LONDON, May 24, 2021 - OMERS Private Equity announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire a 25% stake in International Schools Partnership (“ISP” or the “Company”) from Partners Group. OMERS Private Equity invests on behalf of OMERS, the defined benefit pension plan for municipal employees in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The transaction values ISP at an enterprise value of EUR 1.9 billion.
ISP is a leading group of 50 international schools currently spanning 15 countries and serving around 45,000 students globally through multiple curricular options. Its experienced and ambitious management team, led by Steve Brown, CEO, is committed to expanding ISP’s global network, after having added 50 schools between 2014 and 2020.
Jonathan Mussellwhite, Senior Managing Director and OMERS Head of European Private Equity, said: “Over the last 15 years, OMERS Private Equity has successfully executed on a strategy of partnering with top management teams at industry-leading companies. ISP is a great fit for this strategy, especially given the strength and experience of its leadership team. We are excited by the addition of ISP to our portfolio as we continue to look for opportunities to deploy capital across Europe and build our European Private Equity business.”
Steve Brown, CEO of ISP, said: “We have successfully grown ISP since inception in 2013 with the support of Partners Group. As we focus on extending ISP’s global network further, we are delighted to now have OMERS Private Equity invested alongside us. We look forward to working closely with OMERS experienced and active team. We welcome their long-term approach to value creation, and are confident that with OMERS, together with Partners Group, we will be able to continue delivering exceptional outcomes.”
James Frankish, Director, OMERS Private Equity, said: “Steve Brown and the ISP team, in conjunction with Partners Group, have built ISP into a global leader, and we are excited by the opportunities ahead as we partner to drive continued, accelerated growth.”
David Layton, Co-CEO, Partners Group, says: "ISP is a textbook example of entrepreneurial ownership and transformational investing in action. Having invested extensively in the education sector, we saw the potential to create a leading K-12 schools platform supported by growing global demand for high quality education. We had sufficient conviction to back a great management team and get to work to build a business from the ground up. Today, we are pleased to welcome OMERS as a shareholder to ISP, which is already one of the largest K-12 school groups globally and still has significant growth potential ahead of it."
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal counsel for OMERS Private Equity. EY served as financial advisor for OMERS Private Equity.
Notes for Editors
Contact
Neil Hrab
OMERS Manager, Global Media Relations
+14163692418
nhrab@omers.com
Jenny Blinch
Global Head of Communications, Partners Group
Phone: +44 207 575 2571
Email: jenny.blinch@partnersgroup.com
About OMERS and OMERS Private Equity:
Founded in 1962, OMERS is one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans, with C$105 billion in net assets as at December 31, 2020. OMERS invests and administers pensions for more than half a million members through originating and managing a diversified portfolio of investments in public markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate.
OMERS had private equity net investment asset exposure of C$14.8 billion as at December 31, 2020. OMERS Private Equity, the private equity investment arm of OMERS with a team of investment professionals in London, New York, Singapore and Toronto, seeks to use its significant and differentiated capital base to partner with management teams of industry leading businesses.
For more information, please visit www.omersprivateequity.com
About Partners Group:
Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested over USD 145 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate superior returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With over USD 109 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2020, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,500 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN).
For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com
About International Schools Partnership:
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in the UK, International Schools Partnership (ISP) currently operates 50 schools across 15 countries, serving more than 45,000 students aged 2-18 years. ISP's growing group of private schools have over 7,000 staff and are located in USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, UAE, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, and Peru.
For more information, please visit: https://www.internationalschoolspartnership.com/
