Robert Aguallo Jr., former General Manager of the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System (LACERS), has agreed to join the Cardinal Americas Fund as Managing Partner, effective May 1, 2008. The Cardinal Americas Fund is a $150 million private equity fund established by leaders in private equity and infrastructure development, with offices in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Aguallo, who managed LACERS $12 billion in trust assets for 5 years, sees an extraordinary opportunity in taking the helm of the Cardinal Americas Fund. “After surveying my options, I quickly realized that infrastructure development represents the best new market opportunity forfuture investment growth and Cardinal Americas’ investment strategy was the right fit. Cardinal Americas’ industry experience is an advantage that brings an innovative and proven method of entry for investment in the infrastructure space, which is poised for tremendous and sustained growth,”said Aguallo.
Cardinal Americas employs a comprehensive strategy of investing in the burgeoning infrastructure development market by targeting companies that provide resources surrounding infrastructure development, including architectural, construction, and engineering services firms, and equipment rental, operations and maintenance companies. Cardinal Americas’ team of principals has significant experience investing in infrastructure firms and growing businesses as owner-operators that are consistent with the investment profile and strategy of the Fund. Their wide network provides a first-hand understanding of the growing infrastructure marketplace with exposure to hundreds of investment opportunities per year with financial and strategic resources to close and exit deals successfully on behalf of their investors.
Cardinal Americas’ principals were pleased with the selection of Aguallo to manage the Fund, which is expected to close its initial fundraising stage by the end of 2008. “There is perhaps no other individual in the financial world that possesses the knowledge, experience, and acumen to match Robert Aguallo,” said George L. Pla, Chairman of the Cardinal Americas Fund, noting that, “his addition to the Cardinal Americas team will certainly cement assurance and credibility among institutional investors who have trusted Aguallo’s stewardship, time and again.”
Aguallo has 20 years of prior fund investment experience as Chief Operating Officer for Investment Operations at the largest public pension fund in the nation, California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) for 15 years, as a Board Director on the California Association of Public Retirement Systems (CALAPRS), and as General Manager for five years of LACERS. He is currently a Board Member and Vice Chairman of the Robert Toigo Foundation. More information about Cardinal Americas can be found at www.cardinalamericas.com.
Contacts:
Mark Vargas, 213-533-8211
mvargas@cardinalamericas.com
