowments, insurance companies, and sovereign or quasi-sovereign investors.
• Serve as a lead originator and closer of capital, personally driving fundraising efforts rather than solely overseeing sales teams.
• Remain consistently “in the market” — actively participating in roadshows, fundraising meetings, due-diligence processes, and ongoing relationship management with investors.
• Demonstrate a player-coach mindset, combining senior leadership with direct execution in capital raising and client engagement.
• Oversee the broader institutional engagement strategy across pensions, endowments, insurance companies, sovereign entities, and family offices; guide and elevate the regional sales team's distribution effectiveness.
• Act as senior ambassador for the firm with key clients, industry stakeholders, and market forums.

Business Development & Strategic Partnerships

• Originate and execute strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and platform investments across Private Equity, Infrastructure, Real Estate, GPMS, and Credit.
• Expand the firm's footprint by identifying new business opportunities and market-entry strategies across North America.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with asset managers, institutional investors, corporates, and financial institutions.
• Drive cross-border opportunities by connecting North America with APAC, Europe, and other global regions.

Investment Platform & Product Strategy

• Collaborate with global investment teams to identify and develop products tailored to North American investors.
• Support the launch and scaling of new investment platforms and strategies in the region.
• Provide market insights to inform global product development and positioning.

Operational & Cross-Regional Alignment

• Ensure effective coordination with global teams across investment, legal, compliance, and operations.
• Drive operational efficiency and scalability of the regional platform.
• Represent North America in global executive forums and strategic decision-making processes.

CANDIDATE PROFILE & QUALIFICATIONS

Core Experience

• 20 years of experience in asset management, private markets, investment banking, or financial services, with significant leadership responsibility.
• Proven track record of managing a regional business or business unit with full P&L accountability.
• Deep understanding of North American financial markets, institutional investor ecosystems, and the regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated success in building and scaling businesses, partnerships, and client franchises.
• Strong leadership and team-management capabilities across diverse and senior teams.
• Excellent strategic thinking, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, or Economics; MBA or equivalent strongly preferred.

Commercial & Fundraising Credibility — Non-Negotiable

• Proven, current track record as a senior capital raiser, with direct responsibility for closing institutional commitments across private-markets strategies.
• Deep, senior-level relationships with CIOs, Heads of Private Markets, and equivalent decision-makers at the largest institutional LPs in North America — with the credibility to secure meetings and advance allocations independently.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively “in the trenches”, balancing leadership responsibilities with hands-on fundraising, client coverage, and commercial execution.
• This role requires an executive actively engaged in revenue generation and investor relationships. It is explicitly not a purely managerial or administrative profile.

SUCCESS METRICS

• Financial performance: overall revenue, profitability, and AUM contribution of the North America business.
• Capital formation: volume, quality, and diversification of institutional commitments directly originated or closed.
• Strategic expansion: partnerships, platforms, and investment strategies launched or scaled in the region.
• Client franchise: depth, retention, and strategic value of relationships with top-tier institutional LPs.
• Leadership impact: quality of team, talent development, and organizational growth.
• Global alignment: contribution to firm-wide strategy and cross-regional collaboration.