MCWEALTH
THE MAGAZINE FOR WEALTH CREATORS
EUROPE’S VISIONARY MID-MARKET
PRIVATE
EQUITY LEADERS: REDEFINING VALUE IN A CHANGING WORLD
In a private equity landscape long dominated by megafunds and global buyout giants, a new cadre of mid-market leaders is quietly rewriting the rules of the game. Agile, deeply strategic, and rooted in local expertise, these executives are not chasing size for its own sake they are building value with precision, purpose, and a long-term mindset.
From Milan to Munich to Helsinki to London, these visionaries are proving that mid-sized private equity can drive outsized impact – especially in Europe’s complex, fragmented markets. Among them, figures like Christian Wildmoser, Alexis Saada, Gregorio Napoleone, and Juhana Kallio are helping to redefine what success in modern private equity looks like.
Christian Wildmoser – Strategic Precision in the DACH Region
Firm: Capvis (Switzerland)
Focus: Industrials, digital transformation, DACH market
Partner at Capvis, Christian Wildmoser exemplifies the Swiss precision and strategic discipline that have become hallmarks of the DACH private equity scene. With deep experience in industrials, technology, and healthcare, Wildmoser
has helped guide Capvis in transforming mid-sized companies through operational efficiency, internationalisation, and tech adoption.
Capvis, under Wildmoser’s influence, has taken a forward-looking stance on digitisation in legacy sectors especially in Germany’s Mittelstand. Deals such as its investment in Bartec and Thermamax show a clear philosophy: preserve core capabilities, but future-proof the business with automation, AI, and systems integration.
Alexis Saada – Scaling Entrepreneurs with Growth-Focused Capital Firm: Ardian Growth (France)
Focus: Digital-first, founder-led SMEs in Europe
As Head of Growth & Senior Managing Director at Ardian Growth, based in Paris, Alexis Saada leads the firm’s efforts to support fast-growing, profitable businesses across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Benelux region. The Ardian Growth team specializes in partner-driven minority investments in sectors including digital software, expert B2B services, and health & wellness. Saada champions an entrepreneurial-friendly approach, offering strategic capital and operational
support international expansion, digital acceleration, and corporate build-up while preserving founders’ autonomy and mission. Under his leadership, Ardian Growth has executed over 100 investments, supported over 320 build-ups, and deployed around US $1 billion with half of the investments outside France. Notably, in March 2025 the team earned PE Hub’s “Small-Cap Europe Deal of the Year” and PEI Awards’ “Exit of the Year in EMEA
Gregorio Napoleone – Complex, Cross Border Opportunities
Firm: Stirling Square Capital Partners (UK)
Focus: Pan-European mid-market, industrial and business services
A founding partner at Stirling Square Capital Partners, Gregorio Napoleone embodies the new ethos of European private equity – value built not through aggressive leverage, but through transformation, stewardship, and operational depth. Since co-founding the firm in 2002, Gregorio Napoleone has helped build Stirling Square into a respected force in the €100 million–€500 million deal range, with a focus on complex, cross-border growth opportunities.
Greogio Napoleone’s leadership reflects a patient, hands-on approach to ownership, grounded in an understanding of both the strategic and human elements of enterprise change. Gregorio’s focus on long-term transformation – rather than short-term arbitrag – makes him a standout voice in a sector under increasing scrutiny for its impact.
Gregorio Napoleone is also Chairman of the Board of OHI Group and of Isoclima Group. Gregorio sits on the Board of Trustees at New York University (NYU) and is also a
Juhana Kallio – Nordic Value Creation Through Sustainable, Growth-Oriented Private Equity
Firm: Intera Partners (Finland)
Role: Managing Partner (since July 2022)
Focus: Sustainable growth, ESG-backed internationalization, founder- and familyled mid-market investments in Nordic services and consumer sectors
Juhana Kaalio believes in scaling ambitious Finnish and Swedish growth companies by accelerating organic and acquisitive expansion. His guiding principle is responsible ownership, balancing value creation with cultural continuity.
Under his leadership, Intera has become known for its ability to triple portfolio revenues on average, lead international expansion (≈60% of exits include crossborder scale-ups), and maintain top-tier ESG integration in mid-market private equity operations.
Why Mid-Sized Leaders Matter More Than Ever
What unites Wildmoser, Saada, Napoleone, and Kallio is not just their dealmaking ability – it’s their strategic humility. They understand the DNA of European businesses, the nuances of regulation, and the emotional realities of succession and transformation in family-run firms.
These mid-sized firms don’t have to chase billion-euro exits. Instead, they focus on durable, responsible value creation, often playing the role of partner rather than predator. They bring a level of care, attention, and regional insight that global buyout shops can struggle to match.
Moreover, these leaders are shaping a more sustainable and transparent future for European private equity – one where ESG is embedded in strategy, stakeholder capitalism is not just a
buzzword, and impact is measured beyond IRR.
The Power of Mid-Market Visionaries
In an era of economic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and growing calls for responsible capitalism, the future of European private equity may well rest on the shoulders of its mid-market visionaries.
Figures like Alexis Saada, Juhana Kallio, and Gregorio Napoleone are showing that ambition doesn’t have to mean aggression – and that leadership rooted in purpose, patience, and precision can generate not just financial returns, but lasting value for companies, workers, and communities alike.
