Christophe Lefèvre

Opera is a hands-on manager which invests primarily in high quality, Italian mid-market companies in Italian lifestyle industries in which Italian design, brand or product represents a competitive edge including food and wine, fashion and leather goods, jewelry, selective retail, interior design and tourism. They are also an opportunistic manager which invests in high potential companies in other industries. The firm seeks to invest EUR 10-20 million per transaction in companies with sales of EUR 25-200 million, participating in a range of transactions including buy-and-build, growth and international expansion, succession and generational changes and spin-offs from larger corporations. Opera generally takes controlling stakes in their investee companies, partnering with them to support value creation by providing support including strengthening and supporting the management team, pursuing growth processes through acquisitions and international expansion and introducing new culture and systems. The firm's network of partners, including the Bulgari group, provides them with experienced international managers and connections to growth/acquisition opportunities in foreign markets. Opera prefers to exit investments within four to eight years, typically by IPOs or trade sales.