CIC Private Debt Enters DACH Market with First German Deal and New Investment Director
20 MAY, 2025
By Jose Luis Palmer from RankiaPro Europe
CIC Private Debt has announced the appointment of Erwin Schreiber as Investment Director DACH, reinforcing its commitment to growing its presence across the DACH region. Based in Frankfurt am Main, Schreiber will report directly to Guillaume Rico, Deputy Managing Director of CIC Private Debt. With €3.5 billion in assets under management, the firm aims to bring its successful French private debt model to a broader European market.
Developing our activities more broadly in Europe is a strategic move for CIC Private Debt. On the one hand, it will increase even more portfolio diversification for our existing LPs. On the other hand, the aim is also to upscale at a European level our investment philosophy and niche approach in order to bring the best of our value proposition to non-French LPs preferring European to country-focus strategies. Establishing a strong footprint in Germany was a natural step, as Germany is the second domestic market of our group’s shareholder, Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. With Targobank and more recently its acquisition of OLB (whose acquisition finance teams are very active on our small to lower-mid cap segment), Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale offers CIC Private Debt, the in-house local partnership that will help to replicate the business model, which has made CIC Private Debt successful for 22 years in France. We are pleased to welcome Erwin whose expertise will be a catalyst for driving growth.
Guillaume Rico, Deputy Managing Director of CIC Private Debt
Partnerships with local institutions like Targobank and newly acquired OLB are expected to provide a strong foundation to replicate CIC Private Debt’s two-decade-long success in France.
Schreiber, who brings over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and private debt, noted strong interest from the market. “We have already seen a strong interest from market participants to work together with us, just shortly after the launch of our DACH activities,” he commented.
First Senior Debt Deal in Germany Supports ESG-Focused Growth
In the first quarter of 2025, CIC Private Debt successfully closed its first senior debt transaction in Germany, financing the acquisition of ebutec Group by Ufenau Capital Partners AG. The financing will support ebutec’s expansion in the energy-efficient refurbishment of commercial buildings, aligning with CIC Private Debt’s ESG principles.
Schreiber highlighted the significance of this early success: “The swift closing of our first German deal, only five months after the launch of our DACH operations, reflects our strong market access and high acceptance by stakeholders.”
Guillaume Rico added, “While expanding our loan book outside of France, we do not compromise on credit quality and remain selective. Additionally, ebutec fits perfectly with our ESG strategy.”
With this strategic hire and inaugural deal, CIC Private Debt solidifies its ambition to become a key European player in lower mid-market private debt, leveraging local partnerships and a proven investment philosophy beyond its home market.
