Wendel
Also known as Wendel SE, Wendel Investissement, Wendel Group, CGIP
Paris-listed investment firm controlled by the Wendel family (39.6% via Wendel-Participations SE); invests its own capital and manages €48.7bn for third parties (June 2026).
USEFUL FOR Fund managers raising capital · Business owners seeking a long-term partner · Co-investors
Family & background
- FAMILY
- Wendel family
- WEALTH ORIGIN
- Steelmaking in Lorraine (from 1704); the group left steel in 1978 when the State took control of Sacilor
- HEADQUARTERS
- Paris, France
- FOUNDED
- 1704
- OUTSIDE CAPITAL
- Yes — also manages others' money
Investment approach
- GEOGRAPHY
- EuropeNorth America
- STAGES
- GrowthBuyout
- ROUTES
- Companies (direct) · Funds (as LP)
- STRATEGIES
- Private equityPrivate creditDirect investments
Overview
Wendel traces its origins to the forge bought by Jean-Martin Wendel at Hayange, Lorraine, in 1704; after the family group left steel in 1978, its other holdings were grouped in CGIP, which took the Wendel name in 2002. It has two activities: principal investments of its own capital in companies such as Bureau Veritas, ACAMS, Crisis Prevention Institute, Globeducate, Scalian and Tarkett, and, since 2023, third-party private asset management through Wendel Investment Managers (IK Partners, Monroe Capital, Committed Advisors), with €48.7bn of assets under management at 30 June 2026. The founding family holds 39.6% of the capital through Wendel-Participations SE.
Holdings & investments (13)
INVESTMENT ARMS & VEHICLES
- Wendel Investment ManagersThird-party private asset management platform (private equity, private debt, secondaries) grouping IK Partners, Monroe Capital and Committed Advisors
- Wendel Principal InvestmentsLong-standing principal investments activity with Wendel’s own capital
- Wendel GrowthGrowth investments, listed among Wendel’s unlisted holdings; also makes sponsor-money contributions
- Affiliate: private equity manager within Wendel Investment Managers (51% acquired May 2024)
- Affiliate: private credit manager within Wendel Investment Managers (72% acquired March 2025)
- Affiliate: mid-market private equity secondaries manager (controlling stake, 56% of capital, acquired April 2026)
HOLDINGS & INVESTMENTS · MOST RECENT FIRST
- Bureau VeritasNOTABLE
- GlobeducateNOTABLEEducation
- IK PartnersNOTABLEsince 2024 · Majority stake (c.51%)
- Committed Advisorssince 2026 · Controlling stake (56% of capital at closing)
- Monroe Capitalsince 2025 · Majority stake (c.72%)
- StahlIndustrial & Manufacturing · since 2006 · Exited 2026 (sold to Henkel)
- ACAMSEducation
- Crisis Prevention InstituteEducation
- ScalianSoftware & SaaS
- TarkettIndustrial & Manufacturing
- MunoHeld for sale (June 2026)
- IHS TowersSale pending (Wendel supports MTN’s offer for its 19% stake)
- Funds managed by IK Partners, Monroe Capital and Committed Advisors(fund commitment) €776m committed at 30 June 2026
People
- Cyril MarieMember of the Executive Board, Executive Vice-President in charge of Asset Management · source
- Nabil BennisHead of Valuation and Investment Strategy Performance Monitoring · source
- Bénédicte RabierChief Product Officer, Wendel Investment Managers · source
- Laurent MignonChairman of the Executive Board, Group CEO · source
- David DarmonGroup Deputy CEO and member of the Executive Board (leaving 30 November 2026) · source
- Nicolas ver HulstChairman of the Supervisory Board · source
- Sébastien MetzgerGeneral Counsel · source
Frequently asked questions
Wendel is a family-anchored fund based in Paris, France, founded in 1704.
Wendel invests on behalf of the Wendel family family (Steelmaking in Lorraine (from 1704); the group left steel in 1978 when the State took control of Sacilor).
Wendel invests directly and through funds. Capital origin: family capital plus outside investors. Stated strategies include private equity, private credit and direct investments.
Wendel invests at Growth and Buyout stages in Industrial & Manufacturing, Education and Software & SaaS.
Key people at Wendel include Laurent Mignon (Chairman of the Executive Board, Group CEO), David Darmon (Group Deputy CEO and member of the Executive Board (leaving 30 November 2026)), Cyril Marie (Member of the Executive Board, Executive Vice-President in charge of Asset Management) and Nicolas ver Hulst (Chairman of the Supervisory Board).
Wendel's disclosed holdings and investments include Bureau Veritas, Globeducate, IK Partners, ACAMS, Crisis Prevention Institute, Scalian, Tarkett and Muno, among others.
The most recent publicly reported investment by Wendel is Committed Advisors (Acquisition of a controlling stake (56% of capital) at closing), announced in Apr 2026.
Yes. Wendel manages capital from outside investors.