Alinda nabs Citigroup infrastructure director

Kathie Painter will join the firm’s London office.

Alinda Capital Partners has hired Citigroup infrastructure director Kathie Painter as its sixth partner. Painter will join the New York-based firm’s London office, currently managed by Simon Riggall, Citigroup’s former European head of project finance.

Alinda managing director Christopher Beale, Citigroup’s former global head of project finance, spun-out from the global banking giant in 2005 to form the New York-based firm. Including Painter, five of the six Alinda partners had previous experience in Citigroup’s infrastructure wing. Painter is Alinda’s first female partner.

Riding a wave of increased limited partner appetite for infrastructure investments, Alinda closed a massive $3 billion (€1.88 billion) debut fund last year.

The firm, which specialises in transportation, energy, power, water, wastewater and utility services, is currently shopping a $5 billion fund, according to the Probitas Partners 2008 Private Equity Deskbook.

To date, Alinda has invested in several prominent North American and European infrastructure assets, including the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel in Michigan; four toll bridges in Alabama; and the $710 million acquisition of US natural gas retailer Kinder Morgan.

In May of last year, Citigroup launched its own in-house infrastructure investment unit as part of its alternative investment division. Citigroup Infrastructure Investors is currently raising a $3 billion fund, according to Probitas.